This study is a qualitative analysis of data collected during a yearlong series of teacher learning community meetings and classroom observations. The participants are middle and high school mathematics teachers from 2 school districts. Teachers were introduced to the research behind formative assessment and how to apply that research to their…

In order to help teachers negotiate the changing contexts of foreign language education, the National K-12 Foreign Language Resource Center (NFLRC) at Iowa State University began offering summer institutes in 1994. The authors were surprised at the intense interest in the institutes focused on technology. Since then the NFLRC has offered 36…

Every summer, with financial support from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), more than 2,500 teachers from across the U.S. participate in advanced study programs in the humanities that range from one to six weeks in length. Most of the programs are conducted at institutions of higher learning, both within the U.S. and abroad, and…

This article describes a multifaceted program that improves the mathematics instruction in a school district's 10 lowest-performing schools. This program includes seven support components--including monetary incentives for teachers, professional development, education technology, and reduced class sizes. After three years, results show that the…

Describes a summer institute for Hawaiian teachers, counselors, and administrators that emphasized constructing and nourishing student resiliency to combat pathological and self-destructive responses to problems (e.g., substance abuse) and promoted three internal assets (caring relations, high expectations, and meaningful participation). Describes…

In this study we measured changes in science teachers' conceptual science understanding (content knowledge) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) while participating in a problem-based learning (PBL) model of professional development. Teachers participated in a two-week long workshop followed by nine monthly meetings during one academic year…

Understanding the interplay among experience, beliefs, and contexts of teaching in preservice and inservice teachers' learning to teach is crucial to improving teacher quality for diverse populations. This study examined the impact of a summer camp English teaching experience in China on the ideas and practice of two White, middle-class female…

The National Writing Project (NWP) is the nation's premier professional development network dedicated to improving the teaching of writing. The NWP network comprises nearly 200 local sites in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. This report presents the results of a seven-year survey study of teachers participating in NWP summer…

Describes the evolution and implementation of the Summer Institute on College Teaching, a faculty development program created by the Virginia Tidewater Consortium as part of a foundation-funded exercise through the Kansas City Regional Council for Higher Education. Guiding principles in program development and lessons learned are discussed. (MSE)

Every time music educators gather, whether at a national conference or at a local coffee shop, professional development can occur. The common denominator is always communication of ideas and experiences that result in some sort of learning--generally among all parties involved. As such, all school districts should invest in high-quality and…

The author defines faculty practice as a means of faculty development. She focuses on the Faculty Practice Program at New York University Medical Center. That program allows nursing faculty to practice as part of the Medical Center staff during the summer. (CH)

This policy study contributed to an understanding of the types of professional growth activities that improve teacher self-confidence to teach challenging subjects and helped determine the future allocation of resources relative to teaching secondary social studies in Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS), the eighth largest school district in…

This article describes a year-long professional development institute combined with a summer camp for students. Both were designed to help teachers and students develop their problem-solving and problem-posing abilities.

One of the greatest challenges that community colleges face in their efforts to increase graduation rates is improving the success of students in their developmental, or remedial, education programs--the courses that students without adequate academic preparation must take before they can enroll in courses for college credit. Emphasizing results…

Changes in the demography of the nation's public schools are occurring at a dramatic pace. In states such as California, Texas, and Florida, new immigrants comprise more than a third of the student population. In major cities such as New York, Miami, and Los Angeles, they comprise more than 40% of the student population. Similar changes are…