The School Improvement Specialist Project prepared seven modules. School improvement specialists, as defined by the Appalachia Educational Laboratory at Edvantia, are change agents who work with schools to help them improve in the following areas so as to increase student achievement. These modules are intended to provide training materials for educators seeking professional development to prepare them for a new level of work. Module 1--Shared Leadership Module 2--Learning Culture Module 3--School-Family-Community Connections Module 4--Effective Teaching Module 5--Shared Goals for Learning Module 6--Aligned and Balanced Curriculum Module 7--Purposeful Student Assessment Each module has three sections: (1) Standards: Each set of content standards and performance indicators helps school improvement specialists assess their skills and knowledge related to each topic. The rubric format provides both a measurement for self-assessment and goals for self improvement. (2) Improving Schools. These briefs provide research-and practice-based information to help school improvement specialists consider how they might address strengths and weaknesses in the schools where they work. The information contained in the briefs is often appropriate for sharing with teachers and principals; each includes information about strategies and practices that can be implemented in schools, resources to be consulted for more information, tools for facilitating thinking about and working on school issues, and real-life stories from school improvement specialists who offer their advice and experiences. (3) Literature Review: The reviews of research literature summarize the best available information about the topic of each module. They can be used by school improvement specialists to expand their knowledge base and shared with school staffs as part of professional development activities. This matrix assesses the extent to which a school improvement specialist has the knowledge and skills to be following as teachers align practice with research on effective teaching, (2) teachers actively engage students in a variety of learning tasks, (3) teachers pose questions that encourage reflection and higher-order thinking, (4) teachers expect students to think critically, and (5) teachers use teaching strategies designed to motivate students. [This document was produced by the Appalachia Educational Laboratory at Edvantia, formerly the Appalachian Educational Laboratory (AEL, Inc.).]