The authors of an article on staff development for general education teachers serving students with learning disabilities respond to a commentary. They stress the involvement of teachers in the development and research process on Curriculum Based Measurement (CBM) and Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS). They also note independent teacher…

Addresses issues of advances in medical technology as related to deafness, including different meanings of the term "medical technology" and the relationship between ethics and the scientific method, production and use of the cochlear implant, and sign language versus aural/aural-communication methods with prelingually deafened children…

Highlights social work legacies and how they will impact 21st-century practice. Provides several examples to help inform integrative social and economic foundations for practice, policy, and human well-being. Importance of these and other income-support and capacity-building strategies is featured against the challenges associated with welfare…

Thirteen California K-12 teachers of bilingual education and English as a second language participated in a 3-year program to create new teaching strategies based on the Natural Approach theory. Their involvement in research-informed teaching enhanced their bilingual education practices and renewed their confidence and enthusiasm in their teaching…

Examined a program that paired preservice teachers with doctoral-student mentors during student teaching and joined the dyads to form a community. Data from observations, conferences, interviews, meetings, lesson plans, and journals indicated that traditional roles of students, supervisors, and cooperating teachers changed. Participants…

Explores J. Glenn Gray's neglected philosophy of education as a meaningful framework for grounding the practices of teachers. Addresses tensions between individuality and community, argues for a vision that honors wholeness and synthesis, contends love of beauty as an integral part of education, and embraces plurality and public action as one of…

Moving to best practice in teacher education and schooling requires more enlightened leadership and greater future resolve and resources. Ten dichotomies in teacher education are examined: quality versus quantity, majority versus minority, preservice versus inservice, campus versus school site, time versus money, specialization versus…

Reviews five dimensions (focus, scope, structure, process, and capacity) of an organizational design used by 20 New York districts planning for site-based management (SBM) implementation. The confusion surrounding devolution of decision making hinders districts' efforts to effect changes in intermediate variables (job satisfaction and staff…

Used content analysis and grounded theory methods to examine professional beliefs about teaching and learning among 298 Taiwanese early childhood preservice teachers. Found that beliefs can be organized systematically to construct useful patterns of interrelationships among belief components, such as teachers' roles, images of classroom practice,…

This article describes problems affecting special education services in developing counties where economic challenges have harsh consequences on health, education, and welfare and force difficult ethical choices. Special education efforts in Ecuador are used as examples to describe inherent problems and give inspiration toward developing potential…

To illustrate the impact of research on the performance and quality of life of individuals with disabilities, this article highlights three research areas supported by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): (1) at-risk infant programs; (2) learning strategy interventions for adolescents with learning disabilities; and (3)…

Describes a pilot project with 11 undergraduate preservice teachers who taught technology-based lessons in elementary school classrooms. Participants indicated that teaching technology was a good way to learn how theory is applied in practice, and field experience enhanced their knowledge. (AEF)

Journal writing accompanies the fieldwork of students pursuing library degrees at Queensland University of Technology (Australia). It helps students reflect on various aspects of the practicum experience. This article describes student and supervisor responsibilities in the journalling process, and discusses survey results and anecdotal evidence…

To advance social justice research in the field of outdoor experiential education, we must recognize the truth-distorting role of social privilege in program management and delivery, staff training, and the experience of participants. We must diversify the researchers, settings, situations, and methodologies that are used in conducting social…

Research is reviewed on the supports provided to parents in the assessment of and intervention with problem behavior of children with mental retardation. It is concluded that while research has made considerable advances, research gaps on the development of practical applications of "parent friendly" programs are still evident. (Contains…