This Facilitator's Guide has been prepared for presenters of the "Language Development for English Language Learners" professional development module. It accompanies the 67-slide PowerPoint presentation with speaker's notes and contains materials to help prepare for a professional development session, including activity instructions, handouts,…

Conventional thinking holds that districts and schools face a strategic decision between two fundamentally different alternatives: make or buy? The former refers to planning, designing, and enacting school-specific improvement initiatives. The latter refers to contracting with external providers of schoolwide improvement programs. However, there…

Improving the Russian economy depends in part on having well-educated and energetic personnel, and this is being hindered by universities in which there is an aging professoriate and students enrolled in specialties that are not in demand by employers. Higher education is expected not only to conduct programs of specialist training in order to…

Principals manage schools, ensuring that nothing interrupts business as usual. They spend little time on instruction. A good principal is the one who works in a high-achieving school that has no significant management problems. Districts celebrate improved student results by recognizing an outstanding crop of students, rarely pointing to the…

Of the cadre of non-educators--business leaders, military men, government officials, lawyers--who have been called on to transform large urban school districts in recent years, Paul Vallas has been at it the longest and, in the minds of many, is the one with the best track record. Since 1995, he has tackled the third- and eighth-largest districts…

The Conception of the Modernization of Russian Education has as its objective that of ensuring the anticipatory development of the training of highly qualified workers in the primary and secondary link. This article describes the efforts of the Russian government to improve the quality, accessibility, and effectiveness of professional education…

What is the nature of onsite and online mentoring which enables student teachers to design inquiry-based, technology rich learning experiences? In this case study, faculty and expert teachers worked with fifteen student teachers during an elementary school practicum. An online intelligent design environment supported the development of a community…

Virginia state officials selected the University of Virginia to run a training program that will let an experienced school leader earn a credential as a "turnaround specialist." This strategy, borrowed from the corporate world, is meant to form an elite cadre of school leaders that are able to jump-start improvement in low-performing schools. This…

Assistive technology is equipment that improves the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities. Using assistive technology, children discover they have control over their environment and develop a sense of competence and independence. As special education enrollments increase, more students are using assistive technology, but many…

In 655 schools in 27 states, the Literacy Collaborative aims to improve elementary students' literacy achievement. A trained literacy coordinator trains other teachers and provides in-class coaching. Systematic collection of data on every child and data utilization by all program participants support continuous school improvement and create a…

Two statewide Montana projects address educational needs assessed through a biennial Comprehensive System of Personnel Development survey. Although addressing different needs, the projects use similar strategies for effective implementation in a large rural state. Montana Training for Inclusive Education is a program of inservice training,…

Edmonds School District (Washington) was a winner in the 1999 National Awards Programs for Model Professional Development. Teacher participation in district decisions, district funding for professional development at six times the national average, mentoring for new teachers, research into best practices for professional development, and teacher…

The purpose of this paper is to propose a format to implement an integrated team concept, the basic premises involved, the composition of the team, a training procedure, and finally, to share some of the results of such a program with handicapped clients at a rehabilitation facility. (Author)

Describes the "floating faculty" program developed by the Prince George's County (Maryland) Public Schools to provide onsite inservice training for school faculties in the district through the use of specially trained personnel that make up a "faculty-without-a-school." (JG)

This issue concentrates on an entire book which traces the historical development of teacher education in the USSR after the Revolution. The formation of teaching cadres, organization and development of teacher education institutions, and current trends in the self-education of teachers are discussed. An appendix is included. (JK)