Attempting to drive change through federal policy is a complicated business. On the one hand, legislation that is too prescriptive may result in unintended consequences. On the other hand, federal policy lacking substance or offering too much flexibility may not produce any actual change in behavior. Policies that offer sufficient flexibility to street-level bureaucrats, who have professional expertise and knowledge of their local context, may create the opportunity to implement change in ways that support the underlying goals of federal policymakers. In 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) fundamentally changed the role of the federal government in education. In addition to requiring that states accepting federal funds hold schools and districts accountable for student achievement, NCLB aimed to ensure that all students had access to “highly qualified” teachers. The landmark legislation introduced requirements that all teachers working in core subject areas meet three specific criteria: hold a bachelor’s degree, demonstrate content knowledge, and attain full state certification. Yet, the law offered several compromises intended to minimize burden on states, districts, schools and even some educators while encouraging innovation in teacher preparation. The experience of Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) provides an opportunity to examine how the ambition of the highly qualified policy, coupled with its flexibility, influenced teacher preparation in one of the nation’s largest school systems. While attempting to address the requirements of the policy, GCPS experienced substantial growth of the student population, which added complexity to the process of implementing the policy. In response, the district developed its own district-based teacher preparation program, Teach Gwinnett. Initially, district leaders intended to use the program to recruit recent college graduates and mid-career changers with subject matter knowledge in areas of high demand. However, the program quickly became a strategy for certifying non-highly qualified educators already working in the school system. District leaders embraced the opportunity to retain teachers who lacked required certification but who were already working in the school system. Simultaneously, the district used this program as an opportunity to ensure and reinforce candidates’ assimilation into the district’s distinctive internal culture.

No description available.

No description available.

Le modele d'adoption base sur les preoccupations suscitees par l'innovation (Concerns-Based Adoption Model--CBAM) est une approche operationnelle qui s'appuie sur certains postulats relies a la personne et a son developpement. La premiere question de recherche s'interesse aux changements dans les preoccupations des enseignantes et des enseignants. Il y a eu peu de changement dans les preoccupations. A la deuxieme question, les resultats demontrent que tres peu d'enseignantes et d'enseignants utilisent la telematique en salle de classe. La troisieme question de recherche se rapporte aux opinions des enseignantes et des enseignants face a la telematique. La personnel enseignant croit que la telematique a un role a jouer dans leur enseignement et aussi dans l'apprentissage des eleves. La quatrieme question suggere l'existence de relations entre les preoccupations, les comportements et les opinions due personnel enseignant. L'experience n'a pas demontre de facon precise la relation entre les genres de preoccupations et les niveaux d'utilisation telle que le preconise CBAM. En conclusion, cette experience d'exploitation de la telematique n'a pas obtenu les resultats esperes. Malgre les ressources materielles, financieres et humaines disponibles, la plupart des enseignantes et les enseignants n'ont pas adopte l'innovation dans leurs pratiques pedagogiques. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Abstract not available.

Abstract not available.

Abstract not available.

Abstract not available.

Abstract not available.

Abstract not available.