This paper presents preliminary evaluation results of the Comprehensive Teacher Institute (CTI), an experimental, state-funded, five-year teacher preparation program located in a large California urban area. Program features include paid student teaching, two years of beginning teacher support, and recruiting underrepresented minorities. CTI…

Four key factors contributed to program success or failure of five context-specific, school-based teacher preparation programs in Arizona: university personnel, administrative support, flexibility and risk taking, and a focus on quality. Among individual program goals were preparation of special education teachers for elementary and rural Navajo…

This article discusses the value of professional portfolios, describes how they are used in a five-year Canadian teacher preparation program, and includes criteria for assessing student teacher portfolios. Findings from two surveys of superintendents indicate that, overall, including a portfolio among an applicant's credentials can enhance the…

Reviews provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and recent court decisions related to inclusion of children with disabilities in typical classrooms; considers various definitions of inclusion; outlines the positions of various proponents and opponents; identifies some problematic issues; proposes criteria for inclusion plans;…

With input from administrators, teachers, students, parents, and other parish members, a Catholic elementary school developed a comprehensive discipline program around the themes of respect, spirituality, and responsibility. The program was evaluated over one year. Surveys indicated that parents, teachers, and students had positive perceptions of…

This study examined the extent of burnout among elementary teachers in very small Seventh Day Adventist schools with multigraded classes. Surveys indicated that 71% experienced moderate to high emotional exhaustion and 60% experienced low personal accomplishment. Predictors of burnout included attitudes toward students, satisfaction with teaching,…

This adaptation of the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) booklet "Safeguarding Your Children" discusses cooperative efforts of communities, schools, and homes to protect children from violence. (SM)

The Fort Smith Council of PTAs in Fort Smith, Arkansas, conducted RESPECT, a citywide campaign against youth violence, during the 1994-95 school year. RESPECT included an educational brochure sent to all parents, a gang prevention video for PTAs, public service announcements, and a week-long school violence prevention program. (SM)

Presents suggestions for encouraging children to practice music (or anything else), including seeking out instruction, writing out schedules, setting goals, concentrating, relaxing and practicing slowly, practicing hard things longer, practicing with expression, learning from mistakes, not showing off, thinking independently, being optimistic, and…

Praise is better than punishment as a motivator for children, but both are manipulative and often backfire. Real encouragement comes in the form of honest, caring concern without strings attached. The paper presents examples of how to encourage children successfully. (SM)

Discusses the failings of standardized tests and the benefits of performance-based assessment, which supports high-quality teaching and learning, noting what is necessary for assessment reform and what parents can do. (SM)

A school administrator describes his experience with a shooting in a high school, explaining the process he went through to calm the students, staff, parents, and community members. Part of the solution was to create a 39-member task force on safety that involved school and community members. (SM)

Paper analyzes demographic trends in private and public school enrollment, highlighting total enrollment and socioeconomic characteristics of students in each sector. Results show there has never been an exodus from public schools, private school students are not an economically elite group, and Americans choose private schools for many reasons.…

Addresses two issues in the ethics of grading and testing. The first is the charge that the practice of grading students is intrinsically coercive. The second is the national debate about authentic assessment, educational standards, and standardized measures of educational outcomes. The paper suggests there is an acceptable middle ground. (SM)

Discusses moral education, examining how the notion of self arising within India's Vedanta tradition differs significantly from America's and how an education that proposes to foster the development of self would be at variance with American ideas. Teachings from the Bhagavad Gita are examined to explain the Vedantic concept of self. (SM)