Teachers have an important influence on pupils' academic progress, yet the quality of teaching varies widely. Policymakers, school leaders, and teacher educators therefore face the challenge of designing and commissioning professional development (PD) to help all their teachers become as effective as the best teachers. In the last two decades, a…

In the summer of 2012, thousands of teachers across the United States attended several days of professional development workshops. The workshops, which focused on the Common Core State Standards, were part of a Tennessee Department of Education initiative in teacher leadership. The department recruited and trained 200 highly-effective teachers to…

A well-conceived and effective faculty development program should focus on individual as well as institutional development, so that the environment encourages and supports both individuals and groups. Eleven institutional and four individual and group strategies for making development efforts effective are outlined. (MSE)

An approach to college faculty development based on the perceived needs of the faculty is recommended over the traditional faculty development approach for its capacity to accommodate varied needs and changing circumstances. A concerns-based program model in place at Massey University (New Zealand) is offered as illustration. (Author/MSE)

A study was conducted to determine the important components of a comprehensive staff development program. To guide the investigation, a paradigm was constructed which identified the content areas of staff development as personal/professional, program/instructional, and organizational development; and which specified a statement of purpose or…

The University of Cincinnati (Ohio) teaching and learning center recently offered a day-long workshop on pedagogical productivity entitled "Teaching Well, Saving Time." One-sixth of the faculty applied; over 100 were turned away. This experience illustrates that faculty can and will contribute to increasing pedagogical productivity,…

The staff development program at the University of New South Wales (Australia) differs from traditional university programs in that it integrates professional development activities for both general and academic staff. The Professional Development Centre operates as an academic unit and performs both teaching and research functions. (MSE)

This comprehensive guide discusses how to design staff development in science and math. It is tailored specifically to the needs of individual schools or departments. Vignettes from real schools illustrate concepts within the book. The book provides 15 strategies for professional development and describes each one with its underlying assumptions…

Consistent with educational reform efforts, the Quality Performance Assessment (QPA) Process Module was designed to disseminate information about the QPA Process, and to be a training vehicle so that members of the Kansas State Board of Education Outcomes Education Team and the Kansas education community might have the knowledge base necessary to…

One institution's experience in developing and implementing a freshman program is translated into suggestions for others, addressing such issues as faculty involvement, openness of discussion, program objectives, costs, faculty development, experimentation, and mistakes. (MSE)

A program of incentives must respond to the various aspirations faculty members have at different stages of their careers. Careful monitoring and interpretation of changes in faculty ability, interest, and behavior can aid the institution in improving the person-environment fit. (Author/MSE)

An effective staff development program for rural teachers will have identified the needs to be met, will incorporate good management principles, and will make use of a variety of resources--the community itself, nonprofessional staff, business and industry, and shared teaching efforts. Distinctive staff development needs of rural teachers may…

A study of two colleges investigated whether posttenure college faculty evaluation is a feasible option for faculty revitalization and development. Results suggest posttenure review may be beneficial for institutions and faculty, but will have little effect on faculty performance. Further examination of posttenure review is recommended. (MSE)

A faculty development workshop program at Southeast Missouri State University is designed to introduce faculty to the importance, techniques, and applications of classroom research, to expose faculty to prospective research project sponsors, and to discuss development of qualitative research proposals. Providing faculty with such opportunities is…

In the University of California (Davis) Program in College Teaching, graduate teaching assistants develop and fulfill contractual agreements for faculty-guided investigations into their disciplines, with supporting individualized activities about practices and issues of college teaching. Aspects of the program's development and effectiveness are…