For the past 12 years, the author has worked with peer coaches in more than 40 countries, and has seen schools where peer coaches have collaborated with colleagues to improve teaching and learning in classrooms across the school. In other schools, coaches have played a critical role in creating a culture of collaboration that helps build the…

A Texas district shows what can be done when school-based staff developers work with teachers dedicated to improvement--student achievement improves in just one year. The author points out the factors that helped make it work and offers tips for traps to avoid. (Contains 10 charts.)

Extensive practice and research in program evaluation have led to this eight-step process that a professional developer can use to determine a program's effectiveness and strengthen the program as it evolves. An unbiased, systematic process of evaluation can help justify putting resources into professional learning and make it easier to determine…