Section archive - Teacher Education

As a foundation supporting Jewish day schools and overnight camps, AVI CHAI has always been eager to see the maximum number of participants enroll in our various professional development programs. “Filling the cohort” would obviously benefit a large number of institutions, thus increasing the impact of our philanthropy among Jewish youth. But cohort-based learning is not merely a matter of numbers. Early on, we learned that fashioning a group of professionals into an “intentional learning community” profoundly deepens the learning and enhances its durability.

This study explores preservice teachers' conceptions of assessment and examines whether and how they change during an e-learning basic assessment course. This was done by addressing the following questions: What characterizes preservice teachers’ conceptions of assessment? And to what extent do preservice teachers' assessment conceptions change after participation in a basic assessment course?

In partnership between the iCenter and the George Washington University, this inaugural cohort offers the only opportunity of its kind: an academic certificate program in Israel education. This one-year hybrid program integrates the best of Israel studies and experiential education. The graduate-level professional Certificate Program in Israel Education provides students the opportunity to take part in a year-long integrative experience that uniquely combines content knowledge, pedagogy, human relations, and site-based experiences, in the creation of a new approach to teaching and learning about Israel.

Although most Jewish supplementary religious school principals have graduated from various academic training programs, there are no data about how these programs sufficiently prepare educational leaders. This study examined the essential leadership and management skills of effective Jewish religious school leaders and assessed their preparation to undertake the key challenges of this complex job. This study also investigated the principals’ perceptions about their training and whether they experienced a knowledge gap as school leaders. The respondents felt unprepared to conduct essential tasks—such as working with lay leaders, managing human resources, and planning budgets—after completing their training programs.