The St. Louis Educational Leadership Institute, a partnership between St. Louis University, local public schools, and a charitable foundation, is designed to develop future urban school leaders. The four-year program includes seminars, a problems course, an internship, advisement sessions, and portfolio exhibition. This paper describes the…

Teachers must know how to integrate technology into the classroom to improve learning; use technology to help students master content and performance standards; and know when technology is appropriate to help learning. Two sets of recently released technology standards can help school leaders develop comprehensive staff-development plans: the…

Explores various tools that presenters utilize to set the stage for their presentations and enhance audience retention, focusing on similarities to successful theatrical presentations. The four tools include setting the stage prior to the program, using the set effectively, selecting and placing props carefully, and considering oneself the…

To ensure equitable education, teachers' attitudes must be transformed. Teachers need time and opportunity for inquiry and reflection on biases that may affect practice. The paper discusses learning about cultural norms and equity in the context of content pedagogy and teacher leadership and professional collaboration. Two sidebars describe…

Describes the experiences of five teachers who volunteered to learn and work together electronically for professional development. They discovered that commitment was not enough. Underlying attitudes, existing relationships, and technology know-how all factored into challenges they faced. Two sidebars present tips for successful electronic…

For technology to impact student achievement, teachers must be empowered via extensive staff development. This paper presents building-level technology initiatives (e.g., peer training, super substitutes, and computer clubs) and district- level initiatives (e.g., establish a district technology committee, allow teachers to take computers home over…

The Alabama Reading Initiative is a public-private consortium promoting a research-based approach to literacy instruction. Its goal is 100-percent literacy. Use of the approach at one middle school involved development-, practice-, and demonstration-oriented professional development and deep faculty collaboration. The effort resulted in a dramatic…

This paper discusses the El Paso Collaborative for Academic Excellence and how it helps improve the literacy skills of all children in El Paso, Texas. The goal of the collaborative is to ensure that all children are successful in school and are prepared to enter and be successful in a four-year college. Its role is to expand leadership and…

This article describes the development of a seven-step faculty-driven school improvement model and provides a case study of how the model is currently being implemented at a central Florida middle school. The model empowers teachers to design staff development programs based on their own needs. (IAH)

Describes a two-year professional development program in which teachers used collaborative inquiry to study, develop, and use alternative and authentic assessment to improve teaching and learning. The paper examines curriculum and assessment changes teachers made, presents insights from the experience, and discusses implications for professional…

With decentralization and school-based management, central office personnel assume new roles as experts and brokers in staff development. The article examines the impact of decentralization and staff development, focusing on how central office personnel must relearn how to do business, preparing central office staff, and the role of staff…

This study examined participants in a staff development seminar at Harvard University to determine why teachers participated in formal coursework and what benefits they received. Teachers believed that their completion of formal coursework contributed to their learning and growth and that their most meaningful learning resulted from the informal…

One Colorado school district implemented a teacher induction seminar throughout the school year to promote professional development and facilitate the transition of new teachers into the district. The seminar encouraged questions, sharing, and mutual support. The article describes the structure of the seminar and the evaluation results. (SM)

Describes one elementary teacher's experiences participating in the Talking Mathematics Project, which provided a forum for teachers to teach, reflect on their mathematics knowledge, and think about their practice. Teachers were videotaped in their classrooms. They examined the videotapes alone and in seminars. Reflecting with others enriched the…

Discusses a study of training and development in noneducational, profit companies that found total quality management the main training topic. Participant evaluations measured training effectiveness. Employees participated in training for personal satisfaction and increased capacity. Private sector trainers expressed concern about the lack of…