An evaluation is provided of the staff development efforts of Reading Area Community College (RACC). First, introductory material explains the methods used to evaluate the work of RACC's Professional Support Committee, which included training seminars, conferences, and workshops. Next, three members of the Professional Support Committee provide…

This report presents an evaluation of an individualized professional development program, the Professional Support Program, created at the Reading Area Community College (RACC) in Pennsylvania to provide a climate within which academic faculty and professional staff may enrich their personal and professional capacities to teach students…

The ENVISION professional development model is designed to enhance teachers' understanding of environmental science concepts, inquiry, and inquiry teaching. In essence, teachers learn environmental science content, learn about scientific inquiry, and learn about how to teach science through inquiry. Further, participants are responsible for…

This evaluation determined the workability of the Northeast Ohio Principals Academy Pilot Entry Year Program, noting the differential effects of its major components in developing portfolios and as a contributing factor to school improvement. The program provides leadership and support to beginning principals, provides collaborative learning…

The Effective Practice (EP) schools are 26 Boston Public Schools (Massachusetts) that have demonstrated high levels of implementation of some of the essentials of whole-school improvement. In 2001-2002, these schools took on the implementation of Collaborative Coaching and Learning (CCL), a new coaching strategy for professional development. The…

A well-planned formal mentor program established for continuous peer support is the ideal system for both tenured and untenured faculty. A Pennsylvania program has six full-time mentors to help teachers during and after school. The program is rooted in the concepts and practices of peer coaching, counseling, and support. Mentors' qualifications,…

Presents some different perspectives related to the concerns raised regarding the current state of the business communication discipline. Suggests a plan to enhance the stability of business communication within higher education, one that the author hopes can also make professional lives more fulfilling. Suggests that business educators guard the…

In the study of the Technology Immersion model, high-need middle schools were "immersed" in technology by providing laptops for each teacher and student, instructional and learning resources, professional development, and technical and pedagogical support. This article reports third-year findings for the teacher component of the…

This is the fourth report of a process evaluation of Palm Beach County Prime Time, Inc., an intermediary organization dedicated to improving the quality of afterschool programs, by Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago. It covers the 2007-2008 program year, which was the inaugural year of Prime Time's formal Quality Improvement System (QIS)…

This book serves as a reference to help prepare and support effective math content coaches. It provides insight into the leadership skills necessary to mentor other teachers, establish collaborative teacher teams, influence school culture positively, and improve student achievement. Contents include: (1) Examining the Role of a Math Content Coach;…

In this paper we examine the degree to which recent research and writing about professional development school activity indicates progress toward fulfilling the professional development school model's commitment to providing equitable educational opportunities and outcomes, especially from a critical pedagogy perspective. Our review of 95 papers…

The Duke University School Research Partnership (SRP) Office was developed with support from the Office of the Provost and the Center for Child and Family Policy. Begun in 2006 as the Duke Office for Research in Schools (DORIS), the SRP Office is an integral part of the work of the Center for Child and Family Policy. The SRP Office facilitates…

Each edition of the IDRA Newsletter strives to provide many different perspectives on the issues in education topics discussed and to define its significance in the state and national dialogue. This issue focuses on Enlightened Public Policy and includes: (1) The Status of School Finance Equity in Texas (Albert Cortez); and (2) Disciplinary…

This paper outlines the policy and pedagogical outcomes of an AP(E)L Pilot Project in the social care sector undertaken as an element of the 2003-2005 Socrates-Grundtvig Research Project: VaLEx Valuing Learning from Experience, by the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) and the Open Training College (OTC). It deals with the experiences of the two…

This paper describes the District of Columbia's progress in implementing a comprehensive and coherent approach to education reform from the time of application through June 30, 2011. In particular, this report highlights key accomplishments over the reporting period in the four reform areas: standards and assessments, data systems to support…