In education systems around the world, planners and policymakers are calling for more attention to whole-system improvement. To best address teaching and learning outcomes, teachers and head teachers need whole-system support to build professionalism and improve their practice. The middle tier of education systems, composed of professionals…

Early childhood teachers routinely face insufficient teaching supports and inadequate rewards for their education and commitment (e.g., low pay, lack of professional supports, and lack of benefits). These shortcomings contribute to poor program quality and fuel high levels of teacher turnover, preventing program improvement and making it…

Online learning is growing rapidly as states and districts are creating new online schools, and existing programs are adding new courses and students. The growth reflects the spreading understanding that online courses and programs can serve a wide variety of students and needs. These include: (1) Creating opportunities for small and rural school…

The only valid reason for supervising and evaluating teachers is to improve instruction. Boards of education can improve teaching and learning in schools by setting up a teacher evaluation system, letting administrators do their jobs, and giving backup with funding. (MLF)

With the advent of educational reform, the functions of educational supervisors have changed dramatically. Supervision is a long-term, continuous process designed to assist teachers in providing learning opportunities for students and improve the instructional program. Teachers constantly report that they receive their primary help from other…

Promotes teacher supervision that is aimed at helping teachers reflect on their own practice. Outlines views that teaching which aims at the development of intellectual independence needs to address epistemological issues. Argues that attention has to be directed at knowledge and control. Outlines a scheme to address these issues. (CW)

Four suggestions are offered for making teachers' first year on the job more than just a test of endurance: provide adequate supplies, make assignments carefully, do not overload them, and provide a support system. (TE)

In Toledo, Ohio, teacher union and school system leaders have collaborated on a controversial, but apparently effective, plan to purge the staff of incompetent teachers. It combines rigorous evaluation, training for new teachers, remediation for veteran teachers, and peer review by a corps of highly skilled consulting teachers. (TE)

Describes a 1984 report from the Rand Corporation that studied teacher evaluation practices. Problems revealed include lack of resolve and competence in principals, resistance or apathy of teachers, inconsistent evaluation practices between schools, and inadequate training for evaluators. (TE)

An Indiana district's teacher evaluation plan developed cooperatively by teachers and administrators is described and its implementation outlined. Based on the shared responsibility of teacher and supervisor, the plan is intended to provide a positive approach to stimulating self-growth, instructional effectiveness, and overall improvement in…

Despite the administrative leadership that most principals receive in university courses, their most useful learning doesn't occur until they are on the job. The new knowledge--much of it the result of trial and error, success and failure--is gained in relative isolation. This book focuses on the critical work of school principals, offering…

The social climate in Manitoba has led, in the past 25 years, to an expectation of school reform that has been translated into varieties of political action. However, most of the reforms, instituted by government policymakers, have fallen short of public expectations. This paper explores lessons to be taken from these experiences in school reform…

This speech discusses problems that principals face in trying to implement effective school strategies, describes ongoing research in instructional management, and identifies school improvement strategies used by particularly effective principals. The first section addresses practical problems in finding the appropriate balance between high…

This chapter examines the legal issues involved in state evaluation statutes as interpreted by the judiciary. The nature and purpose of state statutes governing evaluation are described, followed by a discussion of how these statutes relate to tenure laws, administrative regulations, board policy, and collective bargaining agreements. Next,…

Testimony was presented on various issues of restoring excellence to education. The following papers are included in this document: (1) "The Neglected Obligation of the Teaching Profession" (Richard Swain); (2) "Instructional Supervision for Excellence in Education" (Ben M. Harris); (3) "Competency Testing: Excellence…