Early childhood educators and school personnel increasingly will be working with children and families from diverse economic, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds. While the student population is rapidly becoming diverse, the teaching force remains predominantly White and from middle-class backgrounds (Whitebook, 2003). This growing…

In response to societal shifts, K-12 teachers are struggling to design effective learning environments. The advent of increased access to world-linking technology has extended the use of distance education to enrich and expand the learning landscape for students. A number of individuals have suggested that a body of learning theory,…

A strong academic background and a firm grasp of subject matter are essential qualifications for all candidates. However, there are more important things than content knowledge, academic background, or particular skills, and even more important than prior teaching experience. Teachers with the right stuff are teachers who have the character,…

The United States has engaged in intensive reform efforts in school mathematics education in the decade since the publication of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' Standards for School Mathematics. This context has generated interest in how to best develop reform-oriented teachers. In this article the authors describe their thinking…

The 40 papers from this international conference addressed the major theme of facilitating science literacy for all teachers and students. Papers include the following: (1) "Confronting the Gender Gap in Science and Mathematics: The Sisters in Science Program" (P. Hammrich); (2) Teaching Instructional Materials for Science Educators with…

To ascertain the current status of Holocaust knowledge and attitudes of prospective teachers and to inform the development of a web-based educational resource for teachers of the Holocaust, an exploratory analysis was conducted at a public university in Florida. Data were obtained from prospective teachers (N = 464) who completed a knowledge test,…

Producing high quality career and technical education (CTE) teachers knowledgeable about content and pedagogy is a way that states can equip students with high levels of technical and academic skills. This can help states and the nation have a higher quality workforce and become more economically competitive. CTE teacher education does not operate…

This report presents a balanced picture of the debate on teacher quality in the U.S. and focuses on the aspects of teacher policy dealing with attracting, recruiting, developing and retaining effective teachers by synthesizing relevant research, identifying innovative and successful policy practices, facilitating exchanges of lessons among…

Teacher-librarians in a learning organization must function both as members of teams engaged in organizational learning and as leaders of leaders. Teacher-librarians must be a mirror image of teachers, plus contribute more to the school. This paper examines the characteristics of the work of teachers and teacher-librarians in four major…

The five-volume directory describes more than 1,200 discretionary grants and contracts supported by the Research to Practice Division of the Office of Special Education Programs. The projects are grouped into sections representing the seven program areas of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Amendments (1997), Part D. This…

The purpose of this paper is twofold: to describe the revision of an experimental preservice teacher education program at Fordham University (New York) and to report the level of interns' perceived self-efficacy at the end of the summer instructional training laboratory. The method for revising the design of the Internship Fellowship Program using…

This document contains 31 competencies organized by these three themes related to effective adult instruction: (1) keeping current in content area and in instructional strategies; (2) communicating and collaborating with colleagues and learners to facilitate learning; and (3) working positively and nonjudgmentally with diverse populations. The…

Over the past 20 years there have been numerous studies and frequent warnings about violent television programs and movies arousing young people to act violently. Researchers have pointed to many hours of viewing excessive violence as a potential contributor to violent behavior by youngsters. This digest examines evidence of violence in television…

This executive summary of Wisconsin's 5-year state improvement plan outlines goals and objectives for improving special education services to students with disabilities and progress toward these objectives in Year 2. The first goal (students with disabilities will demonstrate skills that will engage them to become independent, productive, and…

This study interviewed six preservice teachers in early childhood education at an Australian university concerning their knowledge about and attitudes toward young gifted learning disabled children. Information was sought concerning the subjects' understanding of the term "gifted learning disabled" as well as their ability to identify…