Compared patterns and levels of reflection in two semesters of preservice teachers' email discussions about field experiences in urban schools. Higher levels of reflection were rare during the first semester. With several changes in the design and level of support for discussions, students in the second semester were more included to write at…

Surveyed preservice teachers regarding important factors in predicting their professional uses of technology and having K-12 students use technology in the classroom. Results found that setting high expectations for designing and delivering instruction using technology was effective in getting student teachers to use technology during clinical…

Examined the impact of school-centered portfolios on professional learning and collaboration. Data from interviews with an urban elementary school principal, staff developer, and teachers indicated that a wide range of conditions contributed to professional learning and collaboration through teaching portfolios (conditions supporting professional…

Assessed the effectiveness of one effort to curb urban teacher attrition through a nontraditional approach to teacher education, induction, and ongoing professional development. Results from quantitative data about teachers' 5-year retention rates and qualitative data about types of preparation and ongoing support underscore the importance of…

Investigated current levels of faculty supply and demand at 752 American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education member institutions. Survey data indicate that demand is greater than supply, shortages are more critical in some program areas than others (e.g., early childhood and special education), the percentage of minority hires has…

Presents a teacher knowledge approach to school portfolio development that was used with teachers on five campuses involved in a major national reform movement. The narrative method shows how teacher knowledge is made public and shared through school portfolio making. Particular emphasis is placed on the connections between and among reflection…

Interviewed five pairs of preservice teachers and their experienced mentor teachers who collaborated to plan, implement, and evaluate action research projects during a semester-long internship program in their professional development school sites. Results indicated that in general, the project helped participants develop meaningful and…

Explored the progress of National Network for Educational Reform-affiliated institutions regarding the work, support, and recognition of university faculty in partner professional development schools. Overall, the amount and nature of faculty work varied considerably across institutions. Provision of formal, systematized teaching load credit or…

Investigated the reliability and validity of a group assessment interview procedure for evaluating the verbal, interpersonal, and leadership qualities of students applying to a teacher education program. Data on 68 student teachers who had participated in the process indicated that the group assessment overall rating predicted student teaching…

Describes the public's desire for teaching quality and teacher accountability. Asserts that while teachers and teacher educators must be accountable for their work, this work cannot be determined by narrow conceptions of teaching quality and student learning focused exclusively on test scores and ignoring the complexity of teaching and leaning,…

Asserts the importance of self-study in teacher education practices to promote reflective teaching, suggesting that self-study serves as a means to promote reflective teaching and as a substantive end of teacher education. A five-part theoretical rationale for using self-study in reflection-oriented teacher education is presented (e.g., the…

Describes a professional development school (PDS) relationship between Teachers College, Columbia University, and a New York City high school serving diverse students, highlighting action research projects conducted by teaching interns at the high school who were also master's students in secondary education programs at Teachers College. The paper…

Investigated the teaching and learning responses of preservice teachers enrolled in a brief language arts field practicum prior to student teaching. Survey, observation, and journal data indicated that despite consistent efforts by university professors to help preservice teachers examine theory into practice during their practica, procedural…

Draws from teacher surveys and interviews to advance three dimensions for characterizing teachers' vision (focus, range, and distance). The visions of two novice teachers demonstrate the range of visions and different roles visions play in teachers' lives. The article explores how the concept of vision might offer novice teachers a tool for…

Investigated portfolios as a means of generating the evidence necessary to make judgments about student teachers' teaching and understanding. Data from institutions currently using portfolios indicated that teacher educators focused on rallying evidence that students were meeting standards without much opportunity for meaningful dialogue about…