Practical strategies for school administrators will help ensure that coaches are able to work most effectively.

A principal describes her role in fostering an atmosphere of collegiality and experimentation so that teachers could become their own staff developers. (Author/MT)

Today's staff developers juggle eight roles as their work has broadened to incorporate more responsibility and accountability for continuous changes in educational programs. The eight often-overlapping roles are trainer/designer, coach, resource provider, program manager, consultant, task facilitator, process facilitator, and catalyst for change.…

How educators think about and use time is woven into school cultures. School leaders must learn to read the culture and focus staff development on cultural issues affecting how people use time. This paper discusses cultures that nurture and wound and describes how to shape more nurturing cultures (read the school's culture, assess views of time,…

Differences between novice teachers and experienced newcomers are explored, and objectives are presented for staff development programs in which principals facilitate the induction of experienced newcomers. (Author)

Educators leading restructuring efforts must recognize five roles people play in the change process (trailblazers, pioneers, settlers, stay-at-homes, and saboteurs) and provide training, encouragement, and support differentially for each role. The article examines four questions that must be answered to move the restructuring process forward…

A model staff development program used at Bristol Eastern High School, Connecticut, suggests a role for principals to play in promoting and maintaining a professional development program with significant faculty involvement. It involves opportunities for teachers to interact with one another via sharing sessions, peer observations, and committee…

Results are reported from a study of Wisconsin teachers and principals who were surveyed to identify factors which motivate teachers and principals to engage in continuing professional development. The study also examined the school principal's role in supporting teachers' continuing professional development. (IAH)

Profiles Virginia Aguilar, a high school principal who, with her staff, has been exploring and implementing changes and improvements in response to state mandates. The paper describes improvement efforts by the school district and how Aguilar's school makes use of them. Aguilar's encouragement of participative decision making is discussed. (SM)

Three approaches an assistant superintendent might take to correct discipline problems at an elementary school characterized by weak administrative leadership are discussed. The approaches focus on: (1) professional development for the principal; (2) teacher improvement; and (3) cooperation among parents and school personnel. (PP)

The article examines four basic elements of staff development needed to manage the changes in educational systems today and in the future: multidimensional professional development for all staff, decentralized performance-based systems, understanding and implementing the change process, and the changing role of the staff developer. (SM)

Explains how the role of staff developer is shifting from setting the agenda for professional growth to helping individuals and schools set their own agenda, advising them on how to carry out their plans, and encouraging them to move forward. (GLR)

A nationwide survey of teachers and administrators showed how central administration can facilitate school-based improvement. Results revealed eight practices that respondents believed helped facilitate the implementation of school-based improvement. Practices related to goals and planning, policy and procedures, staff development, recognition and…

The article describes how Susan Derse, principal of a Seattle high school, works with her school to facilitate and encourage change, focusing on her approach to staff development. Ms. Derse uses a collaborative, participatory style of leadership that allows plenty of time for teachers to meet and work together. (SM)

Explains the complexities of promoting school change and how they can be minimized through the effective use of facilitators. Six complexities of school change are examined based on the experiences of Georgia's League of Professional Schools. Also discussed is the question of who should facilitate. (GLR)