Systems, structures, and practices perpetuate disparities because they reinforce barriers that sort and separate students based on assumed success or failure. When students are disadvantaged in this way, the implicit message is that their learning doesn't matter. The counterpoint to these discriminatory systems is an asset-based approach, which is…

Like many school districts across the nation, Solon (Ohio) City Schools is committed to improving the quality and depth of student learning while simultaneously fostering the growth of leadership in the district. To achieve these goals, the district is investing in sustained professional learning designed to build leadership among faculty and to…

The International Society for Performance Improvement has always been divided by two often-conflicting views of what its purpose or mission really is. Is it primarily technology focused (focusing on the development and promotion of the field) or member focused (focusing on members' interests and their professional development)? This difference in…

This article is written in response to a recent report on a review of teacher education in Scotland undertaken by Graham Donaldson (2011). In particular it questions the recommendation that engaging teachers in professional enquiry and research-informed teaching is the way forward for developing the professional capabilities required of "21st…

This research paper is about the role of the principal in enabling teacher leadership for pedagogical innovations and school improvement studied in two Innovative Designs for Enhancing Achievements in Schools (IDEAS) schools in Singapore and Australia over a 3-year period from 2005 to 2007. The research reported is based on the developing…

Chapters of this annual collection explore current and new trends in the field of faculty development. Chapters in the first section, "Faculty Development and Its Role in Institutional and National Crisis," are: (1) "September 11, 2001, as a Teachable Moment" (Edward Zlotkowski); (2) "The Day After: Faculty Behavior in Post-September 11, 2001,…

The chapters in this collection explore current and new trends in the field of faculty development. The first section is devoted to issues that will be of interest at the beginning of the 21st century. The second section considers how students learn and the roles faculty developers play in this process. Section 3 focuses on the faculty developer's…

An annual publication, "To Improve the Academy" offers a resource for improvement in higher education to faculty, instructional development staff, and administrators. The chapters of part 1, "Past, Present, and Future of SoTL," contains: (1) "The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: Past Lessons, Current Challenges, and Future Visions" (Kathleen…

When Palmdale School District and Pivot Learning Partners entered into their first contract in 2006, neither organization foresaw the magnitude and complexity the relationship would take over time. Pivot Learning Partners (formerly known as Springboard Schools) is a non-profit service provider that first entered the Palmdale School District…

Inspired by observation of a teacher-designed management studies program at an Irish secondary school, this paper demonstrates that whole school improvement is possible only after staff have acquired proficiency in the disciplines required of learning organizations. Free of externally imposed syllabi, teachers were forced to rethink, relearn, and…

This case study documents the evolution and implementation of the School Self Improvement Project, an experimental program carried out in two New York City high schools by the Coalition of Business and Education Collaboration (CBEC). Established in the mid 1970s, the program was one of nine at sites chosen by the Documentation and Technical…

Examination of instructional leadership organized into four sections: Reflections on school leadership, definitions of instructional leadership, reviews of two empirical studies on instructional leadership, and conclusions about the development of instructional leaders. (Contains 44 references.) (PKP)

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…

Explore how high-level users of ASCD's Understanding by Design (UbD) have applied this best-selling framework to improve both student achievement and organizational effectiveness. Incorporating advice and guidelines from educators throughout the United States, John Brown gives you a behind-the-scenes look at how they leverage UbD principles to…

The purpose of this article is to present the findings from some empirical research carried out in 2002 among 200 staff working in 13 secondary schools in South Wales, concerning their views of the management of professional development. The findings indicated many of the significant differences between staff were gender-based. Female staff…