The Critical Friends Group, a highly articulated model of professional learning, posits that, in order for teachers to learn together in ways that change their practice, the content and nature of their conversations must change (National School Reform Faculty, 2012). The content needs to change from externally driven agendas that address (in a…

Denver Public Schools, one of 14 districts that receive funding from The Wallace Foundation to improve principal effectiveness, is also one of a number of districts around the country emphasizing the development of principals' managers in the central office. The principal's job has changed over the last decade, going from a role that revolved…

Through its engagement with grantees on initiatives to improve school leadership, The Wallace Foundation came to recognize the important role that state organizations play in advancing effective leadership in districts and schools as well as the importance of coordination among state- and district-level policies. The authors have recently…

Web 2.0 is a widely used term to describe web-based tools that rely on user input and collaboration. So what would professional learning 2.0 look like? When educators are asked to do more with less and still reach ever-rising benchmarks for student achievement, leaders must begin to think differently about how classroom teachers are supported. Now…

Beverly Hall has been superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools since 1999. Before coming to Atlanta, Hall was state district superintendent of Newark Public Schools, deputy chancellor for instruction of New York City Public Schools, superintendent of Community School District 27 in New York City, and a principal in Brooklyn. Hall chairs Harvard…

Findings are reported from a series of studies of staff development coordinators, principals, and superintendents carried out in Georgia. The staff development needs of the three groups are identified, ranked, and compared. Implications for staff developers are proposed. (IAH)

A peer coaching program in Georgia involved 22 elementary teachers as participants in professional development to stimulate their cognitive development. Teachers learned the peer coaching process, then participated in four coaching cycles. The program raised their conceptual levels, reduced teacher isolation, and developed more positive attitudes…

Describes the planning, facilitation, continuation, and evaluation of Designing Successful Learning, an effective staff development program created to facilitate district restructuring and improve student outcomes. The program focuses teachers' attention on cooperative learning, interdisciplinary instruction, performance assessment, student…

School restructuring is enhanced when strong staff development plays three primary roles: a vehicle for developing new knowledge, skills, and attitudes; an unfreezing influence that helps people consider large-scale restructuring; and a vision of the school as a learning community. Examples from three school districts are provided. (SM)

Elementary, middle, and high school teachers from several school districts in California and Georgia share their experiences with designing and using study groups. Teachers report that the study groups identified educational and school needs, promoted teacher empowerment, increased collegiality, and kept teachers up on current issues and research…

Explains the complexities of promoting school change and how they can be minimized through the effective use of facilitators. Six complexities of school change are examined based on the experiences of Georgia's League of Professional Schools. Also discussed is the question of who should facilitate. (GLR)

Whole-faculty study groups can help the entire faculty integrate and implement effective teaching and learning practices with the goal of increased student learning. The paper describes the reasons for and the development and implementation of whole-faculty groups, then examines one consultant's experiences with such groups in Georgia. (SM)

Participants in the League of Professional Schools based at the University of Georgia discuss the effects of shared governance, a schoolwide instructional focus, and action research on 22 participating schools from various districts. The article explains factors that facilitated internal change and adjustments the league made in its operating…

Educators from five states describe how state department initiatives and state legislation have affected staff development, noting how staff developers have influenced and responded to those efforts. (Author/SM)