Living-Learning Communities (LLCs) have proven to be a successful high impact practice at institutions across the nation. Norfolk State University (NSU), a Historically Black University, recently established a formal LLC program as a part of the University's Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). Through a strong partnership with Academic and Student…

The focus of this paper is how we can facilitate problem based learning (PBL) more creatively. We take a closer look upon the connection between creative processes and social communication in the PBL group including how difficulties in the social interplay may hinder creativity. The paper draws on group dynamic theory, and points out the…

This article describes the experiences of an agency administrator who developed a meaningful and effective collaboration with university researchers to address the needs of her client population. The initial agency-university collaboration process and its benefits are described as well as the efforts required and challenges faced when adopting and…

Teachers are our most valuable resource in education, and teacher leaders can maximize their impact on student learning by extending their impact beyond their own classrooms. Effective teacher leaders share their expertise, support the growth of other teachers, and increase the quality of instruction. This policy snapshot summarizes the literature…

This article is based on an interview conducted with Mark Olssen in October 2014, and the subsequent discussions. These conversations invited Olssen to reflect on his experiences of neoliberalism as a practising academic who has worked in the UK for some 14 years, and also to comment as a researcher and writer who is well known for his work on…

This paper presents how some Australian schools are changing their approaches to leading the teaching and learning in their diverse and multi-characteristic contexts. Experiences of these schools shows that the development of a school wide approach to pedagogy and its implementation needs to be firmly embedded in the leadership of learning.…

A diverse and experienced leadership team is crucial to the implementation of Response Through Intervention (RTI) in secondary schools. Transitioning from traditional resource models, secondary school educators require support and guidance from knowledgeable and respected school leaders as they encounter many complexities unique to their level.…

Rebecca Van Tassell struggled during her first years as a science teacher. She knew her colleagues had good ideas to share, but she never got to see them in action, so she started a walk-through club in which she and a few colleagues visited one another's classrooms and discussed what they saw. The group met every two weeks, after having…

Improving school climate takes time and commitment from a variety of people in a variety of roles. This document outlines key action steps that instructional staff--including teachers, paraprofessionals, and others in the classroom who provide instruction or assistance--can take to support school climate improvements. Key action steps are provided…

Improving school climate takes time and commitment from a variety of people in a variety of roles. This document outlines how family members--including guardians of students--can support school climate improvements. Key action steps are provided for the following strategies: (1) Participate in planning for school climate improvements; (2) Engage…

School superintendent has a strategic role in the effort to improve the quality of education, referred to the responsibility to give service and assistance for the teachers and headmasters which will affect the improvement of learning quality in school. Yet, the strategic role and function of superintendent, in fact, is still reflecting its ideal…

School librarians often wonder whether school superintendents and school board members understand and support intellectual freedom for students in K-12 schools. In this article, an administrator and a school board member discuss their thoughts and the actions they took to support access to information in the face of formal challenges to school…

The principal's role is increasingly understood as a critical lever for school improvement. Yet the job can be a solitary one, offering few opportunities to reflect with colleagues. What does it take to manage the work of continuous improvement--to push staff members constantly to operate outside their comfort zones? What dilemmas and challenges…

An often-volatile economy, changing demographics, and technological innovations in educational delivery are among the dramatic changes across higher education that have forced boards and institutions to question the viability of the existing business model. Flat or declining state support in real terms, lower investment returns in some years,…

Some courts have upheld school districts' decisions to discipline teachers for their behaviors outside of school if there was a connection back to the school. Specifically, many courts have adopted a nexus theory that suggests that a teacher's off-duty conduct might have a negative impact on his or her teaching effectiveness.…