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…

Author Mike Schmoker argues that data should play a crucial role before staff development begins by helping to select the most results-oriented initiatives. Staff development proposals should be based on data that indicate the initiatives have led to higher achievement. This interview discusses barriers to using data and notes the role of…

How schools and districts approach professional development is driven by implicit and explicit personal beliefs or theories. This article describes four factors that determine the success or failure of staff development efforts for teachers: teacher motivation; teacher knowledge and how teachers can add to it; how the context of teacher work…

Presents an interview about learning communities with Ann Lieberman, known for her work in teacher leadership and development, educational change, collaborative research, and partnerships. The interview addresses characteristics of schools with professional learning communities; how such schools are created; necessary external supports; on-the-job…

What skills are needed for coaching? What coaching strategies enhance the coach-teacher interaction? What kinds of support do coaches need? The Center for the Enhancement of Science and Mathematics Education at Northeastern University (CESAME) and The Education Alliance at Brown University analyzed an online seminar for elementary mathematics…

This firsthand account through the eyes of a facilitator describes meaningful moments of someone learning the job. Working primarily with new teachers in a large high school, this facilitator experienced the challenges and the fulfillment in helping colleagues, and discovered that the benefit of helping others grow may be one's own growth.

In this interview, Andy Hargreaves posits that teachers need a high level of creativity and flexibility to be effective in their work, and they must understand their larger social mission. Yet standardization is working against those very qualities. Real professional learning communities, more than just teams of teachers solving problems, can help…

Differentiated instruction adapts learning to the students' unique differences. It focuses on the diverse needs of the individual learners. It is stated, that the first step in developing a differentiated instructional program is to provide an introduction to the philosophy and an overview of the benefits for learners. After the introductory…

In 1984, Texas law mandated that each principal, supervisor, and superintendent in the state attend training in general management, instructional leadership, and teacher appraisal. This article describes the three phases of Lubbock's Effective Teaching/Supervision Model, focusing on Phase I: Instructional Leadership. (MT)

Schools must use recent educational reports to help define appropriate goals and expectations. Staff developers can help in this process by working with school staff and the community. (DF)

The importance of developing teachers' skills and feelings of power and professionalism is stressed in an interview with Ernest Boyer. Other topics of discussion include the establishment of a "teacher excellence fund" and the concept that school improvement is "people improvement." (DF)

This article describes how the Kansas City (Missouri) Learning Exchange initiates and maintains successful partnerships with the private sector. To help fund quality staff development, the Exchange raises almost a quarter of a million dollars annually from businesses, trusts, and foundations. (DF)

A six-stage evaluation model is described for gathering data concerning the relative cost-effectiveness of alternative professional development activities which share common objectives. The model specifies the type of cost effectiveness data to gather and the analysis procedures to use in comparing the relative costs and effectiveness of the…

The central purpose of mainstreaming is to integrate handicapped students with nonhandicapped peers. It is the teacher's responsibility to foster positive and constructive interactions between handicapped students and their peers. Three ways of organizing constructive peer interaction are: (1) cooperation; (2) competition; and (3) an…

In Colorado, a project was developed to teach participants a collaborative planning process for staff development and to assist in the design of a system of personnel development. Areas covered included: (1) selection of cadre members; (2) participation; (3) program design; and (4) consultants' reflections. (JN)