In 2004, five North Carolina school districts combined forces with five corporate foundations to leverage their collective wisdom and develop regional strategies for school improvement. The result was the High Five Regional Partnership for High School Excellence, a corporate-public sector effort that had the common goal of improving graduation…

This study describes the influences that one professional learning community had on teacher resilience, teacher retention, and school reform initiatives. Teachers at a low performing, urban middle school in the Southeastern United States implemented professional learning communities as a reform initiative to assist with staff development. This…

Background/context: Professional development is an important element of professional practice and teachers are expected to engage in activities that not only improve practice but also have a positive impact on pupil learning. Physical educators worldwide have acknowledged the need to improve the continuing education of teachers and have called…

In spite of decades of research and staff development attempts, few efforts at reforming education in our schools have been successful. This paper discusses the structure of the Triad Inservice Model, a partnership specifically designed to enable teachers to control the curriculum and their own instructional techniques, and to facilitate the…

Eileen Simmons, a veteran teacher-consultant from the Oklahoma State University Writing Project, describes collaboration among writing project teacher-consultants and site-based teachers to plan professional development before, during, and after a summer writing camp for students at their school. This model, which has been adapted in a variety of…

This report examines key elements of effective new teacher assessment and support, reviews southeastern states' progress in developing quality induction programs, and offers recommendations for action. More dollars are being invested in new teachers than ever before, and some states have markedly increased the quantity of new teacher support…

This monthly newsletter of the National Staff Development Council (NSDC) promotes high levels of learning for all students and staff. It includes the following articles: "The Science of Learning Choices: NCLB Shifts its Emphasis to Scientifically-Based Research" (Joan Richardson); "Dramatic Improvement Depends on Powerful Intention,…

Rural schools that reorganize themselves as genuine learning communities can develop and maintain a professional development process that benefits staff and students. Key components of a learning community are trust, respect, and collegiality. In schools that have become learning communities, teams of educators work collaboratively in structures…

This paper describes key aspects of a year-long study on the effectiveness of combining a professional development intervention in the form of a mentor teacher study group directed toward fostering educative mentoring with a research study to examine the study group's impact on professional learning about mentoring. The first section focuses on an…

Many school-based inservice teacher training programs are available to Japanese teachers, including observing classes in other schools, inviting parents to observe and provide feedback, and conducting collaborative research on the teaching-learning process (Jugyou Kenkyu). This article highlights Jugyou Kenkyu, which is based on three steps…

This how-to guide to classroom inquiry takes educators through the process step-by-step, from beginning to end, answering critical questions on developing the research plan, collecting and analyzing the data, and writing and publishing the results. Seven chapters include: (1) "Teacher Inquiry Defined" (e.g., what teacher inquiry is and how it…

This study examined cognitive coaching conferences between 1994 and 1997 as teachers practiced their coaching skills. Participants were part of a 3-year grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The cognitive coaching process was used to provide teachers with support in implementing content standards. Coaches participating in the study…

This paper describes two cases that illustrate the role of collaborative reflection in developing a culture of inquiry and individual and organizational renewal in school-university partnerships. Three assertions underlie the study: that individual renewal leads to organizational renewal; that developing a culture of inquiry is a prerequisite to…

This report presents information from a study of teachers of the year regarding their personal experiences with teacher leadership. It highlights: reasons to promote leadership (e.g., teachers have the most expertise and knowledge of how to improve education for students and can form a critical mass with their peers for positive or negative change…

The work of mentoring educational professionals includes establishing strong models to help educators and potential education leaders define operating principles that guide their professional work. The University of Central Florida partners with several public schools in developing models of mentoring. Teaching faculty at the college work directly…