This study explores the types of principal mentoring/coaching programs delivered in Wyoming school districts, USA, and the areas of need perceived by principals at different levels of experience. Some formalized district principal mentorship programs existed in larger school districts but these mainly targeted beginning principals. Most of the…

This report summarizes how school and district leaders and academic coaches in two Texas school districts used assessment and other types of data to assess the quality of teaching and learning, to coach and supervise teachers, and to guide management decisions. The report also describes how district and school leaders supported teachers' use of…

Schools implementing Response to Intervention (RtI) procedures frequently engage in team problem-solving processes to address the needs of students who require intensive and individualized services. Because the effectiveness of the problem-solving process will impact the overall success of RtI systems, the present study was designed to learn more…

Across the United States, educators are searching for ways to increase student achievement, particularly in urban districts that often have large populations of underachieving students. A popular strategy is the use of instructional coaches, highly-skilled teachers with expertise in adult learning, who spend time coaching teachers. One decision…

Purpose: Reformers, policymakers, and researchers have given considerable attention to organizational capacity in schools, especially in those schools that perpetuate or exacerbate achievement gaps among diverse student groups and reproduce social inequalities. There is an emerging consensus about key dimensions of school capacity and how they can…

For students with emotional disability (ED), school can be a stressful experience marked by disapproval, rejection, isolation, and shame. Staff serving these students in a large school district received Response Ability Pathways (RAP) training. This article summarizes positive impacts on behavior, as well as ongoing challenges in changing school…

This descriptive study investigates the development of a district leadership coaching program. Specifically, the study examines the creation of a coaching program for elementary principals, the first six months of monthly meetings between the coaches and district leaders, and the perceived utility of the meetings by the district coaches.…

In order to systemically improve student achievement in elementary literacy, a large urban school district partnered with a local university to develop a model for high-quality professional development that hopefully would result in long-term changes in teachers' literacy instructional/practices. Schools were selected based on their Adequate…

In this article, the author describes how an Oregon district redefines coaching roles to find a balance between school and district goals. As director of improvement for North Clackamas School District in Milwaukie, Oregon, near Portland, the author's role of coaching the coach was new, and the coaches welcomed the immediate feedback. Through the…

One of the most promising developments in math education is the fact that many districts are hiring math coaches--also called math resource teachers, math facilitators, math lead teachers, or math specialists--to assist elementary-level teachers with math instruction. What must not be lost, however, is that principals play an essential role in…

Instructional coach initiatives aimed at teachers' professional development are expanding in reforming school districts across the United States. This study addresses the lack of research regarding the professional development of instructional coaches. Drawing on sociocultural learning theory, specifically a model called the Vygotsky Space, the…

"The Learning System" is a newsletter designed for superintendents and central office staff with professional learning responsibilities. This issue includes: (1) Principal-Coaches Transform Teachers and Schools (Valerie von Frank); (2) District Leadership: Delve into NSDC's [National Staff Development Council's] New Definition of…

This study attempts to explain the substantial differences in mathematical achievement of elementary students in a Delaware school district by analyzing the level of content and pedagogical knowledge of elementary math teachers. I examined tenth graders' longitudinal state test results in mathematics and found that performance in the primary years…

Situated in the heart of the fertile San Joaquin Valley twenty miles north of Fresno, the city of Madera has a population of 56,710 people. Agriculture is the driving force behind the local economy; the area produces more than 100 crops including raisin grapes, almonds, figs, pistachios, alfalfa, corn, milk, cattle and poultry. The total value of…

This study examined elementary student literacy performance in Lancaster School District in kindergarten through 5th grades for 6 elementary schools implementing the Reading First program and 6 elementary schools not implementing Reading First. Subgroup data for English Language Learners, Hispanic, and African American students was closely…