Policy makers at the federal level have embraced an educator effectiveness agenda, which in turn has driven many states across the country to rapidly develop and implement new and more complex teacher evaluation systems. It is increasingly clear that the success of these nascent teacher evaluation systems partly depends on the will, skill, and…

This study analyzed coaching conversations and interviews of four coach/teacher partnerships for specific ways in which kindergarten and first-grade teachers, and coaches, conceptualized instructional scaffolding for guided reading. Interview transcripts were coded for coaches' and teachers' specific hypotheses/ ideas regarding instructional…

Educational researchers and teacher educators are often concerned with immediate and practical questions. How can health teachers help youth avoid substance abuse? Should a high school biology teacher show Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth," or is that film too political for a science classroom? What sports should be included in a physical…

Data-driven instructional decision making (or D-DIDM) is a "process by which educators examine [data] in order to identify student strengths and deficiencies" (Mertler, 2007). My view of the process of D-DIDM merges three critical educational practices: classroom-based (or site-based) action research, assessment of student learning, and reflective…

Scholars conducting research in classrooms face a myriad of ethical issues somewhat unique to the educational setting. While the Code of Federal Regulations (45 CFR 46) generally provides that educational research be classified as exempt from review by Institutional Review Boards, those same regulations provide a host of special conditions under…

As universities strive to produce the best mathematics teachers possible through both graduate and undergraduate programs, teacher educators must constantly work towards helping teacher candidates create their own conceptual understanding of mathematics. This pilot study examined the effect teaching in a constructivist manner had on teacher…

Colleges and universities are engaged in efforts to diversify their faculties, as faculty of color continue to be underrepresented in higher education. Challenging higher education to recognize the interplay between the cultural and social variables of education is an arduous process and warrants further investigation. The authors explore the…

The complexities surrounding the relationship between state content standards and improvements in student reading achievement are examined. A case study of one California elementary school reveals that its ideal outcomes--use of standards in curriculum planning and improved test scores--were complex, involving district initiatives, curriculum…

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction proposes to eliminate "stand-alone" teacher certification in bilingual education (BE) or English as a second language (ESL), creating an ESL/BE license to be added to an elementary or secondary license. The proposal promotes ESL/BE licensure of subject area teachers but ignores foreign language…

A study investigating the influence of textbooks on teaching strategies in 13 schools compared teaching strategies of 14 secondary teachers using University of Chicago School Mathematics Project secondary mathematics textbooks to those of 14 teachers using other textbooks. Results indicate that textbooks convey pedagogical messages and provide…

A study of methods used to ensure validity and reliability in classroom assessments surveyed 625 elementary and secondary teachers in Ohio. Results indicate teachers spent little time conducting statistical analyses of their student evaluation data, and many techniques used were poor and inadequate. Additional professional development and improved…

Volume 12 of the Mid-Western Educational Researcher contains four issues. The first issue includes kick-off, keynote, luncheon, and presidential addresses from the annual meeting of the Mid-Western Educational Research Association (MWERA), held in Chicago, Illinois, in October 1998. Issue 3 is the program for MWERA's annual meeting in Chicago,…

A survey of all 635 public high schools in Illinois examined types of scheduling models used (daily period schedules, block schedules, modular/flexible scheduling, or combination models); statewide trends in scheduling; and principals' reasons for adopting scheduling changes. Only 27% of schools were incorporating block-scheduling components.…

In 97 Ohio school districts, 484 teachers and administrators rated their school's standardized testing practices as average or above, compared to school performance in other areas. Highest rated testing practices were related to test quality, pupil records, and understandable scores and reports; lowest rated practice was use of test results to…

Data on teacher self-assessment practices were collected from 17 elementary teachers in 4 focus groups. Common themes included process and product indicators that triggered self-assessment, irrelevance of most formal teacher evaluations, lack of time for reflection and self-assessment, need for administrator and collegial support, and the nature…