This publication presents several articles about the profession of teaching as well as recent conversations with experts in the field. The articles include: "Putting National Board Certification to the Test" (David T. Gordon); "Teacher Excellence: Improving the Conversation" (a conversation with Ann E. Harman); "What…

Designed for general education teachers, this book contains more than 40 specific learning activities and sample lessons for immediate practical applications in the inclusive classroom. The book is organized into three major sections. The first section, "Mainstreaming and Inclusion Strategies for Classroom Teachers," addresses issues…

This document reviews the research on achievement and successful practices related to educating students with disabilities in inclusive general education classrooms. First, it examines the meaning of "inclusion" and distinguishes inclusion from mainstreaming and integration. The following section explains legal requirements under the…

A collaborative Internet Web page design project broke disciplinary, college, and classroom boundaries when used to re-imagine teaching-thinking-learning possibilities to reconfigure education. The collaboration, named Tools for the Mind: Using Technology for Mindwork, involved teacher education students and university professors from the…

This paper introduces the purposes of school learning communities. Section 1, "Foundations of a Learning Community," presents a definition and discusses different approaches to reforming schools. Section 2, "Key Aspects of a Learning Community," highlights three components of learning communities (student learning, teacher…

The ideas presented in this book are drawn from a study of highly successful principals of schools affiliated with the League of Professional Schools. Chapter 1, "Sharing Governance," presents an overview of the literature on professional development and a description of the study. Chapter 2, "Trusting the Experts: Teachers,"…

In 1995, the Albuquerque (New Mexico) school district devised a plan to merge special education, cross-cultural education, Indian education, and Title I with the general education program, designated the Unified Education System (UES). Considering the abrupt implementation of UES in the first year and subsequent confusion regarding staff positions…

This paper outlines how shared decision making among teacher education faculty, PK-12 educators, and mathematics and science faculty lead to the preparation of quality educators within Wright State University's (WSU) "Partners Transforming Education: School-University-Community" program. This program was designed to simultaneously renew…

This final report discusses the activities and outcomes of the Elementary and Middle Schools Technical Assistance Center (EMSTAC), which has developed a model of special education technical assistance (TA) to local school districts that can be implemented on a national scale. This report provides a comprehensive examination of EMSTAC's support to…

This case study explores the student teaching experience of a Spanish language teacher candidate through her own eyes. It sheds light on how the participants' prior learning experience and beliefs inform her initial practice, how she develops her teaching skills, what contextual factors affect her learning-to-teach process, and the sources from…

Three components of excellent middle grades teacher preparation programs include foundations (a broad liberal education and the knowledge base upon which the teaching profession rests), teaching fields (depth beyond the basics in some areas of academic inquiry), and middle grades specialization (experiences specific to learning to function…

Reports a study that examined 16 educational reform networks that are used as alternative forms of teacher and school development. The results identified five shared organizational themes and five shared tensions. This paper describes educational reform networks, discusses essential elements, examines the themes and tensions, and suggests…

Discusses collaborative planning for inquiry between teachers and library media specialists. Highlights include instructional media specialists; roles of teachers and library media specialists; curriculum development; learning resources; access over ownership; resource budgets; best practices for managing learning resource collections; and a…

Describes how the Intervention Assistance Teaming Model, a highly structured form of collaboration, was implemented with preservice graduate students from various disciplines typically involved in collaborative school service delivery. Teams received training and used case study requests for assistance. Surveys indicated great satisfaction with…

Describes a school-based collaborative consultation model that was designed and field-tested to increase the core knowledge of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and to improve effective intervention skills of junior-high-school staff. Evaluation by personnel in 57 participating school districts indicated the model was successful in…