Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) are an important teaching resource to universities. Most GTAs enter graduate school with limited if any teaching experience but are given the responsibility of teaching numerous sections of introductory courses. GTA professional development (PD) is essential for the formation and preparation of these novice…

Principals shape the academic setting of schools. Yet, there is limited evidence on whether principal professional development improves schooling outcomes. Beginning in 2008-2009, Pennsylvania's Inspired Leadership (PIL) induction program required that newly hired principals complete targeted in-service professional development tied to newly…

Effective implementation of entrepreneurship education requires more than government policy to enable teachers and leaders to implement the content and pedagogy required for successful and innovative programmes to occur in schools. This paper provides an up-to-date literature review of research into the characteristics of teachers and school…

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of professional development in co-teaching on teacher self-efficacy amongst general and special education rural high school teachers. A causal-comparative research design was used to survey 256 rural high school teachers from the South and Midwest regions of the U.S. to measure their self-efficacy…

Widespread adoption of Response to Intervention (RtI) requires large numbers of educators to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to implement the model with fidelity. This study examined relationships between large-scale professional development on RtI and educators' perceived skills. Elementary educators (n = 4,283) from 34 pilot and 27…

The teacher quality gap is even more severe for English language learners than it is for low-income students and students of color, because a "highly qualified" teacher of ELLs must have special skills and abilities, write Gándara and Santibañez in this article. The authors examine how well prepared today's teachers are to provide…

This article examines the effectiveness of action research as a continuous professional development (CPD) tool. The aim of the CPD programme was to support 14 community-based Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) centres in Ireland to improve quality in their settings through the implementation of the national quality and curriculum frameworks…

Connecticut's System for Educator Evaluation and Development (SEED) has required the practice of classroom observations to ensure school leaders regularly monitor instruction in their schools and districts. However, literature suggests the use of non-evaluative, less formal classroom observations may also provide school leaders' with opportunities…

Data from a recent study show that investing in science teachers' professional growth and teaching ability is a wise choice. However, the professional development must have the right content (the science discipline that teachers are actually teaching), at the right time (when they are assigned to teach that science discipline), and in a stable…

The purpose of this study was to examine whether there was a significant increase in the reading achievement during second- and third-grade of the 12 students who attended Midway Elementary Professional Development School (PDS) from kindergarten through fifth grade. Additionally, the study was seeking a possible relationship between the in-service…

Despite the complexity of teaching, learning to teach in universities is often "learning by doing". To provide novice university teachers with pedagogic teaching knowledge and to help them develop specific teaching objectives, we created a structured, video-based, one-year training program. In focusing on the core features of…

This paper is a report of the impact of an externally funded, multiyear systemic reform project on students' science achievement on a modified version of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) test in 33 small, rural school districts in two Midwest states. The systemic reform effort utilized a cascading leadership strategy…

The 2006-11 Regional Educational Laboratory Appalachia at CNA conducted a rigorous evaluation of the Kentucky Virtual Schools hybrid algebra I curriculum. The curriculum combines traditional face-to-face instruction with an online program. This study used a two-cohort sample with 25 high schools in year 1 (SY 07/08: 13 treatment and 12 control)…

This article describes the successful stories of the Early Mathematics Education Project at Erikson Institute in Chicago. It intends to address three questions related to the project's work: What is the purpose and scope of the program? How does the program work to enhance the mathematical competence of early childhood teachers? What are the…

An evidence-based approach to professional development used to promote Head Start teacher adoption of evidence-based early childhood intervention practices is described. The article, includes a summary of findings from a meta-analysis of adult learning methods, a description of an approach to professional development informed by the meta-analysis…