Presents results of a qualitative study of alternatively certified teachers from a large urban district in the Southwest, focusing on reasons for choosing alternative certification. Interviews with 100 teachers reveal a variety of reasons for choosing teaching and indicate that the alternative program increases the pool of qualified teachers. (SLD)

Studies problems of 69 traditionally prepared and 162 alternatively certified first-year elementary school teachers in Houston (Texas). Results show that alternatively certified teachers appear to have more problems after two months, but differences disappear by eight months, supporting the utility of alternative certification. (SLD)

Reports on characteristics significantly related to teacher retention in a large urban school district using a Cox regression model to model teacher turnover for a sample of 2,327 white, black, and Hispanic-American first-year teachers. Sex, ethnicity, education, and certification route are significantly related to teacher retention. (SLD)

Explores the complexity of developing and identifying national curriculum content standards. This article introduces other articles on developing standards for studies in mathematics, social studies, English, the sciences, and advanced placement studies. The challenges for national standards are examined with awareness of the importance of these…

Explores and contrasts early efforts to set standards in mathematics and social studies, juxtaposing California's revisions of its history and social science curricula and the standard-setting approach of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Both programs achieved success in part because of their development strategies. (SLD)

Reviews efforts to develop national content standards for teaching English. Today's standards movements are distinguished from earlier efforts in that the learner is recognized as active, the meaning is socially and historically contingent, and the purpose is the development of language for political power and the creation and appreciation of…

Reviews experiences from the science curricula developed by the National Science Foundation in the 1950s and 1960s for their relevance to national standard-setting efforts today. Experiences include choosing standards of success that fit available expertise, emphasizing professional development, and defining the target audience clearly. (SLD)

Examines the approach of the College Board's Advanced Placement (AP) Program to curricular development and assessment using the framework of D. Massell for agenda setting for content standards. Opportunities and constraints applicable to the current national standards movement are discussed. The AP program clearly meets capacity building and…

Describes three broad areas of challenge for the development of national curriculum content standards: (1) tension between leadership and consensus; (2) tension between flexible and specific standards; and (3) tension between up-to-date dynamic standards and reasonable expectations for systemic change. Examining tradeoffs necessary will result in…

Outlines and evaluates Chicago's (Illinois) school reform efforts which used a school-based management experiment that granted authority to local parents, community representatives, and school professionals as a strategy for improving student achievement. It also covers recent trends in school-improvement efforts and discusses how extensively…

Examines the governance style of the local school councils (LSCs) to determine the extent to which they are operating in a democratic, open, and participatory manner. It looks at the politics as manifested in LSCs and determines whether democracy exists in this site of power and, if it does, whether it is encouraged in school politics overall.…

Draws on the results of two different studies to explore the changing nature of the principalship in Chicago public schools since the passage of the Chicago School Reform Act. It reveals changes not only in the characteristics of the principals hired since the act's passage but also changes in their roles. (GLR)

Examines the changing role of teachers after passage of Chicago's School Reform Act. It explores the new roles of education professionals, issues of teacher empowerment in Chicago reforms, how teachers have become increasingly involved, and the efforts to assist teachers' professional development. (GLR)

Describes how substantial new monetary resources were made available to Chicago public schools after the Chicago School Reform Act and how they were used to stimulate change at the school level. The article briefly examines the allocation method for state chapter funds and discusses the findings from an analysis of 14 sample schools. (GLR)

Summarizes research findings concerning the leadership and management changes discovered following implementation of Chicago's school reform efforts. The authors discuss the implications for systemic change and the unique challenges that face urban districts as a result of public school reform. (GLR)