In an effort to prepare American high school students for future careers, many states have implemented specific career readiness standards and programs. One such program is known as Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO), which are hands-on, credit-bearing experiences outside of the classroom with an emphasis on community-based career exploration.…

This article examines the relationship between principals' training experiences and perceived school quality in seven U.S. states. Current school principals were surveyed regarding their perceptions of the comparative effectiveness of field experiences in the principal preparation program (PPP) each attended. States were selected to represent…

In the era of No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top, school districts are under increasing pressure from policymakers to hold all students to high performance standards. In response, a growing number of schools are embracing the principles of student-centered learning (SCL). SCL is a contemporary approach that combines progressive and…

The Team-Taught Cohort Model for preparing pre-service teachers to use technology in their classrooms involves a "block" of courses in combination with a field experience in the second year of a four-year university program. Pre-service teachers are placed in cohort groups that participate in intensive coursework in curriculum,…

In teacher education, as in many fields, there are several truths, each based on different assumptions and beliefs. "Conventional teacher education reflects a view of learning to teach as a two-step process of knowledge acquisition and application or transfer." In this view of truth, the university provides theory, skills, and knowledge…

Maine Bill L.D. 1228, passed in June 1985, changed the groundrules for administrator certification, giving district-based administrators and others (as opposed to universities) the planning, support, and review authority over competency development of candidates for administrator certification or recertification. Between July 1985 and September…

This is a collection of reports on innovative practices in student teaching programs. The label "innovative" is justified on the basis of the investigation's scope. Identification of innovative student teaching practices was accomplished by contacting chief state school officers, chairmen and members of state commissions on teacher…