At a Portland (Oregon) weeklong summer workshop, K-12 teachers connect with their peers, learn from professional writers, and develop skills for teaching writing. As follow-up, participants get four guest writers for weeklong classroom residencies, $400 for books, and additional meetings with fellow participants. The program has improved teaching…

The Coeur d'Alene (Idaho) school district's staff development program uses in-house expertise. Lead teachers mentor other elementary teachers in language arts while interns cover their classes. Teachers learn new teaching practices in their own classrooms, with their own students and materials, during the regular school day. A sidebar describes…

In an initiative called Sustaining and Strengthening Teachers, the University of Washington College of Education is partnering with other institutions and with school districts in four states to develop a "more coherent continuum of support" for new teachers. The program includes mentoring and continuing professional development through…

Millionaire Stuart Sloan pumps $1 million a year into the budget of T.T. Minor Elementary School, located in a predominantly Black, poor neighborhood in Seattle (Washington). Sloan's generosity helps provide an extended school year, before- and after-school programs, small class sizes, extra meals, uniforms, ongoing staff training, and an outreach…

Idaho secondary students learn the scientific method through outdoor environmental projects related to water quality monitoring. A program trains teachers to design project-based learning and provides extensive followup support. Five-day summer workshops immerse teachers in the types of projects they will orchestrate with their own students.…