This publication provides a step-by-step guide to help schools and districts implement strong, sustainable professional development that drives achievement of student learning goals. The toolkit is based on the experiences of national professional development award winning schools and districts. The most common thread among the winners is that…

This guide introduces the skills and dispositions necessary to participate in educational action research. It targets teachers, administrators, college faculty, graduate students, state professional organizations, and state administrators. Chapter 1, "Understanding Action Research as a Tool for Professional Growth and Organizational Development,"…

This book takes school leaders through the process of creating and sustaining an induction and mentoring program. It challenges school leaders to think beyond initial, short-term goals to a wider, long-term vision, providing guidance on telementoring in the cyberage and advice to ensure development of highly effective practices that will improve…

This paper is intended to supplement the relatively scant amount of information available to principals on mentoring and mentor programs for beginning teachers. Suggestions include: learning the basic principles of effective new teacher mentor programs with respect to design, implementation, and evaluation; understanding the local new teacher…

A combination of methods--portfolios, direct observation, assessment centers, and better tests--can compensate for one another's shortcomings and reflect the richness and complexity of teaching. (Author/TE)

Attitudes about teacher sabbaticals are sharply divided and, as funding grows scarcer, get more controversial. Teachers should plan sabbaticals that will improve their teaching, and school boards should be assured of good, long-term returns on their investments of sabbaticals. (MLF)

This book shows how learning circles (small groups of learners who come together to support each other in learning) can make great improvements in teaching quality. Teachers can form learning circles based on six key conditions that promote healthy communities of learners and successful professional development. The six conditions are (1) building…

Responsible and effective administrative leadership requires confronting those members of the teaching staff who are a negative influence on the institution. Importantly, the absence of expressed appreciation for good work can have a devastating impact on a principal's image if he or she suddenly begins to confront poor performances. Actually, the…

This book provides educators and administrators with the knowledge and skills needed to engage in peer assistance and review within the context of teacher evaluation, describing how to develop and implement an effective teacher peer assistance and review program. The book offers the following: components of successful peer assistance and review…

This book provides instructional leaders with guidance and insight to help them work successfully with teachers to improve classroom teaching and learning. It goes beyond the basics of supervision to place the work of instructional leadership within the context of whole-school improvement. The book offers scenarios describing interactions with…

Responsible administrators are obligated to confront poor teacher performance. Guides principals through 12 steps to take in the confrontation process that include the following: gathering information, waiting for a specific incident, developing a file, meeting with the teacher, helping the teacher to improve, and working with the teacher union.…

This book explains how to use whole-faculty study groups to get the entire teaching staff working together on one set of organizational goals. Chapter 1 discusses the school reform environment and the potential of whole-faculty study groups to serve as a major change process for improving schools and student learning. Chapter 2 describes the…

This report explores issues surrounding the present governance structure of teacher credentialing in California and considers alternative structures to improve governance in the teaching profession. The study discusses the present credentialing structure, credentialing problems, and criticisms of the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, a body…

There are thousands of different inservice education programs. The purposes of this study were to identify the elements of effective teacher inservice education; to measure to what degree these elements actually exist in inservice education programs reported by Texas teachers; and to develop a strategy for effective teacher inservice. A modified…

Dismissing incompetent tenured teachers is a difficult and time-consuming task. Contrary to popular opinion, however, that task is not impossible. Effective dismissal of incompetent teachers requires thorough, valid, and well-documented evaluation procedures, appropriate remediation efforts, and a fair hearing prior to dismissal. (TE)