Background: Although the influence of organizational culture has been examined on a variety of student outcomes, few studies consider the influence that culture may have on school-based obesity prevention interventions. We present a systematic review of the literature to examine how elements of organizational culture may affect the adoption,…

AASL's new integrated standards are designed to empower leaders to transform teaching and learning. The new "National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries" reflect an evolution of AASL Standards, building on philosophical foundations and familiar elements of previous standards while featuring the…

This article is a tribute to the writings of Dr. Roland Barth through a personal story spanning over two decades. It explores Dr. Barth's personal vision of an effective school through recent brain-based principles. It revisits Barth's axioms and uses recent implications from the neurosciences as new supporting evidence for their success in…

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 report summarizes results from a survey of AISD campus-based parent support specialists who reported the numbers of parents and parent involvement activities at their schools for 2011-2012. [Funding for this report was provided by district Title I funds.]

This article discusses how the author, together with his fellow teachers at Gilbert Public School District, effectively links professional development to teacher practice and student learning. With the help of the team at My Learning Plan Inc., a professional development management and evaluation system, they are taking initial steps to gauge the…

Presents an inventive approach to professional development in early childhood education and care settings. Focuses on how early childhood programs shape the stories of individual children, the importance of planning physical environments to shape stories and remembering the power of the social-emotional environment, and the need to include…

An evaluation of participation patterns at the Westchester Principals' Center (NY) is discussed. Fifteen principals were interviewed. Findings are presented on levels of participation in professional development activities; program preferences; and the impact of personal beliefs and values, prior experience, and district context. (IAH)

This article describes a professional development six-part model based on a holistic approach which assumes that educators' professional behavior is not influenced by a single factor in their professional environment, but by the totality of their educational and professional experience. (IAH)

This paper describes two case studies that assessed the effects of staff training in schools participating in the accelerated schools model (Levin 1990). The model stresses the importance of total school-community involvement and shared decision making during all stages of the acceleration process. The two schools included a middle school (grades…

A description is given of a client-based approach to staff development that emphasizes ongoing professional growth and learning for teachers. The underlying assumptions of the program are that teachers possess important clinical expertise, and that professional learning is an adaptive, heuristic process that is long-term and nonlinear. The program…

A successful program for staff development focused on moral development will view teachers as growing adults who will become more professional and successful as they are provided with a work environment that demands choice, automony, dialogue, and reflection. Such a working environment comes from the close collaboration of the administrator, the…

Examined a staff development program implemented in 2 elementary schools that focused on the beliefs and understandings about reading comprehension instruction of 12 teachers in grades 4-6. Results suggested that group collaboration and empowerment were strongly affected by the interaction of school culture and the staff development process…

This paper reviews the components of three critical dimensions that must be considered during the implementation of distance learning processes: essential conditions, educational consensus about teaching and learning, and telecommunications technology capacity. These dimensions lay the foundation that affects future decisions about school…

The Montana Behavioral Initiative (MBI) was developed in 1995 in response to increased incidents of student behavior problems. The intent of MBI is to improve educational environments to meet the needs of all students, including those with behavioral challenges. Each participating school conducts needs assessments and develops site-specific goals…