There is a defined need to provide accessible and effective professional development for 4-H educators. Lesson study is a Community of Practice-based approach to educator professional development. Prior research has shown lesson study to be effective with 4-H staff, adult volunteers, and teen volunteers. This inquiry, a multisite case study, was…

Focus on improving teacher quality and student achievement led many state departments of education to implement research-based teacher effectiveness systems. The Teacher Professional Growth and Effectiveness System (TPGES) was implemented as the Kentucky teacher effectiveness system. This study examined teachers' and principals' viewpoints…

A focus on improving teacher quality and student achievement led many states to implement teacher effectiveness systems. The Charlotte Danielson Framework for Teaching was adapted by Kentucky as the Teacher Professional Growth and Effectiveness System (TPGES). This study examined educator viewpoints concerning the impact of TPGES on improving…

One of the most important issues facing education policymakers is how to prepare students to be productive citizens in an increasingly competitive global economy. While state accountability systems suggest that the proportion of students meeting state benchmarks is rising, performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has…

The purpose of this study evaluates the work completed in the "Jefferson County Public Schools" (JCPS) project, "Making Time for What Matters Most", aiming to improve student achievement, narrow achievement gaps, strengthen students' college readiness skills, and increase the percentages of students who graduate and go on to…

Globally, teacher dispositions along with knowledge and skills continue to be the focal point of teacher education programs. Teachers influence children's development and therefore dispositions are a universal concern. For the past 20 years in the United States, teacher education programs have assessed dispositions. We, however, must now also use…

Understand how teachers use technology to implement Common Core, increase their instructional effectiveness, and support student learning. This brief describes the experiences of a small group of Kentucky teachers who participated in a study in which they applied technology solutions to support their own learning and that of their students. The…

Building a stronger teacher workforce requires the thoughtful orchestration of multiple processes working together in a human capital system. This white paper presents a framework that can be used to take stock of current efforts to enhance the teacher workforce in school districts or educational organizations, as well as their underlying theories…

Data from elementary and secondary principals and teachers identified six recommendations for improving school based professional development: (preparing an articulated mission; planning for professional development at the school and practitioner level; implementing the plan; providing broad support for professional development; building and…

Presents case studies of four exemplary Kentucky schools to illustrate characteristics of a statewide initiative designed to support standards based educational reform. The reform emphasized professional development, increased financial support for professional development, and used a decentralized model so that local needs influenced the types of…

"Learning to Lead Together: The Promise and Challenge of Sharing Leadership" examines the dilemmas for school leaders and administrators, and the benefits for schools and students, when principals work with teachers (and their communities) to share leadership. Most schools function within existing hierarchical structures that contradict…

A project was conducted to establish the validity of a procedure and set of instruments to facilitate a more systematic approach for the continued staff development of inservice secondary and postsecondary vocational instructors in three states (Kentucky, Virginia, and Wisconsin) with different delivery systems. The population consisted of a…

This report provides an overview of the findings of 3 studies conducted between 1995 and 1998 on school-based performance award (SBPA) programs. Such programs provide teachers, and often other school staff, with pay bonuses when their school as a whole achieves specific educational objectives. The studies focused on programs in the state of…

To examine how Kentucky teachers perceive their needs and how to best meet those needs in the context of systemic reform, researchers examined teachers' plans for their own professional development. Data came from case studies of 21 Kentucky schools that were part of the Professional Development in the Service of Systemic Reform project and a…