This paper presents the annual report of the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) for 2008. Eighteen months ago, the National Math and Science Initiative did not exist. Today NMSI is helping lead the country forward in math and science. In just 18 months, NMSI has rolled out the first round of grants and has implemented programs in 14…

As the prevalence of service-learning within higher education institutions grows across the globe there is value to explore, discuss, and describe the similarities and differences between the various expressions that are emerging. Such comparative analysis can deepen understanding of service-learning pedagogy, improve practice, and create a…

The work of the Arizona Commission for Postsecondary Education (ACPE) is guided by a strategic plan. The purpose of the plan is to provide focus for the activity of this small agency and its five staff members in order to increase productivity and impact in the areas of its statutory authority. The mission and goals were accepted by Commissioners…

Technology holds the key for bridging the gap between access to quality education and the need for enhanced learning experiences. This book contains case studies on divergent themes of personalized learning environments, inclusive learning for social change, innovative learning and assessment techniques, technology and international partnership…

Community problems are often so immense that community colleges can only respond effectively by forming organizational partnerships. The key to successful partnerships is communication among agencies; once an appreciation of each organization's capabilities is reached, community needs can be identified and responsive strategies can be designed. As…

The departments of mathematics, biology, and chemistry and the teacher education program at the College of Saint Elizabeth (New Jersey) are working in partnership with a public school to improve the teaching of mathematics and science in preschool through high school levels and to recruit minority science and mathematics teachers. The program aims…

The National Workforce Assistance Collaborative (NWAC) was established by the National Alliance of Business to provide assistance to community colleges and other organizations that offer programs to increase business productivity. The NWAC is charged with building the capacity of service providers that work with small and mid-sized companies in…

Partnering for Elementary Environmental Science, a professional development program developed to enhance teachers' skills and content knowledge in science education, pairs classroom teachers with resource professionals for 1 year of collaborative instruction. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of reform-based partnerships among…

Research in teacher education suggests the need for alternative approaches to the traditional triad (cooperating teacher, teacher intern, college supervisor) of student teaching or teacher internship programs. This study examines the Clinical Master Teacher (CMT) Program at the University of Alabama. Study participants included 79 Clinical Master…

To gather data on the goals and effectiveness of a postsecondary program organized from the perspective of multiculturalism, a case study was conducted of Nuevos Horizontes (NH), an immigrant education program at Triton College, in Illinois. NH is designed to facilitate access to higher education for Hispanics and other minority students; provide…

This report underlines the need for cooperation between the business world and educators in an effort to upgrade the quality of educational outcomes. It describes a partnership formed between the senior program associate of COGNET, an area business, and Hardy Elementary School, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The result was a COGNET Summer Institute…

Noting the improvement in the quality of schools and education that occurs when parents are actively involved in their children's schools, this activity guide provides ways that parents can forge partnerships with schools on a variety of levels. Following an invitation from the United States Secretary of Education for parents to participate in the…

This paper describes the theoretical framework that underlies the Teachers as Decision Maker Program (TADMP) at Indiana University and the development of a conceptual framework of seven teacher perspectives. The four components of the theoretical framework guiding both TADMP research and the program itself are pedagogical schemata, professional…

Corporate funding is now being used to invest in the improvement of community dependent care. This strategy benefits the firms by: (1) ensuring that employees will be absent from work less frequently due to childcare responsibilities; (2) providing a flexible strategy for meeting a variety of community needs; (3) improving community-firm…

A collaboration called PACE (Professional Alliance for Collaborative Education) was formally initiated between the DePauw University (Indiana) department of education and the Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township (MSDLT), located in suburban Indianapolis. The purposes of PACE are: (1) to improve the training of preservice teachers; (2)…