Every year, more than 15,000 teachers vie for the chance to become certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Although the process is voluntary, National Board Certification is a widely recognized mark of distinction and is increasingly tied to leadership opportunities for teachers, salary increases, and improved student…

A study was conducted to identify and measure theoretical dimensions of teacher empowerment in 307 venture capital schools in Ohio. (The Ohio state legislature established venture capital grants to support school improvement; these grants serve as catalysts for local schools to redesign their internal structures.) Data were gathered from 4,091…

This issue is the last in a three-part series on teaching quality. The first examined the effectiveness of various approaches to recruiting, educating, and inducting teachers. This report discusses the school environment and role of teachers' working conditions in attracting and retaining good teachers, noting several disparate factors that…

This study investigated how teachers described current decision making structures, culture, and the power/micropolitics of their work, examining how they used their agency to accomplish work and make decisions together under Florida's reform. Data came from interviews with 1996 and 1997 elementary educators selected as teachers of the year. The…

This paper describes a framework which captures the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of teacher leaders who demonstrate the ability to work effectively with students and peers in their own classrooms and beyond. Data come from 10 in-depth studies of recognized, urban, middle-school teachers. During the study, participants came together twice…

Principals are the leaders of their schools, they are responsible for both student and professional learning. With thought, organization, and communication, welcoming and assisting beginning teachers as they enter their new profession can be done efficiently and effectively. An administrator who not only understands the difficult induction year,…

The literature reviewed in this document represents a collection of approximately 135 writings catalogued under the heading teacher leadership. The literature on teacher leadership describes a range of new roles which offer ways for teachers to grow as professionals and learn from one another. Some roles focus on inducting new teachers into the…

This book is intended to help teacher preparation educators, building level leaders, staff developers, and teacher mentors address school-work patterns in five critical areas that may impact teacher attrition and retention. It supports a view of professional development that fosters the active involvement of teachers in customizing their own…

This biography profiles the late Elizabeth (Betty) Murray, an educator and community leader from Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia (Canada). Chapter 1 looks at Murray's leadership skills as, at age 77, she prepared and directed her annual musical in which the people of Tatamagouche recreate a significant moment in their village history. Chapter 2 moves…

This study investigated professional development as provided through the Teacher Leadership Academy (TLA) model used in rural Illinois area school districts and district consortia. Surveys were distributed to TLA participants that sought their perceptions of the desirability, involvement, and feasibility of school reform in general and the…

Reports research to assess the performance of teachers who graduated from 11 universities, 7 with 5-year programs and 4 considering moving into 5-year programs. Provides results of data collected around four outcome measures: teacher entry into the profession, teacher retention, classroom performance, and leadership behavior. (SM)

Teacher education in England has evolved to a practice-theory model, in which trainees on a one-year postgraduate certificate of education spend 24 weeks of a 36 week course in schools, rather than on the more traditional and comfortable, theory driven, predominantly Higher Education Institute (HEI) based programme. Partnership between the HEIs…

This book shows how school leaders at all levels "from the most senior manager to the classroom teacher" can help to build learning communities through collaborating and negotiating with their colleagues, students and students' parents and carers, as well as with external agencies and local communities, to sustain and develop the…

To develop high-performance teams and improve student learning and achievement educators are making changes in the way they interact with colleagues. Educators are participating in various school teams-grade level teams, vertical teams, school leadership teams, study groups, and school improvement teams. This book translates what social scientists…

Middle school educators face many challenges in today's education and political environment due to the focus on excellence as measured by achievement tests. This book discusses how middle schools can provide a strong standards-based academic program while, at the same time, remaining focused on the student-centered principles upon which the middle…