A well-designed professional development program can help first- and second-year faculty thrive in their new academic environment. Faculty developers must consider the length and frequency of such programs and their focus; requirements for participation; the role of mentors; ways to establish collegiality; and opportunities for developing the…

The problem addressed by this project study was low levels of adjunct faculty compliance and satisfaction with the professional development program at a local college. The purpose of the study was to determine if an alternative delivery method would yield higher levels of compliance and satisfaction than would a traditional professional…

This article reviews teacher professional development norms as they are shifting toward collaborative practice. It is posed that passive and individual practices are inadequate to prepare teachers to integrate the academic skills that learners need for both workforce and college readiness. Promising practices in professional development are…

While numerous scholars have investigated the role of mentoring in the success of women of color in faculty positions, few have examined how mentoring affects the development of women leaders of color in higher education. Using qualitative data gathered from interviews with women leaders of color at Hispanic-serving institution, this study…

The purpose of this study was to determine teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of the professional development that they received to implement the Charlotte Danielson Framework for Teaching Model in South Dakota. The population for this study was K-12 teachers from 12 pilot schools selected by the Department of Education (DOE) in South…

Technology purchased for use in the classroom often goes unused. We identify a primary reason for the lack of technology integration as ineffectively developed professional development opportunities for teachers. Then we recommend a sustained, administrative-supported and mentor-supported approach to professional development as an alternative to…

Two recent studies by Biancarosa et al. and by Saunders et al. have finally demonstrated that "job-embedded, sustained professional development" can significantly improve student achievement. But there's a catch. In both studies, effective professional development (PD) strategies were successful only under certain circumstances or only in some…

The Kent School District in Kent, Washington, adopted the use of video study groups (VSGs) during the 2008-09 school year to help teachers apply research-based strategies to support struggling math students. This form of embedded professional development has been around since the 1960s but is getting renewed attention because video equipment is…

When a coach empathetically listens to another person's ideas, thoughts, and concerns, the coach communicates that the other person's life is important and meaningful. This may be the most important service that a coach can provide. (Knight, 2007, p.43) This study explored whether instructional coaches that completed the 20-hour…

Differentiating instruction for individual students has been shown to enhance achievement, and professional development has been shown to be an effective method of teacher training. The purpose of this project study was to assess teachers' tolerance for and acceptance of professional development for differentiated instruction in a suburban high…

Elementary principals (48) and elementary teachers (57) prioritized 24 possible professional growth methods. Supporting previous research, first priority item was "workshops at schools." Other highly rated methods were observation of other teachers, classroom demonstrations, participation in curriculum development, and personal analysis of…

The development of a comprehensive training model designed specifically for school-based decision making is discussed in this report, with a focus on teaching relevant skills and when to utilize them. Loosely based on Vroom and Yetton's 1973 model of participative decision making, the model is characterized by a general-to-specific continuum and…

Provides strategies to help teachers develop their self awareness and voice about what they know in the following knowledge areas: (1) self knowledge; (2) child development knowledge; and (3) knowledge about individual children and families. Suggests that these strategies help teachers consolidate their knowledge and develop professionally. (SD)

This article analyses the nature of learning in three long-term professional development approaches from different disciplines--teacher research as used in educational contexts, action learning as used in business contexts, and problem-based learning as used in medical contexts. The lens used for analysis focuses on three dimensions or influences…

This evaluation report of the Staff Developmnent Program in Science, Mathematics, and Computer Science for 1984-85 contains four chapters. Chapter 1 describes program background and objectives, the scope of the evaluation, and evaluation procedures. These procedures included: (1) memoranda announcing programs; (2) project documents; (3) course…