To attain better learning environments and teaching procedures as suggested by recent research and studies related to language growth and its development, provision must be made for this new knowledge to become a part of teacher-education programs. (Author/MB)

Author looks at some current trends and enumerates some strategies for implementing differentiated staffing. (Author/MM)

Used surveys, interviews, site visits, and achievement data to examine one district's development of school-based communities of instructional practice to improve teaching and increase achievement. Team-based teachers felt more involved in school-related decisions and reported higher levels of collaboration with peers than non-team-based teachers.…

A study of five Coalition of Essential Schools member high schools, each with different demographics but all involved in reform for at least seven years, yielded clues about effective whole-school reform strategies. Schools are more likely to succeed if they use continuous revisioning, adopt interconnected initiatives, deal directly with…

The Curriculum Improvement Program links the University of Illinois at Chicago with public school teachers for inservice education. Its Whitney Young High School project engages teachers in systematic reflection and collaboration on common problems. (SK)

Examined the potential and adequacy of the workplace as a site for teacher learning in view of a large-scale secondary education reform in the Netherlands. Teacher surveys and interviews indicated that there were great discrepancies between theory and practice in opportunities for professional learning in the workplace. Rate of participation in…

Presents strategies to help staff developers and classroom teachers work through the transition phase of a paradigm shift in educational practice, highlighting traditional assessment and grading models and noting the importance of allowing teachers time to reframe and integrate the new model, meeting in small groups to understand the transition.…

A former classroom teacher studied the role of action research in restructuring schools. The article discusses the background information she collected on reasons for conducting action research (personal/professional growth, improved practice, advancing the profession, contributing to the professional literature, promoting collaboration, and…

Presents guidelines for staff developers who wish to create and sustain changes in schools. The article explains why staff development must be reconceptualized, discusses the emerging systems roles for staff developers, and shares information gained from extensive experience in applying a reconceptualized model of staff development. (SM)

Considers how the principles of constructivism are fundamental to good literacy instruction and provide a framework for developmentally appropriate practices in schools. Concludes that the Literacy Orientation Survey (LOS) can provide teachers with a measuring stick to gauge their current progress and can help them make decisions about what they…

Examines three models of teacher professional development in Israel. One model emphasizes higher academic studies, one is a school-based organizational model that ties faculty development to school reforms, and one emphasizes a teacher-led personal route to professionalism in teachers' own classrooms. The paper examines means of support available…

This is a presentation made by the author to the staff of the members of the United States House of Representatives who are part of the STEM Caucus (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education Caucus). The briefing was held in the Rayburn Office Building in Washington, DC on July 27, 2007. Also presenting were Harold Pratt and Dr.…

This article examines a premise underlying teacher accountability policies, namely, that annual student learning gains can be attributed to individual teachers. After analyzing data collected in fourth- and fifth-grade reading and mathematics classes in 18 schools, the authors identify forms of instructional design that rely on multiple teachers.…

The Untied Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Competency Standards for Teachers (ICT-CST) project aims to improve teachers' practice in all areas of their work, combining ICT skills with innovations in pedagogy, curriculum, and school organization. It is also aimed at…

The purpose of this case study is to describe the challenges one coach faced during the initial implementation of a coaching initiative involving 33 teachers in an urban, high-poverty elementary school. Reading coaches are increasingly expected to play a key role in the professional development efforts to improve reading instruction in order to…