This author contends that there are four key ingredients to a growth mindset in schools: observation, dialog, feedback, and investment. In addition, teachers and supervisors need to be jointly invested in the growth mindset of the school. The author suggests that if a school is considering a new faculty evaluation system, it is crucial that…

Creating an engaged campus is a process that takes support, resources, and programs from all levels of a college or university campus. While some may argue that sustainable change is only possible when directed by university administration, others counter that nothing is sustainable if faculty and staff are not empowered to implement the programs.…

Many times distance education policy is created after an institution has already begun offering online courses and programs. In addition, faculty members may be left out of the discussions about and creation of distance education policy, yet expected to willingly teach online courses. A recent study exploring faculty perceptions of the distance…

Middle-level instructional teams promote feelings of belonging and enhance student academic and social growth, teacher job satisfaction, mission clarity, and instructional program strength. A survey of Ohio middle-school teachers and principals disclosed four components promoting successful team development: including all participants in teamwork…

Most schools need to review and revise disciplinary rules each year, but good administrator never publishes list of rules that have not been endorsed by "significant others" on staff or in community. By starting process in April or May, instead of August, the principal has several months to secure the necessary endorsements and involve parents.…

Early career special educators must be engaged in conversations with developers of preservice teacher preparation programs to co-construct initial teacher education programs which meet their needs. The process of listening to the teachers themselves could serve to ensure that teachers are an explicit element of program design. This article…

This report describes the development of the competency-based education system currently used in the Newport-Mesa (California) Unified School District. The system's four stages of development--covering philosophy, competencies, assessment, and curriculum--stretched over 15 years, and the philosophical impetus for developing such a system took root…

The Teacher Center Program (Washington, D.C.) provides an environment where teachers may come to work on materials or projects for their classrooms, take courses for recertification credit, college credit, or enrichment, and take graduate level courses. Chapter one of this evaluation report on the Teacher Center Program describes the background of…

The dissemination to 125 schools of a secondary individualized reading program created by P. K. Yonge Laboratory School was accomplished by a workshop and by the formation into implementation teams of persons responsible for different levels of decisions. Evaluations support the use of this team-based change strategy. (SJL)

Before a general education (GE) program is initiated or assessed, a solid institutional foundation should exist, including a philosophy and definitions regarding GE. At Ohio's Sinclair Community College, the institutional foundation included a college-wide Assessment Steering Committee charged with developing a comprehensive assessment plan for…

Describes an assistant superintendent's experience in developing and implementing similar school reform plans in two high school settings. The less affluent but more successful school tied its restructuring plans to Coalition of Essential Schools principles. The key elements for success were energy, vision, and faculty and community commitment.…

Steps taken by a university to develop a successful and meaningful inservice teacher education program for public school teachers are described. Development of this program involves cooperative effort from several different sources. Faculty members, as part of their teaching load, are assigned to educational support teams that help school…

Drawing from research and practice, this article describes some benefits of interdisciplinary curriculum, identifies implementation barriers, and underscores the principal's pivotal role. Each principal must be visionary and knowledgeable; function as cheerleader and coach; and provide opportunities for teachers, students, and parents to develop…

The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics and perceived effectiveness of staff development practices in selected high schools in South Dakota. The review of literature and research related to staff development examined the following questions: What types of staff development practices are being employed to encourage and…

The author concludes from his survey that inner-city classroom teachers find in-service programs to be irrelevant and useless if they are not based on the needs of the teachers and if teachers have little or no input in their development. (Editor)