Two veteran staff developers explore the challenges and lessons learned as they served as volunteer change facilitators on the school improvement teams in their children's schools. The article examines why they became involved, what they hoped to accomplish, what obstacles they encountered, what they accomplished, and what they learned. (SM)

This paper profiles Anna Steffin, principal of a Canadian elementary school, who has built a community of learners among her teachers and encourages quality staff development, collegiality, parent participation, and parent teacher cooperation. She promotes her beliefs by being an active participant in all activities. (SM)

The Eugene (Oregon) Cadre develops school teams that can work together toward common goals. This volunteer group of teachers, administrators, staff, and parents is trained in organizational development. The paper describes the cadre and summarizes practices it has found useful in working with groups to promote teaming and collegiality. (SM)

Details specific ways to describe progress in the school improvement process (SIP) to first-level stakeholders (students and educators) and second-level stakeholders (parents, administrators, school board members, and community members). The paper illustrates such reporting by describing use of assessment information in relation to the Middle…

Five schools and districts recognized by the United States Department of Education for excellence in professional development used student needs to guide staff learning. This paper describes each model, noting common key practices (e.g., plans are based on student achievement, community support is crucial, site-based decision making is used, local…

Describes how a task force of parents, teacher educators, and community agency and public school personnel were supported in the inclusion process through a one-year Institute on Inclusion. The paper examines this adult development effort, noting that surveys of participants indicated that effective development increased their comfort level with…