(1994). Emerging Themes and Lessons Learned: The First Year of Smart Start. Smart Start is North Carolina's partnership between state government and local leaders, service providers, and families to better serve children under 6 years of age and their families. A formative evaluation of the Smart Start process, to inform the current state-level decision-making processes for future Smart Start efforts, was devised from a content analysis of notes and documents from the evaluation team's experiences in Year 1 of the program. The content analysis identified seven themes related to the evaluation team's perspective on the first year of Smart Start with regard to organizational structure, focus, planning process, decision-making process, state-county relations, local team diversity, and technical assistance. Patterns examined within each category provided the outline for recommendations. Recommendations include: (1) the inclusion of nontraditional stakeholders on the board to influence decisions; (2) clarification of the focus before the state funds additional… [PDF]
(2004). World History Textbooks: A Review. Center for Education Studies dba American Textbook Council This world history review examines standard textbooks used between the sixth and twelfth grades in schools across the nation. These established textbooks dominate the field and set the pitch for new and forthcoming volumes. The 2002 Texas history textbook adoption and the California list have influenced what textbooks will dominate the national market during the current decade. New world history titles introduced into Texas have yet to prove their viability and continued shelf life. Of the seven textbooks originally examined, examples are selected from the four most widely adopted world cultures and world history textbooks. This review found that in order to meet demands for scope, diversity and readability, world history textbooks abandon narrative and complexity. High school world history textbooks are superior to middle-grade world cultures textbooks. They emphasize \Western\ subjects. Dire claims of the loss of European political history can be overdrawn. Western antiquity,… [PDF]
(2021). Diversifying Minnesota's Educator Workforce: A Series of Research Briefs. Region 10 Comprehensive Center Leaders across the state of Minnesota and nation proclaim to want to diversify the educator workforce. However, the reality nationwide is that less than 20% of teachers who teach a student population that is at least 51% students of color are teachers of color (Ingersoll et al., 2018). What follows are a number of research briefs organized around a theory of action for diversifying the educator workforce. Each of the components of this theory of action is supported by a brief that overviews the literature and evidenced based practices. These briefs are intended to help leaders at the local, state, and national levels not only confirm the necessity, the 'Why', of diversifying the educator workforce, but also to begin to gain a better understanding of the 'How'…. [PDF]
(1973). The Puerto Ricans: An Annotated Bibliography. The initial selection of titles for this bibliography was based on a survey of library catalogs as well as numerous existing lists and partial bibliographies on Puerto Rico. Careful search led to a bibliography that, although selected, is also retrospective, broad, and balanced. It is retrospective in the sense that the first known published works about Puerto Rico or by Puerto Rican authors were surveyed and included. It is also a broad bibliography, for it includes a diversity of aspects–history, culture, education, music, science, social conditions, and many others. In terms of time, it covers from the pre-Columbian era to contemporary political thought and economic development. It includes, too, the entire spectrum of thinking on Puerto Rican affairs, especially in the political field. Even works with a visible bias are included, for they help the reader to understand the various ideologies at work in the island. The decision regarding inclusion in the bibliography, then was…
(1998). State Evaluation of Teacher Preservice Programs. Texas and Florida. An Issue Paper. Florida and Texas have tied evaluation of preservice teacher programs to performance measures. These reforms may have an impact on the functioning of teacher education programs within their institutions of higher education (IHE's). In 1996, Florida's State Board of Education adopted the Florida Education Standards Commission's (ECS) Recommendation on Performance Standards for Continuing Program Approval of Preservice Teacher Education Programs. This includes five indicators or performance standards for continuing preservice program approval: candidate demonstration of knowledge and skills upon preservice completion; successful performance on the Florida Teacher Certification Examination; inclusion of program components mandated by state statute or rule; diversity of enrollment in preservice programs; and satisfaction of employing districts with beginning teachers. Initial program approval for IHE's involves submitting curriculum folios for each program then completing an on-site… [PDF]
(2003). Biochemistry in Undergraduate Health Courses: Structure and Organization. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, v31 n6 p397-401 Nov. This article describes the following aspects of teaching biochemistry in undergraduate health courses: objectives, number of hours, time in which the subject is studied, selection of content, teaching strategies, and evaluation methodologies used. Fifty-three courses distributed in 13 areas within the health field and offered by 12 institutions were analyzed for this matter. An exploratory research was developed, with data obtained from documentation analysis, form completion, and interviews with teachers involved. For the analysis of data, both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used. The analysis of teaching plans for the subjects under investigation shows that their inclusion in the curriculum occurs early in the professional education. The subject focus is intradisciplinary, and there is a great diversity in terms of number of hours, even if one looks at the same professional field. There is a tendency to standardize objectives, centralizing the teaching in \biochemical… [Direct]
(1997). Special Education in the 21st Century. Education in general and special education in particular are undergoing rapid and dramatic changes, and a number of current trends offer implications for future policy and practice. It is becoming clear that principles of special education are shaping the future of all education. As schools become more inclusive, attention is focused on accommodating student diversity, emphasizing the role of the learner in creating knowledge, and supporting individualized instruction and assessment. Early education is increasing, with the major goal of preventing learning problems. As regular and special education merge, individualized programs and cooperative practices are becoming available to all students. As school structures change, so too will preservice and inservice programs that prepare educational personnel. Emerging trends in professional education include integrated interdisciplinary models for joint preparation of regular and special educators, social workers, therapists, and other… [PDF]
(1998). Beyond High School: Transition from School to Work. The Wadsworth Special Educator Series. This text summarizes knowledge from research that focused on reforming secondary special education and high schools and makes recommendations for improving high schools' effectiveness. Chapters are as follows: \Characteristics of Youth and Young Adults\ (Stephen Lichtenstein); \Emerging Transition Best Practices\ (Frank R. Rusch, Dorothy M. Millar); \School-to-Work (STW) Transition: Overview of Disability Legislation\ (Robert A. Stodden); \Dropout Prevention and Special Services\ (Thomas E. Grayson); \Vocational Education: Emerging Vocationalism\ (R. Brian Cobb, Debra A. Neubert); \Career Development, STW Transition, and Diversity: An Ecological Approach\ (Edna Mora Szymanski; \Foundations for a STW System that Serves All Students\ (Shepherd Siegel); \Implementing a Transition Perspective of Education: A Comprehensive Approach to Planning and Delivering Secondary Education and Transition Services\ (Paula D. Kohler); \Student Involvement in Transition-Planning and Transition-Program…
(1996). Centers for Professional Development and Technology (CPDT) State-Wide Evaluation Study. Final Summary Report. The Texas Centers for Professional Development and Technology (CPDT) study gathered evaluative data about the progress and contribution of the centers toward their goal of systematic change in teacher preparation and student learning during four years of funding (1992-93 through 1995-96). The 21 centers in the sample included 35 universities, 15 educational service centers, and 113 school districts affecting more than 300,000 students, 19,000 teachers, and 12,000 preservice teachers. Major findings of the study included: (1) CPDT graduates hired as first year teachers entered into the school environment more successfully than typical first-year teachers; (2) professional development school mentor teachers reported more input into university course instruction and evaluation of preservice teachers, and more collaboration between university and school district personnel; (3) restructuring of teacher preparation from campus-based to field-based programs promoted collaborative efforts… [PDF]
(1997). Academic Senate for California Community Colleges: 29th Spring Session Resolutions (San Francisco, California, April 10-12, 1997). Documenting the spring 1997 session of the Academic Senate for the California Community Colleges (CCC), this six-part report details 44 resolutions that were adopted by the Senate, 3 that were determined to be non-urgent, 3 that were referred, and 8 that failed. The first part presents adopted resolutions organized by the following areas: (1) the Academic Senate, including redefining faculty productivity; (2) affirmative action and cultural diversity, including a change in the CCC anti-discrimination statement; (3) articulation and transfer; (4) budget and finance, related to budget development and alternative funding mechanisms; (5) state and legislative issues, related to faculty hiring and part-time faculty office hours; (6) consultation with the CCC Chancellor's Office; (7) counseling, including standards of practices; (8) curriculum, including good practices and a model; (9) a disciplines list; (10) technology, including requirements for distance learning; (11) general… [PDF]
(1974). Culture in the Bilingual-Bicultural Curriculum. The creation of a classroom that is more receptive to individual and cultural differences and the inclusion of the intangible elements of culture in the total instructional plan will increase the effectiveness of the educational process in bilingual-bicultural programs. In planning a cultural component for the bilingual-bicultural classroom, the tangible and intangible elements of culture should be included. The tangible elements, such as language, songs, dances, and legends, are closely related to subject matter and thus can be taught systematically. The intangible elements, such as values, ideals, and attitudes, cannot be taught methodically or directly, but are learned through personal interaction with members of the culture group. Since the intangible elements involve process more than subject matter, they should be incorporated into the instructional processes used in the classroom. These general methods and approaches are recommended as the basis for all the content areas: (1)… [PDF]
(1998). Creating and Sustaining the Constructivist Classroom. This book addresses key issues that teachers raise about creating and sustaining constructivist classrooms, providing practical tips, techniques, and examples to allow step-by-step implementation of constructivism and ongoing evaluation of student progress. The book gives directions for use at any grade level and includes checklists to evaluate progress along the way. It provides practical assistance with issues related to inclusion, gifted and talented education, classroom management, technology integration, administration, parents, and the community. Chapter 1, \Armed and Dangerous: A Cautionary Tale,\ explains one new teacher's experiences in the reality of high school. Chapter 2, \Back to the Future,\ discusses what constructivism is, research results, and changing from traditional to constructivist classrooms. Chapter 3, \Coming of Age: The Active Learning Movement,\ explains the activity and active learning movements. Chapter 4, \Look before You Leap,\ discusses how to…
(1998). Pio Pico: Breaking the Culture of Silence. This qualitative study explored the presence of community voice in a newly structured inner-city elementary school in Santa Ana (California). Nearly every family at Pio Pico Elementary School lives below the poverty level, and Spanish is the primary language of 90% of the residents, with most families being of Mexican or Central American origin. However, from its inception as a model demonstration school, Pio Pico has been a school in the cutting edge of educational reform. This study shows what makes Pio Pico a success. The school, which opened as a restructuring school, is a demonstration school for the district's bilingual education program, and is a Professional Development School in collaboration with the University of California, Irvine. The school gives voice to its community largely because of the efforts of the principal; a woman who is committed to the community and to the acceptance of the diversity of the students and awareness of their cultural heritages. The… [PDF]
(1995). Iowa's Tech Prep Model: Issues/Model Components/"Patterns of Evidence." Revised. Developed by the Iowa Department of Education, North Iowa Area Community College, and Hawkeye Community College (Iowa), this booklet presents the tech prep model for articulation efforts among all educational entities, business, industry, labor, and communities in Iowa. Following a list of committee members working on the model and graphs of the model's components, the mission of Iowa's Tech Prep program is presented. Descriptions are then provided of the following components of the tech prep model: collaboration; school-to-work transition; articulation; life-long learning and providing students with adaptive skills; integration of technical and academic curricula; increased educational and career options; business, industry, and labor involvement; worksite-based learning; life and job skills; applied and contextual learning; technical and academic competence; staff development; career education, cultural diversity, and gender equity; special populations and preparatory services;… [PDF]
(1996). Making Connections between Multicultural and Global Education: Teacher Educators and Teacher Education Programs. This publication is the product of an ongoing study of how teacher educators in the United States and Canada are bridging the gap between multicultural and global education to prepare teachers for diversity, equity, and interconnectedness in the local community, the nation, and the world. The first part of the book is an essay that synthesizes data collected from 77 teacher educators to investigate how they were making connections between multicultural and global education and the advice these teacher educators have for others who may be looking for new programmatic approaches, pedagogies, or resources that can help in making such connections or in strengthening ongoing initiatives. The second part of the book is a collection of profiles written by the teacher educators about their lives and work in multicultural and global education. These teacher educators were nominated by American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education member institutions and leaders in multicultural and… [PDF]