Discusses the meaning of teacher excellence and offers some reasons why excellent teachers are in short supply. Suggests steps to improve teacher quality and performance. (RBW)

The purpose of this study was to examine the perspectives of 50 of the nation's best school superintendents to gain insight into their success. Researchers used a self-designed instrument, containing 38 quantifiable items in 5 sections: (1) the superintendent's background; (2) the superintendent's school district; (3) the superintendent's role;…

This report is an initial effort to provide systematic information on teacher contracts in Massachusetts. In 1999, the Pioneer Institute solicited copies of the current contract from all districts in the state. Forty districts were selected to reflect the makeup of the Commonwealth. This study confirms that teacher compensation is determined by…

This data book presents statistical data relating fall weekly student contact hours (WSCH) per full-time equivalent faculty (FTEF), from 1993-1997, by discipline, for each of the Los Angeles Community College District's nine colleges. Introductory comments indicate that between 1981 and 1997, faculty engaged in instruction declined from over 2,700…

In 1976 a questionnaire designed to gather information about methods to determine the allocation of staff within tertiary institutions in Australia was mailed to universities and colleges. The results are discussed including methods of allocation, student-load/staff ratios, staff contact hours, and sabbatical and study leave provisions. (MLW)

This is a set of recommendations concerning maximum teaching loads of physics teachers at high schools, two-year and four-year colleges. (Author/SA)

Explores differences between instructional practices of full- and part-time faculty using results of a survey of more than 1,500 community college instructors. Reports that discrepancies emerged regarding time spent in various classroom practices, availability of faculty to students outside class, and faculty connections with colleagues and the…

Discusses a survey of selected undergraduate chemistry laboratory courses. Topics include: who preps the experiment; degree of faculty involvement; instructional loads; types of directions used; satisfaction with materials used; techniques taught; computer use; rating the laboratory; and a self rating. Provides data for each topic. (MVL)

While there are hundreds of studies reported for general education, few researchers have focused on the impact of class size on the academic achievement of students with special needs. Despite escalating special education costs and increasing student needs, policies governing special education remain inconsistent. We examine the effect of class…

This collection of 19 essays is organized into a narrative of the teaching-research dilemma. The essays include: (1) "Struggling With Balance" (Cynthia V. Fukami); (2) "My Career as a Teacher: Promise, Failure, Redemption" (Howard E. Aldrich); (3) "Teaching and Research: A Puzzling Dichotomy" (Barbara A. Gutek); (4)…

Ninety-five teachers in Key Stage 1 in England and Wales completed a questionnaire and records of time spent on work over a period of 14 consecutive days, resulting in detailed records of 1,330 days of teachers' time. The data are analyzed in terms of overall time spent on work; time distribution; and time spent specifically on teaching,…

The Minimum Performance Test (MPT), Metropolitan Achievement Test, Sixth Edition (MAT6), and the new standards required by the 1983 Quality Education Act and their impact on teachers in Arkansas were assessed. A sample of 103 elementary school teachers from 39 school districts indicated that the tests and standards generally met with favorable…

This analysis of educational practices in the United States takes the position that a number of practices, including the way teachers are trained, textbooks selected, and college and university faculty rewarded, have become institutionalized and endure in spite of the reform efforts of the past decade. These practices, once established on a large…

The quality of a high school's physics program is determined in part by the quality of preparation and the overall workload of its teachers, along with the provision for adequate budgets, facilities, and support services. The guidelines presented in this booklet were prepared by a task force of the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT)…

This monograph contains a research report entitled, "Developing a Career in the Academy: New Professors in Education," by Gerald M. Mager and Betty Myers and two reactions to that report, "An Old Professor on New Professors: A Response to Mager and Myers," written by Gerald M. Reagan and "Commentary" by Roger G. Baldwin. An interest in what…