State accountability goals for high schools must give equal emphasis to raising standards and increasing the percentages of students entering grade nine and earning high school diplomas four years later. High school completion rates between 1988 and 2000 declined in all but eight states. Many high schools in states with declining graduation rates…

Holistically examines educational leadership based on relational learning, collaboration, connectedness, and commitment to self and others, highlighting a high school where teacher leaders participate in governance, administration, and teaching, and co-create learning environments which emphasize authentic self-expression, interpersonal…

Almost four years ago, a mathematics professor started the (fictitiously named) Mathematics Education, Equity and Leadership (MEEL) project to reform mathematics education, promote equity, and develop teacher leadership. This article discusses challenges faced by participants working to develop the new knowledge, habits of mind, and resources…

Teachers are prepared to assume leadership roles as professionals and teacher leaders in the classrooms of our nation's schools. They demonstrate professionalism and leadership skills daily as they make decisions, work collaboratively with all school personnel, and simultaneously plan, organize, manage, and implement lessons and special projects…

Sometimes bad news can be exactly what organizations or individuals need to point them in a healthier direction. That was the case at Thompson Middle School (Southfield, Michigan) in 2002, when the staff learned that the state had temporarily identified the school as needing "corrective action" after students failed to make Adequate…

"Help Wanted" signs are springing up outside schools. The shortage of school administrators is not coming, it is here. To thwart the shortage and keep schools on the cutting edge, diligence in cultivating, training, and inspiring a new generation of school leaders--especially for the principalship, must be exercised. Staffing the Principalship…

The PUMP Algebra Project was a systemic effort in a mid-size urban city focusing on professional development of middle school mathematics teachers, which had a long-term goal of enabling more minority students to be algebra-ready by the end of 8th grade. The development of teacher leaders was not a targeted focus of the Project; it was a major…

State-supported teacher networks like the California Subject Matter Projects and the Vermont Portfolio Networks can be a useful alternative to conventional inservice training programs. Networks are cost-effective and connect teachers with resources, provide ongoing support, and expand teachers' leadership opportunities. A mix of constructed and…

To increase collegiality at a rural upstate New York high school, the principal scheduled informal sessions on various subjects (daily plans, objectives, clarity, and learning principles), based on Saphier and Gower's "The Skillful Teacher" (1993). He then discovered that teacher-led presentations worked even better. (MLH)

McKinney (Texas) Independent School District is developing a program aligned with Goals 2000 standards that stresses individual, collegial, and organizational improvement. The result is the Instructional Technology Academy, which tries to provide a catalyst for transforming the teaching/learning process and developing best practices to enhance…

Examines three very different elementary, middle, and high schools that used the National Staff Development Council's original 1995 standards to design exemplary staff development programs that resulted in improved student achievement. Program highlights include school leaders who value lifelong learning for staff and students, multi-disciplined…

Special education teachers are finding themselves in increasingly complex and demanding contexts of practice. Many are considering leaving the field or have already done so. These conditions suggest a decline in the appeal of professional practice as a special education teacher, with potentially deleterious short- and long-term effects on the…

The authors relate how they had been searching for ways to help teachers in their schools to integrate technology into their classrooms in a sustainable fashion. The authors have found that after-school workshops and one-on-one assistance to teachers have not enabled teachers to become self-reliant in their regular use of technology. Instead,…

Through a structured "grow your own" model, the Capistrano Unified School District in California is focusing on developing leaders from within. Strong teachers with leadership potential are actively recruited to enter the administrative arena as elementary-teaching assistant principals. Assistant principals are given principal-level…

Teachers at a central California high school operate the school according to a strict, progressive set of principles. The Anzar communication guidelines specify teachers' commitment to communicating well, collective ownership of problems and problem solving, tolerance of differing ideas, individual accountability, dedication to helping and…