Surveys of elementary and secondary educators identified competencies needed by teachers and administrators working in inclusive settings. The most important competency for both groups was collaboration. Notable teacher competencies were flexibility, classroom practices, and student knowledge. Significant administrator competencies included staff…

Teachers, administrators and policy makers at all levels of public education remain challenged to devise more effective ways to optimize teacher performance and, thereby, student achievement. Numerous professional organizations and teacher training agencies have long been advocates of high levels of teacher interaction and have formally adopted…

This article describes a professional development approach involving inter- and intra-school collaboration-site visits that build teachers' mathematical content knowledge and pedagogical strategies. Teachers collaboratively plan lessons, observe lessons, reflect on the implementation of the lessons, and refine their practice in a collegial,…

"Harvard Education Letter" is published bimonthly at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. This issue of "Harvard Education Letter" contains the following articles: (1) The "Data Wise" Improvement Process: Eight Steps for Using Test Data to Improve Teaching and Learning (Kathryn Parker Boudett, Elizabeth A. City,…

This paper presents a case study of the experiences under the Indonesian Mathematics and Science Teacher Education Project (IMSTEP) concerning in-service teacher training through the practice of lesson study collaboratively conducted by schools and universities. The purpose of the case study is two-fold: first, to examine the changes in teaching…

How do you transform your own practice, and the practice of your peers? How do you act as a change agent in a positive, open dialogue with peers? The author seeks to explore this complex, often difficult issue, hoping to encourage others to look at their practice, and the practice of their peers, and ask: "Can we do better?" Can we…

It is fashionable to say that teaching can be the most rewarding profession there is- and it can be. Most teachers can all give examples of the pleasure of helping a child grow in knowledge and understanding, and achieve their potential. But what about the teacher? They shouldn't be excluded from the benefits of lifelong learning because of their…

This publication presents information from an April 1999 meeting of the National Partnership for Excellence and Accountability in Teaching and Learning and the Learning First Alliance, which brought together representatives of schools and districts where outstanding faculty development was underway. This guide presents the story that these…

Describes how collaborative arrangements between public school and university personnel can positively influence the thinking of teachers and teacher educators about instructional practice in schools. Suggests that the positive outcomes realized in two programs can encourage and provide direction to other teachers and teacher educators who wish to…

One small, rural high school used cooperative professional development (CPD) as a means of group investigation to promote school renewal. CPD involves teaching, identifying, studying, and reporting on an issue of importance to teachers and their school. This paper describes how the school implemented and used CPD, examining lessons learned.…

Discusses the relationship between professional community and the effective use of ICT (information and communication technology), based on case studies at elementary and secondary schools in the United States. Topics include access to technology; teachers' learning through professional development; collaboration among staff; and reflective…

Presents strategies from six schools and two districts that won this year's U.S. Department of Education Model Professional Development Awards. Some of their strategies include teacher collaboration to plan professional development; teachers as leaders of learning for themselves and their peers; external partners providing expertise and resources;…

A middle-school principal initially skeptical of Margrove College's distance-learning program for teachers was pleasantly surprised by the teacher teamwork and cooperative-learning classroom activities this Master's degree engendered. The program effectively transferred skills to practice by blending theory, demonstration, practice, feedback, and…

Discusses Japanese teacher professional development strategies, which are driven by a peer-based model using peer collaboration, planning, and management, exploring how the Japanese perspective of teaching as craft contributes to elementary professional development. Critical issues inherent in the Japanese model are discussed, noting its basic…

Demonstrates how social foundations and curriculum and instruction scholars collaborated on a professional development project for inservice teachers, describing a summer institute designed to facilitate teaching for diversity. The paper discusses themes resulting from an action research project that examined patterns of teacher talk, particularly…