In this book, Raider-Roth offers an innovative approach to teacher professional development that builds on the intellectual strength and practical wisdom of practitioners. Focusing on nurturing relationships between and among participants, facilitators, subject matter, texts, and the school environment, this book helps educators create a…

How can educators work together more effectively to improve professional practice in a way that enhances student performance? The answer, says author Pam Robbins, involves combining collaborative activities and peer coaching--teachers supporting teachers. This book describes how any school can implement these proven practices and experience…

How can inclusive early educators plan and deliver challenging instructions to help all young learners succeed in kindergarten? This guide has authoritative answers from some of today's most renowned names in early childhood education. Presenting the Children's School Success+ (CSS+) framework, for building a UDL-based plan for inclusive preschool…

A fifth grade life science lesson was implemented through a lesson study approach in two fifth grade classrooms. The research lesson was designed by a team of four elementary school teachers with the goal of emphasizing engineering practices consistent with the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS) (Achieve Inc. 2013). The fifth…

The author's most meaningful professional development (PD) experience was not a workshop or institute; nor did it result from a course or professional reading. Rather, it came in the form of Betsy--the second-grade teacher down the hall. This article describes the role of a mentor in professional development--and why everybody needs a Betsy!

In this paper, two beginning teacher educators discuss their experiences of professional learning and identity construction during the first years of their work as academics. The authors entered teacher education after working as classroom teachers but, as has been found by others in the literature, were provided with little formal preparation for…

Defined as "any systemic inquiry conducted by teachers... for the purpose of gathering information about how their particular schools operate, how they teach, and how their students learn" (Mertler, 2009), "action research" is empowering and professional research done by teachers to inform and improves their own practices. Although there are many…

Recent education reform has emphasized the importance of teacher learning in improving classroom instruction and raising student achievement. This article focuses on teachers' learning opportunities, including formal professional development and on-the-job learning that occurs through interactions with colleagues. Using data from 30 elementary…

The use of performance-based pay, or merit pay, has become a topic of increased focus in education circles in recent years. Questions about the effectiveness of these types of programs, coupled with a variety of criticisms about the benefits of merit pay, have resulted in teachers viewing this type of incentive structure with much skepticism. In…

Case studies of Authentic Intellectual Work (AIW) in the Iowa project included four high schools that have been practicing this professional development model for the last five years. The schools, AHST Secondary School, Cedar Falls High School, Spencer High and Middle Schools and Valley High School were visited in April, 2011. The visits included…

The College of Teacher Education and Leadership (CTEL) at Arizona State University (ASU) embraced the opportunity to partner with Teach For America (TFA) to tailor existing teacher preparation programs to meet the unique needs of alternatively certified teachers in urban schools. Rather than harp on the distinctions between ideologies and…

This case study examined the experiences of two middle level teachers as they worked with a literacy coach and university partners in an instructional improvement initiative. Robert and Janice worked together as a two-teacher team. Across the three years of the study, they collaborated with Melissa, the literacy coach, to integrate reading and…

This book serves as a reference to help prepare and support effective math content coaches. It provides insight into the leadership skills necessary to mentor other teachers, establish collaborative teacher teams, influence school culture positively, and improve student achievement. Contents include: (1) Examining the Role of a Math Content Coach;…

This book describes nearly 30 protocols or "scripts" for conducting meetings, conversations, and other learning experiences among educators. Chapter 1, "The Basic Ideas," explains the basic ideas underlying the rest of the book, discussing why educators should educate themselves and making the case for exploring student work as…

This book discusses the most current knowledge on whole- faculty study groups (WFSGs). Nine chapters examine: (1) "Introduction" (how WFSGs began and spread); (2) "Enabling Professional Development and Schoolwide Change" (guiding principles and questions); (3) "Key Components: Context, Process, and Content"; (4)…