Researchers investigated the relationship between the American Federation of Teachers' Thinking Math (TM) professional development program and mathematics achievement of 5th grade students in an urban school district in the northeast. Four schools were studied; 3 had TM trained 5th grade math teachers. Questionnaires gathered demographic data and…

The goal of any professional development program is to inform and change teacher behavior as a result of new information. Professional development activities need to be designed in a way that ensures that teachers' time and your investment in time and money pay off in increased student achievement. Getting teacher buy in is important when…

Designed to teach educators how to consciously develop strategies and practices for cultural groups that are at risk for education failure, this book defines and describes diversity; offers a unique process for developing strategies to serve diverse populations; and provides opportunities to practice the approach through questions, exercises, and…

The admiral offers his opinions on the value of a good education and methods of improving the American educational system and encouraging excellence. (SK)

To improve instruction, a cadre of assisting professionals, trained in clinical supervision techniques and philosophy, must be developed in each school system to work with teachers as colleagues in a nonevaluative, supportive role. (Author/MLF)

Describes how one Kentucky school successfully beats its own winning test scores. The school examined what was taught, how it was taught, and how much was learned, determining how to regularly assess student progress. A staff development program was created that integrated continuous student assessment with teacher training. Teams of teachers and…

This article reports on 3 years of mathematics reform that took place in 4 high-poverty minority schools in a large, demographically mixed public school system in the South. Comparisons were made with 2 demographically similar sets of schools on project-constructed interviews, items taken from the Third International Math/Science Study (TIMSS)…

The Instructional Leadership Study provides suggestive evidence that providing instruction-related professional development to school principals can improve teaching and learning in their schools. The study examines a theory of school change articulated by the Institute for Learning at the University of Pittsburgh. The IFL provides technical…

Across the US, some schools are hallmarks of high academic performance. These schools display consistently high test performance, and their students are sought after by competitive colleges and universities. These schools are successful, with consistently above-average test scores, low dropout rates, high percentages of children attending college,…

Findings of a study that described effective teaching practices in Pakistan elementary schools and made recommendations for improving teacher effectiveness are presented in this paper. The research project was conducted by Basic Research and Implementation in DevelopinG Education Systems (BRIDGES) of Harvard University (Massachusetts). During…

The development of processes for considering student achievement data in the evaluation of teaching is discussed. As an alternative to the inappropriate and indefensible use of standardized test scores, the project on Expected Student Achievement (ESA) of the Kentucky Career Ladder Commission considered a management by objectives, or goal setting…

The purpose of this document is to serve as a resource on materials used for evaluation of teacher performance. Developed by the Kalamazoo Public Schools, it is a method for examining teacher performance in the form of the Teacher Performance Profile (TPP). The two major purposes of the TPP are to serve as a comprehensive system that provides…

The author advances two primary reasons for the failure of the American educational system with regard to student achievement: a) the lack of clearly specified educational goals and b) the failure of schools of education to teach aspiring teachers how to teach. To remedy the situation the author suggests two different sets of measurable goals, one…

In the first article a principal summarizes his implementation of a goal-setting program intended to improve teacher motivation and performance. The second essay outlines responsibilities for student councils that promote student leadership, advocate student interests, and provide publicity. Four characteristics of high academic achievers are…

This paper discusses the importance of teacher professional development to student achievement. Section 1, "The Imperative: Investment in Human Skill and Knowledge," explains that despite contradictory evidence, prevailing assumptions asserts that teachers learn most of what they need during preservice education. Section 2, "The Knowledge Gap in…