In answering the question posed in the title, the author begins with a story that businessman Jamie Vollmer told to educators a few years ago. In examining business involvement in U.S. school reform, the author looks at the 1890s through 1920s and the 1970s to the present--two points in history when business leaders and educational entrepreneurs,…

School personnel at seven urban elementary schools in a high poverty area were surveyed to determine if a multi-faceted approach to school violence prevention (including a major emphasis on collaboration between community human service agencies and schools) was successful in reducing indicators of violence (bullying, fighting, gang involvement,…

This guide is designed to help community members have productive conversations about how schools and communities can work together to meet the challenge of educating youth in today's society. The foreword presents a rationale for community discussions regarding improving education, and the introduction highlights new challenges facing schools. The…

This study examined how, prospective teachers, cooperating teachers, and university supervising instructors saw their roles as learners and teachers and what these individuals learned about learning and teaching English language arts in the context of a partnership arrangement between the University of Alberta's (Canada) Faculty of Education and…

Drawing on experiences in North America, the United Kingdom, and other countries, this book examines the debate over the overall vision for early childhood education. The nature and quality of the United Kingdom's and other countries' culture is questioned in respect to the future it provides for children. The question of who is able to provide a…

This article discusses a university-public school partnership involving 10 school sites, which have become professional development schools (PDSs). These PDSs contribute to a continuum of professional development for educators at all levels: preservice teachers, inservice teachers, public school administrators, and teacher educators. Professional…

The Elmhurst College Satellite Program is a collaborative project between Elmhurst College (Illinois) and area school districts to strengthen the clinical experience component of teacher education. Each Elmhurst teacher education student is linked to a satellite school, which becomes the student's home school for clinical experiences for from 1 to…

This paper synthesizes the results of three case studies that focus on urban and suburban elementary teachers who are engaged in new roles: as learners, as clinical educators, and as leaders. Results of the studies suggest that epistemological issues; workplace contexts; and an ethic of care, which is especially noticeable in collegial…

As recent trends in education reform and research stress the importance of school-home partnerships, teachers will need preparation for working successfully with parents and other family members. This paper examines teacher preparation in parent involvement for early childhood and K-12 teachers. Surveys of state certification requirements and…

Reducing class size was considered an important element in a revised health course at Gettysburg College (Pennsylvania). However, reducing class size to approximately 15 students per class would require 38 sections, more than the health faculty could handle. To recruit additional instructors, the course was marketed to faculty and administrators…

An analysis of school-university collaborative efforts to establish partnerships and professional development schools (PDSs) suggests that most of these efforts focus on the induction of student teachers, interns, and beginning teachers. Little attention is devoted to helping university-based teacher educators or experienced school faculty study…

The press for the professionalization of teachers is based on the assertion that a strengthened profession will more effectively meet students' needs and improve the overall quality of education. This volume, the third in a series of three, explains the research and design of a study that examined the design, implementation, and impact of systemic…

This framework was developed using results of a 1995 business partnership survey, a survey of over 9,000 Albertans (800 responses), and discussion of recommendations by a forum of approximately 140 Albertans. The surveys and discussion focused on ways in which business and schools could work together to provide the best possible education for…

Interaction between United Kingdom colleges of further education and employers was examined, and factors promoting and inhibiting successful interaction were identified. The study was based primarily on interviews conducted with 102 college staff, 20 student discussion groups, 75 employers, representatives of 5 training and enterprise councils…

In professional development schools (PDSs), personnel from two different cultures come together to form a new, hybrid culture. Sharing the same goals and parity among the participating professionals produce authentic collaboration and are essential aspects of this culture. When parity and sharing are absent, collaboration between schools and…