A review of four articles concludes that the work of literacy workers is not valued, partly because of its identification as "women's work." Challenges to its recognition are lack of funding, worker reluctance to organize for change, and overwork and part-time status. (SK)

Explores problems in teacher recognition, teacher preparation, and professional development as obstacles that impede teachers from becoming the strong, educational leaders they can and should be. (HTH)

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) is developing a certification process, rather than a test, to confer distinction on experienced teachers who meet demanding standards. The role of performance assessment in this voluntary certification is discussed, and the research goals of the NBPTS are described. (SLD)

A survey of 122 minority college and university faculty and staff in the United States and Puerto Rico investigated the relationship of significant accomplishments to academic and personal achievement, role of environment and supportive individuals in motivation and professional growth, response to failure or disenchantment, and other factors in…

Explores the status of the librarian in the Canadian university. Discusses the lack of peer status; the value of cross-national research; patterns of university restructuring, including libraries and librarians as targets for reductions; and the possibility of establishing Discipline Research Librarians, or Research Bibliographers, to improve…

Looks at what has been happening to the notion of being a "good" English teacher during a period when increasingly this has become a political and professional issue in England. Outlines the pattern of change for English teachers in England, including positive and negative outcomes of the last few years. Indicates what might be learned…

A survey of 346 academic officers at 2-year colleges investigated the ways in which they honor faculty, selection methods, and perceived institutional benefits of teaching award programs. Suggestions for assessing an institution's methods of honoring exemplary teaching are outlined, using illustrations from the experiences of survey respondents.…

Recommends that school librarians and media specialists make known the importance of school libraries and media centers and the work they do. Suggests increasing librarian visibility in schools, writing articles, and attending and presenting at conferences and conventions for teachers and administrators. A sidebar contains suggestions for article…

The State University System of Florida's Teaching Incentive Program remains an undergraduate and quantity-based program, having changed only slightly to accommodate graduate and quality interests. Discussion of the program highlights issues of undergraduate vs. graduate and quantity vs. quality in faculty evaluation, and illustrates that numbers…

Characteristics of professions are identified, and based on those, adventure education is judged to be in its childhood. Development of standard curricular components of an adventure education degree would be a major step toward professionalization. Research would be stimulated, prospective students could use curricular standards for choosing…

Explores a deeper understanding of the lives of women faculty through narratives in an effort to simultaneously improve those lives and to end the dearth of stories in academia. Offers four diverse women's reflections on creating a space for themselves in academia. Strategies described involve continual reflection on self-identity. (GCP)

The authors show how the work of Nobel Laureates in economics can enhance student understanding and bring them up to date on topics such as probability, uncertainty and decision theory, hypothesis testing, regression to the mean, instrumental variable techniques, discrete choice modeling, and time-series analysis. (Contains 2 notes.)

This research sets out key findings from an evaluation of Phases 1 and 2 of the pilot Teacher Learning Academy (TLA). The pilot TLA was established by the General Teaching Council for England (GTC) to provide professional and public recognition for teacher learning and development work. The Academy offers the opportunity for the learning that…

This interview took place at the Language Testing Research Colloquium in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (at the Chateau Laurier Hotel on July 21, 2005), at which Professor Bernard Spolsky was presented with the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate/International Language Testing Association Lifetime Achievement Award. The conference…

In "Working-Class Women in the Academy," Laura Weaver explains how her working class background affected the attitudes she developed toward members and the elements of the middle-class academy. Weaver says she considers education a privilege, something that must be earned. She holds a particular empathy for working-class students who…