The occupation of teaching has many of the characteristics of a profession. It was once a calling that had the same degree of respect given to members of the clergy, but somewhere in the evolution of teaching in the United States, that sense of respect has been diminished, especially by policymakers who impose punitive actions when students fail…

Drawing from a wealth of research and experience, this book shows educators how to use the transformative power of professional learning in community to raise the professional stature of educators. The authors, experts in their field, provide clear steps and real-school examples with a focus on collaborative adult learning for student gains,…

Studying one's profession, especially when done in community with others, where the learning is richer and deeper, has not been the norm in the education community. Educators typically have been physically isolated from each other because of the structure of school facilities and the schedules that dominate the school day. This physical isolation…

This paper presents findings of a study that investigated the strategies that educational leaders use to implement change, the characteristics they bring to their role, and the contextual factors that influence their efforts toward change. The urban elementary school described in this paper was selected as one of five school sites in five states…

Approaches that schools can use to create a high-quality, professional, working community are provided in this journal issue. The report uses a case study to illustrate the process. A review of research reveals at least five major dimensions of the professional learning community: supportive and shared leadership, collective learning and…

This paper analyzes the collaboration between the University of Texas Research and Development Center for Teacher Education and two school systems. The researchers ranked each school district according to seven Stages of Concern. School System A was inner-oriented, with strong personal and management concerns, while School System B was…