Developing positive school climates and improving school discipline policies and practices are critical steps to raising academic achievement and supporting student success. However, there is no single formula for doing so. Rather, the growing body of research and best practices in the field should inform locally developed approaches to improving…

This article describes the role of the headteacher (or principal) in successful implementation of ICT in schools. It highlights the importance of the headteacher to understand and lead the change process, and having a clear and shared ICT strategic plan. The article also explores the major factor of ICT progress, the continuous professional…

Never before has the need been so great for classroom teachers to become agents of change and position themselves as problem solvers at the school building level. Teachers are uniquely positioned to assume leadership roles on a variety of tasks that could transform schools from more traditional workplaces into professional learning communities.…

Assessment, particularly formative assessment, is critical to knowing how a student is performing academically and how best to support that student. Teachers, especially new teachers, need ongoing support in developing and using both summative and formative assessments as an integral part of their instructional practice. Written collaboratively by…

Schools cannot produce students as continuous learners and effective collaborators without teachers who possess those same characteristics. Learning organizations thrive on attention to staff orientation, curricular and/or interdisciplinary teams, peer observation, study groups, action research, school improvement task forces, professional…

Educators involved in staff development share insights about changes in the field over 25 years, discussing staff development as a professional function, reflections from a founder of the National Staff Development Council, professional advances, staff development as a major force for educational change, and blending individual development with…

The American Association of School Administrators is concerned that past federal professional development activities have centered on colleges and universities rather than on school districts where teaching and learning occur. When reexamining the Higher Education Act of 1965, Congress should fund only local initiatives aimed at quality change and…

Public schools must make available special education and related services to all IDEA-eligible (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) students with disabilities beginning at age three and through age 18. Services to students, ages 19, 20, and 21, are permissive. That means the decision to serve 19, 20 and 21-year-old students is determined…

The Improving America's Schools Act amends the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act making professional development a central component of its emphasis on improving teaching and learning through Titles I and II. A statement of principles of high quality professional development has been issued in support. (SLD)

The goals of greater involvement of teachers in their own staff development mirror those of quality adult education. If the further development of teachers as self-directed learners is facilitated by giving them both the time to make the transition to such methods and a chance to plan and implement professional-development projects, both teachers…

The use of an assessment center in identifying specific staff development needs of aspiring and practicing school principals was studied. The relationship between assessment center performance and subsequent staff development activities was studied by participant level (elementary, middle and junior high, and high school) and by participant…

Examines research about the effectiveness of professional development. Procedural guidelines drawn from research on individual and organizational change provide a framework for developing the optimal mix of professional development processes and technologies for specific contexts at particular points in time. The potential impact of implementing…

The primary purpose of this study was to empirically determine the relationship between staff acceptance of the Baldrige Model as a school improvement innovation and types of staff development. The secondary purpose was to establish from the literature the relationship between staff acceptance and school improvement. Professional development…

In 1965, the United States Congress established the Teacher Corps with the ultimate goal of broadening teacher preparation programs and improving educational opportunities for children from low-income families. The program requires that local projects incorporate characteristics that reflect current educational concerns. (JN)

A systematic way to create collaborative school improvement is provided. The currently expanding role of administrators as staff developers is explored; 10 strategies are listed for the principal to use as a key player in staff development. Two specific organization development problem-solving strategies, Situation-Target-Plan (S-T-P) and Force…