Although the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Framework has been effective in designing tools and lessons, implementation of the Framework to design entire learning environments possesses its own limitations in research. This paper describes a quasi-experimental study of the effects of a professional development program on teachers'…

In summer 2015, roughly six years after the Great Recession of 2007-2009 ended, the American media began reporting on an emerging teacher shortage. Public schools were reinstating programs and classes that they had cut during the recession, and student enrollment was increasing. Meanwhile, enrollment in teacher training programs was decreasing.…

The NURTURES project, consisting of three phases, was implemented per its original timeline. Hiring, planning, piloting, and implementation were all completed in a timely manner with regards to the original timeline. Elements of the project were modified for improvement based upon reflection and formative evaluation findings. During the Planning…

NGSS Early Implementers is a six-year initiative created to help eight California school districts and two charter management organizations, supported by WestEd's K-12 Alliance, implement the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Administrators need learning opportunities if they are to adequately understand the substantial shifts of the Next…

The Quality Elementary Science Teaching (QuEST) program is designed to deliver high-quality professional development (PD) in science content to elementary school teachers. QuEST includes both content and pedagogical instruction combined with a controlled teaching experience situated within a larger professional development context. The design of…

This article contributes to the growing scholarly literature about students as partners in learning and teaching in higher education by describing an initiative designed to support partnership and a study investigating international staff and student perspectives. The initiative--an international summer institute--is a four-day, professional…

The goal of the Howard Hughes Science Institute (HHMI) supported science program is to train one staff member to become a science lead within each of the elementary schools in the Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools (MCPS) district. The specific objectives of the first year of HHMI grant project were to: (1) provide approximately 20…

Teachers are continually confronted with meeting the needs of all students and preparing them to be successful on state end-of-course assessments while changing or evolving to be more of a facilitator of student-centered. Lessons are to be relevant for the students, engaging them so they are active participants in their learning. However, many…

This article describes lessons learned about grouping by teachers and teacher educators who worked collaboratively to design and deliver a summer writing institute for a heterogeneous population of students about to begin ninth grade at an urban high school. Institute staff used co-teaching (Cook & Friend, 1995) extensively to provide support for…

Student achievement in mathematics has been a focal concern in the United States for many years. The National Research Council's 2001 report and the recent report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel (2008) both called attention to student achievement in mathematics, and both called for all students to learn algebra by the end of eighth…

Graduates of the six regional 2007 "We the People: Project Citizen" professional development summer institutes were surveyed to determine how useful they found their institute experience, and to the extent to which their participation at the Center-sponsored institutes influenced their teaching of civics and government. The study was…

This resource handbook provides a brief overview of ideas, facts, and resources offered during the Partnership for Academic and Career Education's (PACE) 10th annual Summer Institute. The institute's goal was to inform participants about nontraditional careers open to students, with special emphasis on midlevel technology careers and to recommend…

Intended to assist others wishing to adapt the Arizona model, this guide describes the processes of the Summer Technical Institute Project. Chapter 1 is an introduction to the Summer Technical Institutes, career exploration programs directed primarily at young women in their early teens. Chapter 2 is a literature review conducted to ascertain if…

Papers are presented from the New Jersey Department of Higher Education Summer Institute. Focus is on sociolinguistic, anthropological, social psychological, pedagogical, and socio-political-economic considerations. Each analyzes particular factors that influence the form and quality of bilingual policy and instruction programs, and offers…

The Summer Technical Institute project was funded by the Arizona Department of Education to encourage sex equity in vocational education in the state. The project was designed to (1) encourage young women to consider technical careers, (2) provide activities to promote success and self-confidence, (3) provide an opportunity for young women to…