The Advisory Board of the Literacy Coaching Clearinghouse suggests six characteristics that define effective literacy coaching. These characteristics can guide districts and schools to think carefully about the qualifications of the literacy coaches they hire, the realistic roles for coaches to fill, and the support systems that coaches need to be…

This research shares the experiences of two colleagues who engaged in an e-mentoring relationship for a period of one academic term. Their candid and reflective comments are interspersed among the voices of the best practices literature. Mentoring is a traditional method of passing knowledge and skills on from an established professional to a…

This report describes the design and implementation of the three interventions tested in Project Upgrade, one of four experiments conducted as part of the Evaluation of Child Care Subsidy Strategies. The evaluation was a multi-site, multi-year effort to determine whether and how different child care subsidy policies and procedures and quality…

In 1994 the Ford Foundation launched the Rural Community College Initiative (RCCI) as a "national demonstration project to help community colleges in distressed regions move their people and communities toward prosperity. It challenged community colleges to become catalysts for economic development and supported aggressive efforts to increase…

Project RAISSE, which stands for Reading Assistance Initiative for Secondary School Educators, focuses on site-based content area study groups led by a content area teacher trained as a coach/literacy leader with some roles and responsibilities commensurate with a literacy coach. The goal of Project RAISSE is to enhance students' reading…

The Public School Forum of North Carolina examined how to identify and prepare school leaders who can meet the challenges of the 21st century in the state's public schools, and it made recommendations for making the current system stronger and more productive. In searching for comprehensive approaches that could provide leadership preparation…

Education programs have fostered advanced levels of graphic representation ability in young children but have not detailed the specific mechanisms responsible for the accelerated growth. Research suggests that between 6 and 8 years of age children begin to observe more carefully before drawing and that observation prompts aid children's…

This article aims to answer the questions: (1) How can action learning aid in strategic change?; (2) What are the benefits of using action learning as part of a broader learning intervention?; (3) What are the issues to consider when introducing action learning into a corporate environment?; and (4) How can you engage people in reflection as a…

Taking on the role of literacy coach can be a daunting task for even seasoned educators. In this article, the author examines her experiences in this role as work for a university class she was taking. In a sense, she "tries on" the coaching role in order to discover if it is a job she would truly be willing to take. She discusses the…

This report summarizes the 2007-2008 program evaluation results of Austin Independent School District's high school professional learning communities initiative.

The phenomenon of using progress monitoring data to inform literacy instruction was explored in the context of four schools during their 2nd year of Reading First implementation. Open-ended interviews and surveys from 10 teachers, purposefully selected for maximum variation in effectiveness and skills and resistance to using data to inform…

This article explores the theoretical concepts of "apprenticeship" and "reflection" in Initial Teacher Education music mentoring. It presents two case studies of Secondary music mentoring and relates these to the theoretical concepts. The article argues that a more integrated view of music mentoring might be provided with…

When your school or district wants to do more to help all teachers become effective teachers of reading and writing, here's a book that will show you how to maximize your efforts through differentiated literacy coaching. This research-based, school-proven approach helps you implement eight professional development formats ranging from coplanning…

This handbook sets out a clear organisational rationale of coaching and mentoring and provides structured activities for self-reflection or groups. It will be particularly suitable for Higher Education institutions which are considering the development of mentoring as part of their effective professional relationships and working practices. This…

Previous research indicates that the principal is second to the teacher in their impact on student learning. However, oftentimes principals enter their position lacking the skills and knowledge of an effective instructional leader. Moreover, districts may lack the internal capacity to support principal's professional development and learning. If…