This study investigated high school students' perceptions of becoming an educator, discussing how this plays a role in the conditions of education today. Participants were high school seniors attending the South Texas Independent School District Teacher Academy, which offers students the opportunity for numerous hours of field experience in…

This qualitative study looks at the impact on the participants of 2 grant-supported initiatives over a 4-year period. The initiatives aimed at ways to improve the recruiting and mentoring of new school administrators, and ways to support experienced administrators throughout their careers. The School Leadership Initiative, a 3-year pilot mentor…

In response to a questionnaire, school districts that are members of the Council of the Great City Schools (n=40) supplied information about their immediate and anticipated demand for teachers, recruitment strategies, and efforts to encourage diversity in the teacher workforce. Cities surveyed were from across the country. Colleges from the Great…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (IDEA) reiterates the mandate that students with disabilities receive their education with nondisabled peers to the maximum extent possible. This paper examines issues in the implementation of IDEA in rural settings. A survey of members of the American Council on Rural Special Education…

This study examined whether National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification would impact school districts' educational processes, identifying areas in which NBPTS certification impacted such factors as: classroom teaching practices; professional development; employment procedures and opportunities; teachers' career paths;…

This report presents challenges of and strategies for implementing reform in middle-grades schools, highlighting the perspectives of district administrators who participated in the Urban Middle-Grades Reform Network. The first section reviews literature on district support of school reform, including research on limitations of district-led reform,…

The Westchester County Employers Survey was done in May 2003 in order learn more about employee training needs, how they accomplished these needs, and how it would be possible for the Westchester Community College to fulfill these needs. Out of the 639 surveys sent, 145 were returned in a satisfactory format, which produces a 22.6% return rate.…

Recruiting and retaining good teachers ranks as one of the most significant roadblocks to solving the preschool quality crises facing the country. Evidence points to the low wages and benefits offered to preschool teachers as the single most important factor in hiring and keeping good teachers. This policy brief examines what is known about the…

This research summary examines the results of three initiatives that changed leadership training for principalship. They are: (1) the School Leadership Initiative program, a three-year pilot mentor program designed for the assistant principal; (2) the Richardson Mentor Principal program, a program designed for seasoned administrators recognized…

This study addressed the link between policies and practices related to teaching staff and sustaining and improving standards in higher education in the United Kingdom. Evidence from the literature has indicated that teaching is increasingly being given less priority in comparison with research in higher education. It is clear from the data of…

The Master of Arts program in Communication (MAC) at Wichita State University is integrated and interdisciplinary. The assumption is that all professional communicators engage in gathering and analyzing information, and designing and delivering messages. The program, therefore, seeks to prepare students to engage in these activities across…

The purpose of this study was to: (1) conduct an empirical examination of applicant reactions to faculty jobs described in recruitment advertisements for business faculty vacancies at community colleges; and (2) assess factors that potentially impact applicant decisions to apply for and pursue position vacancies. The results of this study have…

This digest examines the qualities that make paraeducators good candidates for teaching, particularly in diverse, urban schools. It discusses the critical aspects of programs that prepare paraeducators as classroom teachers. Paraeducators and other education support personnel (ESP) already have classroom experience, are more likely to live in the…

A panel discussion offered suggestions and recommendations for faculty and institutions of rehabilitation counseling education on more effective recruitment methods. Strategies were also considered for potential faculty members. Candidates seeking academic positions in rehabilitation counseling education face many challenges. Location of program;…

This research brief looks at student enrollment growth, faculty aging and attrition rates, institutional restructuring, and changing government and public expectations to show how a combination of factors has created an unprecedented opportunity for renewal. It also explores how universities are using faculty renewal in a strategic way to…