The Head Start Teaching Center is a federally funded national demonstration project designed to test the efficacy of participatory training for staff in all components of Head Start services. The New England Teaching Center is designed to provide intensive training during a 3- to 5-day period of residence. Each Teaching Center conducts a regular…

The Oakland County School District in Michigan is in its fourth year of sponsoring the Oakland Writing Project. Research concerning whether the activities are having a positive influence on instruction and whether students are writing better as a result of the project has been, for the most part, informal but important. Project participants have…

This report describes a collaborative research effort to examine the nature, role, and impact of staff development in an unspecified desegregated, urban school district. The report outlines the study which was conducted as a short term focused ethnography in three elementary and three secondary schools employing both interview and observation as…

Prepared as part of the evaluation of the Bay Area Writing Project (BAWP), this report examines the National Writing Project (NWP) network, a group of teacher training projects designed to replicate the core model of the BAWP. The information provided in this report is divided into three sections. The first section summarizes information regarding…

A survey of literature dealing with inservice training for teachers was conducted to identify the kinds of inservice education used most frequently, and most commonly stated guidelines for producing effective programs. Results are discussed. (DF)

Describes one inservice program in writing that produced a greater commitment to teaching on the part of the teachers involved. Discusses program elements that contributed to that commitment. (FL)

Describes a Texas program in which elementary and secondary school teachers switch positions with university professors. (FL)

This book provides information for teachers and administrators about peer coaching, and it centers on classroom observation by other team members. The book describes stages of the observation process, explaining how a peer coaching program can make teachers more effective and co-learners with colleagues. Each chapter includes scenarios describing…

In 1998, the Mississippi Legislature amended Mississippi Code Section 37-17 concerning the requirements for local school district professional development programs. The Department of Education then revised this portion of the model to reflect the statutory changes. This handbook contains the definition and purpose of professional development and…

This study investigated the perceptions of teachers regarding their own professional development along five distinct constructs (teaming, time, organizational support, communication, and professional responsibility). It also compared the perceptions of teachers utilizing a team-based approach to professional development with the perceptions of…

Describes the concept of and various forms of professional development in Australia, examining the personal professional development plans required in some Australian states and focusing on the effectiveness of professional development, teacher response to professional development, and the dynamic interaction between three elements necessary for…

The principal aim of this study is to explore the self-perception of change in teaching practice by lecturers who have graduated from the Postgraduate Certificate in Third Level Learning and Teaching Course over a period extending from 2000-2003. A qualitative questionnaire was distributed to the 45 successful graduates of the course to establish…

This paper discusses the online Personal Learning Planner (PLP) project underway at the National Institute of Community Innovations (NICI), one of the partners in the Teacher Education Network (TEN), a 2000 PT3 Catalyst grantee. The Web-based PLP provides a standards-linked "portfolio space" for both works in progress and demonstration collections…

With the advent of No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, schools are being held accountable for measurable increases in student academic achievement as evidenced by performance on standardized tests. This movement has significant implications for the professional development of teachers who are ultimately responsible for ensuring that their…

This booklet synthesises the research on teacher professional learning and development that has been demonstrated to have a positive impact on valued student outcomes. Its findings relate to teachers who have received at least some initial teacher education and who are in the process of deepening their knowledge and refining their skills. The…