As part of a larger study of systemic educational reform in rural Alaska, this case study examines recent efforts by the people of Quinhagak to integrate Yup'ik language, values, and beliefs into school practices and policies. Quinhagak is a Yup'ik Eskimo community of 550 people on the southwest coast of Alaska. Nearly all residents can…

This document presents standards for professional teaching practice in California. The standards were developed to facilitate the induction of beginning teachers into their professional roles and responsibilities. The standards are organized around six interrelated categories of teaching practice: Engaging and Supporting All Students in Learning;…

A study examined eight local consortia identified as mature Tech Prep implementers. The four-year research used a mixed-method longitudinal design involving repeated field visits, short and long interviews of key stakeholders, classroom observations, and document review and analysis. About 4,700 Tech Prep and non-Tech Prep participants were…

This report discusses trends in California's teaching force for 2002: shortage of qualified teachers (e.g., the shortage varies across different subjects and is expected to worsen due to teacher retirements and growth in numbers of students); getting good teachers (e.g., California's underprepared teachers continue to be inequitably distributed…

This paper explores the potential pitfalls associated with the new federal accountability role precipitated by the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act. The paper presents worst-case scenarios with the assumption that it is worthwhile to consider the potential for unanticipated consequences so as to avoid problems before they occur. After…

Responding to the need for a universal and comprehensive approach for supporting all families with children from birth through age 5, the Early Childhood Initiative (ECI) was launched by a broad-based coalition of public and private partners brought together by the Cuyahoga County government in Ohio. This report describes the history of ECI,…

Information on early childhood learning and increasing demand for child care services have placed a spotlight on the need to improve the quality of early education and care in the United States. This report focuses on five factors tied to the success of military efforts to develop an exemplary model of quality and affordable care in the Military…

Based on the view that the first years of school continue an educational process that began at birth, this report presents the first comprehensive look at learning opportunities for young children in Pennsylvania. The report describes programs in Pennsylvania for children from birth through 8 years of age, providing details on funding,…

This issue presents two articles on the use of data to improve results for students with disabilities. The first paper examines how researchers supported by the Office of Special Education Programs are discovering innovative uses of scientifically derived information in instructional and administrative decision making as well as strategies for…

One of the critical elements of effective schools developed as a result of recent reform efforts and restructuring processes was the concept of learning communities and learning circles. This short paper discusses learning communities and learning circles. It defines learning communities as "a fellowship of learners in which the teachers in a…

This document is intended to assist local authorities in England and Wales who are interested in forming local strategic partnerships (LSPs) with the community and voluntary sectors. Section 1 presents the following guidelines for LSPs when developing a community strategy to meet local priorities: (1) have each local area prepare a plan to improve…

This booklet examines the issue of trust within the context of school improvement. Specifically, it looks at teacher-teacher and teacher-principal relationships. Drawing on existing research and the experiences of individual schools, it offers a summary of current literature and identifies specific steps that educators can take to increase the…

Carnegie Corporation of New York and other funders are undertaking a reform initiative, "Teachers for a New Era," to stimulate construction of excellent teacher education programs at selected colleges and universities. Success will require radical change in allocation of resources, academic organization, criteria for evaluating participating…

This book presents overviews of a wide variety of topics that are of priority concern to school district leaders. The topics deal with challenges and issues that are crucial to the success of public schools. The book is designed to get the reader up to speed quickly on important topics and issues, to learn where to get more information about areas…

This study investigated the effects of school-level and individual-level factors influencing the participation and nonparticipation of secondary school teachers in continuing professional education (CPE). Researchers randomly selected 25 out of Hong Kong's 442 secondary schools to participate. All teachers in the schools were invited to complete a…