Oksale Native Teacher Preparation Program is a collaboration between Northwest Indian College and Washington State University born out of the need for Native American teachers in the Pacific Northwest. Excerpts from student interviews describe the culturally relevant approach, constructivist teaching methods, and sense of family that results from…

Since passage of Maryland State Senate Bill 795 and adoption of the Master Plan, considerable effort has gone into enhancing instruction and instructional support services in the Baltimore City Public School System. Describes various instructional elements, examining: the citywide curriculum framework; training on new curriculum materials;…

A distance education program in mental health was delivered to 31 rural health professionals in Western Australia who dealt with mentally ill patients at the primary level. Evaluation on completion and 4 months postprogram indicated that participants learned mental health management regimes, developed mental health assessment skills, improved…

Describes Idaho State University's Partnership School Program, which educates preservice and inservice teachers about Native cultures, values, and ways of knowing, highlighting a public school on the Fort Hall Shoshone-Bannock Indian Reservation. By applying principles of constructivist teaching and collaboration as communities of learners, many…

Examines how the Treaty of Waitangi impacted school policy and its overarching political promise as implemented within a Catholic secondary school in New Zealand, exploring how Samoan and Maori students, parents, and communities are included in curriculum development and describing parent-school collaboration on matters of policy and pedagogy.…

Describes a program that distributed refurbished books to children who might not have a book of their own. Discusses collaboration among school library media specialists, administration, teachers, parents, and community agencies; information literacy standards; empowering elementary students to help less fortunate children; and multiple learning…

Describes the "sister school" partnership between the American School for the Deaf in West Hartford, Connecticut and nearby Braeburn, a public K-5 school. The reciprocal program, which allows several students from each school to spend time in the others' classes, emphasizes the commonalities of all students while still being aware of…

Discusses use of computer-generated images in primary schools for teaching English and other subjects to bilingual pupils, including a description of the Partnership Education Project that was set up to train and encourage teachers to use this educational aid more effectively. Experiences from five schools are discussed which reveal increased…

One of five articles in the section on the "Promise and Purpose of Professional Development Schools," this article discusses the inherent institutional forces that work to counteract attempts at influential change. The paper reports on the establishment of a PDS program in a school/university partnership at Indiana State University,…

One of five articles in the section on the "Promise and Purpose of Professional Development Schools," this article examines essential purposes of PDS and presents recommendations for action (start small, adopt a developmental approach, co-construct and monitor relationships, redefine school/university roles, re-educate and support…

One of four articles in the third section, "Reflection: What We Have Learned," this article presents and discusses 11 components of a partnership between an urban high school and the University of Louisville (Kentucky). The partnership has many of the characteristics of a professional development school although it does not have that…

One of four articles in the fourth section, "Aspects of Evaluation of PDS," this article calls for improved definitions of professional development schools; analyses of startup and ongoing costs (including determination of where the money will come from); and development of PDS standards for improved evaluation (including standards by which they…

In 2001, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education published "Standards for Professional Development Schools," which differ from the 1997 draft standards in their explicit attention to large networks of professional development schools (PDS). Exemplary practices from four large PDS networks demonstrate the applicability of the…

Describes a professional development school (PDS) relationship between Teachers College, Columbia University, and a New York City high school serving diverse students, highlighting action research projects conducted by teaching interns at the high school who were also master's students in secondary education programs at Teachers College. The paper…

Describes what the Tellin' Stories Project (TSP) Action Research Team discovered about meaningful family involvement during a 3-year study of teachers', students', and parents' stories of meaningful family roles. The TSP uses the power of story to engage parents, primarily from diverse low-income backgrounds, as purposeful partners in education.…