This mixed methods action research study was conducted in a Title I, K-12 public charter school with the purpose of exploring teachers' capacities to implement student-centered learning after participating in effective professional development (PD). Participants attended a PD cycle where the staff chose the topic, learning was sustained over a…

Success in primary and secondary school mathematics is becoming increasingly important to today's teachers, students, parents and employment providers in Australia. Mathematics is viewed as high status and essential for a range of employment opportunities. The Disability Standards for Education [1] and the Australian Curriculum, Reporting and…

Dewey (1933) provided the foundation for reflective practice in education with the notion that learning is not in the doing, but rather it is in the thinking about the doing that creates learning. Evidence is growing about the importance of reflection for improving teaching and learning practices to increase student achievement (York-Barr, et al.,…

Examines implementation of the California Formative Assessment and Support System for Teachers (CFASST) within local California Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA) programs using data from six case studies and highlighting how local BTSA program directors thought about and acted to implement CFASST. The study illustrated the essential…

This book provides insights into one of the nation's largest and most comprehensive school-restructuring movements, the Accelerated Schools Project. Since its inception in 1986, the focus of the movement has been on transforming schools with students at risk of dropping out into schools with high expectations of all students. This is accomplished,…

The goals of the five chapters in this guide are to help both new and experienced educators develop as reflective practitioners and to integrate a mentoring program into the fabric of a school's community. The first chapter discusses adult learning and development, reflective practice, change, and diversity. The second chapter presents an overview…

The Windham (Vermont) Partnership, a professional development school, cooperates with a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program that educates foreign language and English as a Second Language teachers. Within the Partnership, there are two seminars for mentors: the Reflective Teaching Seminar and the Teacher Research Seminar. Teachers are…

Widespread dissatisfaction caused a Nevada district to reexamine and revamp its teacher-evaluation process. The new system, which assumes teacher participation in goal setting helps teachers become self-reflective practitioners capable of adjusting their practices, has four domains: planning and preparation, classroom environment, instruction, and…

This paper introduces a Chinese teacher induction program. In China it is believed that formal teacher education constitutes only half of teacher preparation; the other half has to be accomplished on the job with the active support and involvement of the teaching community. The voice of teachers is introduced to the field of educational research…

Showcasing the "Downey Walk-Through"--a method developed over a 40-year period, tested and refined in real-world schools and classrooms, and described in the pioneering book, "The Three-Minute Classroom Walk-Through," this innovative multimedia presentation provides trainers and staff developers with a complete resource answering the questions…

This paper reports the results of a study of 40 student teachers and their cooperating teachers. The initiatives were implemented during one semester in various public school classrooms and sites. Most occurred with preschool and elementary students, with 10 of the student teachers in junior high or high school settings. The preservice teachers…

This paper describes the structure and activities of the Windham Partnership for Teacher Education, a collaborative of four rural Vermont elementary professional development schools (PDSs), a high school PDS, and the School for International Training graduate program in foreign language teacher education. Three integrated activities are at the…

This paper reports on a pilot project conducted at the College of Education, Wayne State University (Michigan), to explore the potential of the portfolio process as a tool for assessing the professional skill development of student teachers and the effectiveness of the teacher preparation program. Project goals included the promotion and…