Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) have become increasingly popular in schools. PLCs are groups of teachers, administrators, parents, and students who collaborate to improve their practices and focus on results (DuFour, 2004). Grade-level and department teachers participate in regularly scheduled collaborative team meetings; however, many…

A well-planned formal mentor program established for continuous peer support is the ideal system for both tenured and untenured faculty. A Pennsylvania program has six full-time mentors to help teachers during and after school. The program is rooted in the concepts and practices of peer coaching, counseling, and support. Mentors' qualifications,…

A rural Georgia high school has established a framework of continuous improvement to help it become a learning organization. Teachers are involved at all organizational levels--from school management to instructional practices. Teams of teachers are testing new ideas and knowledge, using data and simple statistical tools to discover what works,…

St. Louis, Missouri's New City School begins each academic year by teaching multiple-intelligences theory to its students and by educating parents via portfolio nights. There is heavy emphasis on the personal intelligences, since the abilities to work with others and to capitalize on individual strengths are the keys to successful adulthood. (MLH)

The necessary conditions for successful shared decision making include school board and administrative affirmation, tolerance for diversity, teacher and administrator training, and collegial support. Involving teachers in decision making requires four implementation phases: readiness, experimentation, refinement through trial and error, and…

To establish an effective, collaborative work culture, the school and its members must embrace continuous improvement. Principals can use certain activities and leadership approaches to help establish a productive school culture. One Oklahoma middle-school principal involved faculty in creating a school vision and developing grade-level teaching…