Communities of practice have become important tools for districts striving to improve teacher quality in a way that improves student outcomes, but scaling the benefits of these communities requires a more rigorous, intentional approach. That's why Learning Forward, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, created the Redesign PD…

Engaging educators in learning communities to apply a cycle of continuous improvement is not easy. Schedules, levels of expertise, and district initiatives can easily derail a campus professional learning plan, but Alyssa Toomes was concerned that professional learning experiences would become just another chore to check off teachers' to-do lists.…

A professional learning plan establishes short-and long-term plans for professional learning and implementation of the learning. Such plans guide individuals, schools, districts, and states in coordinating learning experiences designed to achieve outcomes for educators and students. Professional learning plans focus on the program of educator…

The author spends a lot of time thinking about good professional learning vs. typical professional development. Based on her 20-plus years of experience, as well as a bit of inspiration from Reuben Duncan, assistant superintendent in School Administrative Unit 29 in Keene, N.H., she shares what she considers to be the ten best ways to waste…

A fundamental problem that continues to plague educators is the achievement gap between low-income and higher-income students. In the ongoing search for solutions, one of the more promising approaches is expanding opportunities for learning, particularly in the summer. This article describes a project funded by The Wallace Foundation that offers…

In April 2011, the Journal of Staff Development (JSD) published "Lessons from Bhutan: Embrace cultural differences to effect change" (Levine, Telsey, & McCormack, 2011), which described the experiences of several U.S. educators who learned their own transformative lessons while leading professional learning in special education…

Community has taken on a new meaning for several school-based coaches spread across Indonesia. For far too long in developing countries, educators have been forced to rely on one-shot centralized professional development for teachers and those who work with them. A shortage of money, locally trained staff, and access to learning materials has made…

Collaboration is critical for accomplishing difficult tasks. As with a kitchen remodel, shared responsibility and collegiality toward a common goal of increased student learning begin with a shared vision. In this article, the author discusses the importance of collaboration and how it guides and reinforces the work one does in schools.

Network learning supported by 21-century technology is reweaving the fabric of how educators acquire and create new knowledge. At the Alaska Educational Innovations Network (AEIN), educators believe this has the potential to change how a profession looks at professional development. They have learned that using technology to support networks…

Mentor systems benefit beginning teachers, the school district, the students, and experienced teachers. Research and the Utah Teacher Evaluation Project suggest a number of essential characteristics of a mentoring system, which are discussed. (MT)

This article describes the role of the advisor in a staff development project and how advisors facilitate projects by providing support, clarification, materials, creative ideas, and structure. Recommendations regarding the use of advisors are made. (MT)

The impact of cooperative learning on students has been documented, but the outcome of increased collegiality among teachers has been overlooked. This article describes cooperative learning training and follow-up programs in two school districts set up to ensure that consistent and deliberate interaction occurs among teachers. (MT)

The mastery learning model called "Essentials, Correctives, and Enrichment" was adopted in the fall of 1982 in one elementary school in Goochland County, Virginia. The experiment has been expanded to all county elementary schools and is currently being implemented in the junior and senior high schools. (MT)

An already existing professional development structure composed of a steering committee on policy, curriculum coordinators, and building-level staff development associates enabled the Greenwich (Connecticut) Public Schools to plan and carry out staff development in computer literacy. Responsiveness and flexibility are key elements of the program.…

This article reviews recent research on successful evaluation, highlights differences between supervision and evaluation, and discusses alternative philosophies regarding supervision, teaching, and change. Suggestions are presented for staff developers to use in helping a school district to clarify what it believes and to select programs congruent…