A new model of learning communities based on lifelong learning is emerging. The approach integrates nonformal and formal learning so that all learning is recognized. The expertise and learning resources that exist in every community are mobilized so that community purposes are achieved. Examples are given of learning communities in rural British…

Since passage of Maryland State Senate Bill 795, the Baltimore City Public School System has implemented and advanced on a broad, multipronged front to enhance the quality, stability, and effectiveness of its school workforce. Examines four prongs: recruitment, retention, professional development, and performance evaluation of teachers and…

Describes a long-term, mutually beneficial partnership between a teacher education program and a large African American Baptist church, focusing on the nature of the partnership, commitments to building the relationship, and challenges and promises in nurturing trust and attempting reciprocity. The paper describes an "equal status" internship…

As a way to teach database searching skills, students in a nursing research class were paired with, and performed literature searches for, faculty members or community health care professionals. Because students did not formulate questions or initial search terms, they concentrated on the search process, learning how professionals find and use…

A partnership between Wayne State College, Wayne (Nebraska) community schools, and the local chamber of commerce produced fiber-optic telecommunications, Internet access, technology integration, automated libraries, computer networking, and a technology curriculum. The article describes project design, implementation, and growth, as well as…

Describes a cooperative effort between academics and content area specialists to create a more student-oriented curriculum. Uses classroom observations, artifacts, field notes, dialog sessions, and surveys to document reactions to this change. Initial reception from the students proved very positive. Teacher intransigence was overcome later. (MJP)

The first part of this article looks at new roles and responsibilities for teachers, and how they develop from the mission and goals of the professional development school (PDS). The second part examines how experienced and preservice teachers are being prepared and supported for these new roles, and explores implications for schools,…

Describes a partnership effort between a small college and a small elementary school that focused on the student teaching experience. Surveys of partnership and nonpartnership teachers and student teachers indicated that the partnership succeeded due to teacher commitment, the small size of the partnership program, and the principal's complex…

One of five articles in the section on the "Promise and Purpose of Professional Development Schools," this article examines challenges that arise when preservice teacher education occurs mainly within professional development schools (PDS). Suggests that for PDS to promote reform, partners must set aside preconceived notions and share in decision…

One of five articles in the second section, "Deepening Relationships through PDS Brings Change in Practice," this article describes the Five-Year Teacher Preparation Program at Temple University (Pennsylvania). This program integrates pedagogy and instruction with coursework in arts and sciences. It involves dialog between the College of…

The Ohio Appalachian Center for Higher Education, a consortium of 10 colleges serving Appalachian Ohio, provides grants to school districts that design innovative projects to encourage students to enroll in college. The area's college-going rate has increased substantially. Approaches used include demystifying the application process, home visits,…

This study used an "enhanced constructed comparison group" statistical model to conduct longitudinal research on the child developmental impact of Pittsburgh's early childhood initiative (ECI), a partnership to provide high-quality early care and education for children in high-risk neighborhoods. First-phase findings indicate that…

Describes an international teacher education project, the Regina-Yaounde Inter-University Project, as one approach to the development of global consciousness in student teachers. The stories of two of the student participants (from Cameroon and Canada) in the student exchange component illustrate the impact of the experience on their professional…

A partnership among teacher educators, schools, and field study centers in New South Wales (Australia) was developed to improve the ability of preservice teachers to conduct outdoor environmental education programs. Discusses various uses of the field study center, and benefits of the cooperative program to schools, teachers, and students. (LP)

Examines the private sector's historic role in human capital investment, emphasizing its contemporary interest in public education and the workforce. Private sector philanthropy is currently an issue of survival to public education. An important private sector role is to act as a political catalyst to push through essential educational reform. (SM)