The present study aimed to identify a way for educators to improve the accuracy of their praise and reprimand reflections to ultimately improve their ability to set, monitor, and evaluate their use of praise and reprimand. To do this, teachers' natural use of praise and reprimand (in the absence of intervention) were compared with their perceived…

Research shows that half of all teachers working in urban school settings leave the profession within five years, and many who choose to leave are the ones who are most effective (Coggins & Diffenbaugh, 2013.) Manual Rounds, a structured peer observation process based on the established practice of instructional rounds, was implemented at…

This article examines a unique intervention in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) to uncover the causal impact on school performance of an evaluation system based on highly structured classroom observations of teacher practice. An iterative process of observation and conferencing focused on improving lesson planning and preparation, the classroom…

This paper describes a method of analysing teacher growth in the context of science education. It focuses on the identification of pathways in the development of secondary school teachers' pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) by the use of the interconnected model of teachers' professional growth (IMTPG).The teachers (n = 12) participated in a…

Preschool teachers' job stressors have received increasing attention but have been understudied in the literature. We investigated the impacts of a classroom-based intervention, the Chicago School Readiness Project (CSRP), on teachers' perceived job stressors and confidence, as indexed by their perceptions of job control, job resources, job…

In 2007, using funds from the federal Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) and private foundations, the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) began piloting its version of a schoolwide reform model called the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP). Under the TAP model, teachers can earn extra pay and take on increased responsibilities through promotion (to mentor…

Presents a set of snapshots of the work of the Staff Development Leadership Councils created by the National Staff Development Council in 1998, offering lessons for others who want to do similar work in their states and provinces. The examples come from Texas, Louisiana, Illinois, Kansas, and Indiana. Information on contact people for each project…

This report, initiated at the request of the Lincoln Trail College (LTC) faculty, provides a series of recommendations regarding a continuing professional development program specially tailored to meet the needs and characteristics of the staff at LTC. A questionnaire was developed to determine activity relevance and availability, preference…

After refining the Illinois Model for Occupational Teacher Internship, 20 practicing occupational teachers in public schools field tested the model to determine the nature and value of the concept of business/industry internships. Some major findings from data on intern evaluations revealed that (1) the internship provided an educationally…

This report of a study describes in detail attempts to change one kindergarten teacher's procedures for teaching reading. The aim of the study was to learn how practices observed in earlier classroom research could be improved. The more specific goal was to identify factors that facilitate or impede change. Subjects were a kindergarten teacher in…

State mandates for teacher professional development and continuing education, and funding for those mandates are a high profile topic in the North Central region. Examination of specific state requirements for professional development, the relationship among professional development, teacher certification, and continued employment, and direct…

This report describes a program for improving inconsistent reading comprehension. The targeted population consisted of first, third, and fifth grade classrooms in a diverse middle class community located in Illinois. The problems of low academic achievement were documented through teacher observation, reading comprehension test scores, and low…

The Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) study on teacher education is divided into four sections; (1) placing the problem of the ongoing need for teachers in perspective; (2) policy recommendations to the IBHE on relevant aspects of teacher education; (3) the rationale for recommendations made to the IBHE; (4) ideas and programs that could…

This comparative study was conducted for the Wisconsin Advisory Council on Vocational Education in an effort to identify strengths and weaknesses of program delivery and accomplishments of several States--Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio--with a view towards making recommendations that would improve Wisconsin's total program…