Professional development for teachers is a continuous process of individual and collective examination of practice. This publication first identifies reasons why traditional staff development often fails and several prerequisites for effective professional development. These include establishing real stakes for students; providing incentives for…

The Urban Learner Framework (ULF), developed by the Urban Education (UE) Project at Research for Better Schools, focuses on the teaching and learning requirements of urban students as the core of systemic education reform. The purpose of this paper is fourfold: first, to describe the ULF; second, to share experiences encountered when introducing…

This paper reviews several studies on attitudes of regular and special educators toward inclusion of all children, regardless of disability, in the regular education environment and on attitude changes occurring as a result of staff development activities. Special education teachers (n=100) and regular education teachers (n=100) who were working…

A survey of the AETS membership was conducted to examine potential gaps in their current versus desired knowledge about technology uses relative to science teacher education.

The four year Teacher Development Program in Ohio features inservice programs which are based on adult learning styles; the learning is self-directed, experiential, job-related, problem centered, and individualized. Staff development activities encourage participants to be actively involved, allow flexibility and freedom of choice, use a variety…

A questionnaire on attitudes toward discipline problems and classroom management strategies was submitted to 71 secondary school teachers. Thirty-eight of the respondents taught in a large inner-city junior high school composed of equal percentages of White, Black, and Hispanic students. The remaining 33 respondents taught in a small, suburban…

Project Basic Effective Strategies for Teaching (BEST) is a long-range three-year staff development program designed to provide teachers and administrators in the Austin (Texas) Independent School District with a common language and instructional plan. It is applicable to all subject areas and at all grade levels. This document contains the final…

High school teachers of reading, mathematics, social science, and science participated in a faculty development program, Teaching Reading in Content Areas (TRICA). A focused interview system, Levels of Use of Innovation (LOU) measured the extent to which teachers used TRICA in their classrooms. There are eight levels of use: non-use, orientation,…

Key elements of effective teacher development include a focus on curriculum and job-situated problems, hands-on opportunities to apply learning, and collaboration among teachers (Garet, Porter, Desimone, Birman, & Yoon, 2001; Hiebert, Gallimore, & Stigler, 2002; National Staff Development Council, 2001). Program developers at The Education…

This study interviewed 22 stakeholders in a Professional Development School (PDS) to determine their attitudes about the purpose, processes, relationships, and outcomes of their partnership. The study involved a series of in-depth, semi-structured, 1-hour interviews with PDS stakeholders to identify critical elements deemed necessary for the…

This study investigated professional growth as an individually reflective and authentically collaborative phenomenon. The study examined the extent to which self-directed professional learning, personal and shared reflection, and authentic collaboration within a supportive study group could create changes in secondary teachers' perceptions of…

Drawing on the experiences of a fictitious teacher, the paper illustrates where professional development has been and where it is going as it supports more learner-centered schools, discussing the nature of the paradigm shift in professional development that will support the building and continuity of learner-centered schools. (SM)

Discusses how to initiate good professional development options and how to evaluate existing professional development programs for appropriateness. Options noted are teacher networks, National Board certification, university collaborations, Professional Development Schools, and local staff development efforts. Some resource information is…

This study investigated relationships among teacher experience, efficacy, and attitude toward implementation of instructional innovation. Surveys immediately following a staff development program on cooperative learning indicated that experience was negatively correlated, personal teaching efficacy positively correlated, and general teaching…

Surveys of K-12 teachers and principals in New Jersey examined the effect of incentives on faculty development. Results suggest that, despite evidence that they recognize practice in teacher development, teachers continue to be attracted by incentives and rewards for more traditional and outdated forms of professional growth and development. (SM)