Program managers frequently put staff training near the top of their lists of ongoing challenges. The mix of diverse, complex training needs in many programs means managers may be responsible for orienting new staff, implementing new administrative procedures, or facilitating steps toward long-term program improvement. The greatest underlying…

The Birth-to-Three Equity Initiative launched in April 2015 as a multiyear systems change process to strengthen equitable access, services, and child and family outcomes in the "early intervention" system in Martin Luther King County, Washington. This article describes the training of agency leaders and "equity facilitators"…

School inspection, school self-evaluation and the relationship between them are important themes in current educational policy debates. Many education systems are seeking to find a balance between the, at times, conflicting demands for a robust, transparent and effective system of school evaluation that at the same time allows for professional…

Transforming an entire district from one that is satisfied with being academically good enough into one keenly focused on improved student performance requires overhaul that reaches from end to end, from building to building, from bottom to top. Leaders in Birdville Independent School District in Fort Worth, Texas, learned that applying five…

Long considered by its community and the Richmond County Schools' district administration "the worst middle school in the distict," the school (unnamed in the study) began a process of change in spring 1987. The instructional staff embraced a schoolwide staff development program designed to help both student achievement and school…

Applies Stephen Covey's "seven habits of highly effective people" to creating stronger, more effective middle school teams. Presents ideas for implementing a flexible staff development plan for learning about and how to practice Covey's seven habits. Asserts that highly effective middle level teams will build highly effective students.…

Some schools struggle to implement comprehensive school reform, whereas others succeed. The difference usually is that the successful schools use a combination of effective change strategies. This issue lists six strategies for change that can nearly guarantee success: (1) developing an atmosphere and context conducive to change; (2) developing…

According to one survey, good elementary schools have a strong sense of purpose and are committed to teamwork and staff development. A school board can instigate major improvements by developing a clearly stated policy affirming district commitment to sound early childhood education practices. A sidebar summarizes five characteristics of good…

The creation of a teacher-researcher community among educators developing a literacy curriculum for students with mild disabilities in the primary grades is discussed. Six categories of discourse among the teachers and researchers are considered, and findings that might usefully guide collaborative research are discussed. (SW)

The branches of experiential education are many, but they all derive from a common philosophy and approach to learning that values hands-on experiences and centers on the learner. Encouraging the broader implementation of experiential learning requires that the field be interpreted to initiates down to its roots. In the case of whole-school…

A school district planned and implemented site-based management. Schools developed ad hoc committees (AHCs) and created school management teams and plans. The AHCs effectively allowed school faculties to have input and involvement in developing management plans. The more they employed team building, the greater the impact on intended outcomes. (SM)

This guide is the second in a series of guidelines designed to be a framework for positive action at the school site and in the classroom through the High Schools That Work (HSTW) program, an effort to raise the achievement of career-bound students. It focuses on site-tested ways to organize new teams and rejuvenate existing teams. It recommends a…

A true leader is not grounded in control, but believes in shared decision making and power. Today's principals should develop leadership skills in others and let them help lead school reform. A Carrollton, Texas high school formed a leadership team comprising staff, students, parents, and the community. (MLH)

Professional learning is necessary for a school or district to achieve its goals. It's logical, then, that professional development plans should not exist separately from school improvement plans. To be comprehensive, professional development plans must be integrated with improvement plans to produce a systematic effort that is results-driven,…

This book presents a design for initiating, implementing, and institutionalizing a consultation-based service delivery system in school settings, based on the Instructional Consultation Teams (IC-Teams) model. It brings together the literature on school consultation and school change, for practitioners in general and special education and in…