Presents information from the first year of the California Formative Assessment and Support System for Teachers (CFASST), suggesting that it offers a way to diagnose teaching systematically and facilitate improved student academic achievement. Open-ended feedback from support providers all over California on the first CFASST events indicates that…

The focus of this article is on leadership in primary schools and the author argues and provides some evidence that the leadership of the headteacher can make a dramatic difference and raise standards in a school. This is in sharp contrast to the rather tentative conclusions of previous academic research. The author also argues that school…

This study examined the efficacy of Techniques of Responsive Intervention to Validate Effective Teaching (TRIVET) as a model for training administrators and teachers to provide instructional leadership through effective classroom appraisal. The study dealt with the first of a multi-step process to have principals and teachers impact what happens…

This booklet urges teachers to teach in North Carolina, explaining that North Carolina is fast-growing with much to offer. North Carolina has a strong commitment to improving schools and has received high marks on a national report card for academic standards, student assessment, and providing equitable resources. The framework of educational…

This paper describes the design and implementation of a staff-development program at Vivian Field Junior High School in Carrollton, Texas. The school is a member of the Texas Partnership School Initiative, which was created to give schools latitude in raising student achievement. The goal of the staff-development program was to identify gains in…

This report analyses six current educational reform proposals: (1) "A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform" (National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983); (2) "Action for Excellence" (Task Force on Education for Economic Growth of the Education Commission of the States, 1983); (3) "The Twentieth Century Fund Task Force…

The purpose of the Basic Skills portion of this project was to improve the reading and mathematics skills of students in the Junior High Schools Transition program, grades 7 through 9, in 27 junior high schools and 4 middle or extended elementary schools. The goal of the Mathematics Teacher Resources Development portion of the project was to…

The most important interaction in a school system, teacher classroom behavior and its effects on pupils' learning, is largely unattended to in any direct supervisory manner in most school districts. School administrators have allowed administrative matters to divert them from their central task, which should be the school's curriculum and…

This collection of papers focuses on what is known and practiced in professional development. Part 1, "The Purposes of Professional Development," includes (1) "Educational Purposes and Teacher Development" (Maxine Greene); (2) "Going Public: The Imperative of Public Education in the 21st Century" (Carl D. Glickman and…

Traditional objections to student involvement and recent research supporting the validity of student comments are explored. The value of student comments depends upon asking appropriate questions: deciding what should be asked, what form the questions and results should take, and what use should be made of the information. (Author/MLW)

Examines the nature of instructional capacity and its key components, and discusses the issues of improving human capital, quantity and quality of teaching resources, instructional cultures, and performance. A table is presented providing examples of capacity-building strategies at three system levels (that is, school, district, and state). The…

An elementary school staff development program was designed to reduce disparity in educational achievement across race and sex. Researchers compared achievement test scores, attitudes, perceptions of teacher practices, and grade retention for students of teachers who did and did not complete the program. Results showed the program had few positive…

Presents study results examining the effectiveness of teacher praise on children's on-task behavior. Describes Canter's Assertive Discipline, its use in Australia, and the basics of a study of the technique. Reports that all teacher subjects increased rates of praising following training, and all but one student improved levels of behavior.…

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…

Five schools and districts recognized by the United States Department of Education for excellence in professional development used student needs to guide staff learning. This paper describes each model, noting common key practices (e.g., plans are based on student achievement, community support is crucial, site-based decision making is used, local…