Interest in improving the quality of professional development in this age of educational reform has intensified as a growing body of research suggests that teaching practices matter in terms of student achievement. Some have argued for embedding professional development in the context of teachers' work in order to transform both teaching practices…

Lesson planning is integral to teachers' professional development in China. It includes their individual reflection and study as well as the collegial activities undertaken to prepare the lesson. In China, organizational structures for both individual teachers and a school's professional community embed lesson preparation in two activities:…

The accountability required by school-reform measures such as No Child Left Behind has placed increased emphasis on data analysis for appraising schools, administrators, teachers, and students. The focus of accountability-driven initiatives is developing policies and procedures that collectively influence the district, the school, and most…

This paper discusses several issues involved in educating at-risk students and particularly emphasizes school-university partnerships as a strategy for educational change. It proposes that educators move beyond the symbolic theory, the theory of resource dependence, or the theory of resource exchange and embrace school-university partnerships…

The sweeping No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation seeks to impact U.S. education on a broad scale through provisions and mandates that target both resources and student outcomes. One NCLB mandate is to provide every student with a "highly qualified teacher." The mandate arises from growing evidence of the relationship between teacher…

Schools and Staffing Survey data on public school teachers from 1987-88, 1990-91, and 1999-2000 were analyzed, indicating no increase in diversity. The number of males decreased, urban and high-minority enrollment schools had more racially diverse teachers but less gender diversity; diversity of newly hired teachers increased, but they were most…

Schools and Staffing Survey data on public school teachers from 1987-88, 1993-94, and 1999-2000 indicate the percentage certified in their primary teaching assignment (PTA) decreased; fewer teachers with PTA certification were in urban and secondary schools. More new teachers had temporary/emergency PTA certification or waivers; more teachers with…

Gives an overview of service learning at local, state, and federal levels. Describes national support networks and the work of the National Commission on Service Learning.(SK)

Comparison of site-based management in 1987-88 and 1993-94 indicates that principals' leadership increased and teachers' leadership stagnated and was focused on classroom rather than schoolwide issues. There were discrepancies in principals' and teachers' perceptions of leadership. Teachers are still not empowered in many areas. (JOW)

Data from the 1993-94 Schools and Staffing Survey for 13,601 traditionally certified and 1,118 alternatively certified (AC) teachers show that 13.4% were math and science teachers, most of whom were AC; there were no differences in gender and racial composition; AC math and science teachers were concentrated in inner-city schools and had higher…

Schools and Staffing Survey data from 1987-88, 1990-91, and 1993-94 show that many first graders enter school environments or come from family environments not conducive to learning. Problems are usually more severe in urban environments. The severity of most problems increased from 1987 to 1994. (SK)

Data from the Schools and Staffing Survey 1990-91 and the Teacher Followup Survey 1991-92 indicate that teachers who stayed in the same school in those years have taught longer and had higher salaries than those who changed schools or left the profession. Leavers and movers were in schools with higher numbers of less-experienced teachers, lower…