Almost four years ago, a mathematics professor started the (fictitiously named) Mathematics Education, Equity and Leadership (MEEL) project to reform mathematics education, promote equity, and develop teacher leadership. This article discusses challenges faced by participants working to develop the new knowledge, habits of mind, and resources…

Compares two first-grade teachers' hands-on approaches to teach measurement concepts. One, a constructivist, allowed students to figure out the dimensions of a Mayflower ship outline; the other immediately showed kids how to use a yardstick to estimate a whale's dimensions. Although initially more confused, the first class got more out of their…

Because the mathematics reforms challenge culturally embedded views of mathematics, realizing reform visions will require profound, extensive societal and individual learning--and unlearning. This article examines and discusses how teachers learn, new teaching approaches, and what teachers bring to learning about new pedagogies, what should be…

Research suggests that children living in poverty show progressively lower test scores as they age. The Abecedarian research project contrasted a birth-to-age-five intervention program with a school-grade intervention program. When given IQ and achievement tests at various ages, children who had received preschool treatment consistently outscored…

Describes a suit against the East Lansing (Michigan) Schools, brought by conservative religious parents dissatisfied with counseling, music, and conflict-resolution activities provided for their third-grade son. The plaintiffs' action failed. The Hatch Act has limitations. However, there is strong public sentiment against entrusting schools with…

The articles in this special section on quality assurance describe current and future efforts to create a coherent system of teacher preparation and development. Various experts discuss the status of the teaching profession, new accreditation and licensing developments, state reform movements, National Board Certification effects, and the need for…

The National Commission on Teaching and America's Future concluded that reforming education hinges on restructuring the teaching profession. Major barriers include inadequate teacher education, slipshod recruitment, haphazard hiring and induction, inadequate professional development and recognition, and failure-prone schools. The commission…

The idea of teacher growth and development as a continuum spanning a teaching career guides the National Council for Accreditation for Teacher Education's emerging standards. The 1995 NCATE standards revision emphasizes performance and performance-based assessments, professional collaboration and community, technology, and diversity of curriculum,…

The Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium is engaged in a multistate effort to craft model teacher licensing standards. Preparation programs must be redesigned to ensure that all candidates have developed a strong foundation of content and pedagogical knowledge, can demonstrate this knowledge in practice, and have exhibited…

Since 1970, 12 states (California, Oregon, Minnesota, Nevada, Iowa, Kentucky, Georgia, Indiana, Wyoming, West Virginia, North Dakota, and Hawaii) have created autonomous boards directly accountable to legislatures to control standards and practices for education professionals. These boards are establishing rigorous academic and professional…

Now a major force Board for Professional Teaching Standards was established in 1987 to set high, rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and practice and to certify teachers via performance-based assessments. National Board Certification, which complements state licensing, helps empower teachers through mentoring and school…

Teaching can be respected as a genuine profession when teachers are experts in their subject matter and effectively induct students into that expertise. This requires a strong preservice program and rigorous licensing requirements, accompanied by effective induction programs, peer review, intervention programs, ongoing professional development,…

Teacher unions' efforts to ensure teacher quality via one-time licensing and certification requirements are outmoded. The National Education Association offers guiding principles for creating a quality-assurance system that encourages teachers to improve their craft. Unions must redefine teacher professional development and give teachers more…

A dual agenda of renewing schools and teacher education means that faculty members from both sides must join together as equal partners. The National Network for Educational Renewal engages three groups of faculty (in schools, university liberal arts departments, and colleges of education) in ongoing conversations about educational improvement and…

Reviews current literature related to the science achievement "learning gap" between Chinese and U.S. students. Presents an empirical assessment based on a more representative database from both countries. An extended mid-1980s study (the Second International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement Study, or SSIS), found no…