Among all in-school factors that impact student learning, teachers carry the most weight -- but school leaders are not far behind. Decades of research have proven the positive influence principals can have on student achievement, school climate and teaching quality. New evidence suggests that their impact may be even greater than previously…

Because children who are deaf or hard of hearing are being identified at birth, fitted with advanced hearing technology, and enrolled in early intervention programs, families increasingly seek professionals who can provide services that support their choice of listening and spoken language. The increased demand for these services and shortages of…

A central commitment for professional development schools (PDSs) is to link preservice teacher preparation and in-service teacher professional development with improved learning outcomes for pupils. PDSs are expected to improve student achievement in two primary ways: (1) by enriching and intensifying the learning environment through professional…

The federally funded Bilingual Education Multifunctional Resource Center (BEMRC) provides support services to programs and individuals serving students of limited English proficiency (LEP) in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Tennessee. LEP students in the mostly rural areas come from…

This book of readings is divided into two sections, each describing a specific aspect of staff development. There are three articles on planning in Section I. The quadrant arrangement developed in Georgia is described as one method of facilitating cooperation between an institution and the State Department of Education to serve a particular area…

The State plans for professional staff development and training presented in this publication are those developed over a two-year period by eight Southeastern states participating in a cooperative regional project. The plans are indicative of the progress toward building institutionalized systems for training adult basic education personnel within…

This publication focuses on the teaching quality goals and priorities of nine Southeastern U.S. states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee), reviewing each state's Title II proposals. The report highlights seven priority areas of focus for regional alliances: constructing…