Research has shown that teachers have the greatest impact on student learning more than any other factor (Haycock, 1998). Thus, highly qualified and effective teachers are the most important resource for schools and districts in order to educate all students. In a time of increased accountability and alternatively certified teachers, effective and…

The requirement in the USA of the No Child Left Behind Act (2002) that every classroom has a highly qualified teacher, coupled with the current high-stakes testing environment, creates the need for all principals to be knowledgeable about quality staff development systems. One aspect of effective staff development is whether teachers adopt the…

Online education is used for a variety of purposes in higher education. Two such purposes are improving staff performance over time and allowing staff to obtain feedback about their professional skill development. Relying on data from online staff skill development courses delivered in five universities, this article explores online faculty…

Recognizing that student achievement is intrinsically linked to high-quality teaching, Jodi Peine offers an invaluable guide that helps educational leaders strengthen teachers' instructional practice with an individualized and robust professional development process. The author provides administrators and staff developers with step-by-step…

Eleven authors, writing from different vantage points and offering different kinds of expertise, were asked to respond to a teacher-initiated professional development activity. Researchers were chosen who hold very diverse views and conducted very different kinds of studies. Other professionals were also asked to respond. They included a classroom…

A study examined whether a correlation exists between the number of years of experience and professional development that a teacher has and the gain in the classroom's average of total reading scores. Teachers participating in the study were the instructors of the three fourth-grade units of a lower-to-middle class socioeconomic elementary school…

Many educators and policymakers find that deciding on the right staff-development program has become increasingly difficult. This brief, three-part monograph organizes staff-development objectives, models, and program-design features into an understandable, comprehensive framework. Part 1 advises readers on how to weigh a program's objectives.…

Findings from an evaluation of Grand Rapids' staff development program, the Effective Instruction initiative, are presented in this paper. The program consisted of inservice teacher training and practice, coaching, and feedback. The level of classroom implementation of program concepts and skills was assessed through pre- and post-observations of…

A series of five modules is designed to provide content and structure for staff development in classroom management techniques. Each module contains preview questions, module objectives, a number of instructional activities keyed to stated objectives, and a number of follow-up/review questions and activities. The five module topics are: teacher…

Describes six ways an English supervisor or any other instructional leader can reach beyond the school system to learn about current practices in the field. (HOD)

Describes the Southwest Texas Program for Improving Basic Skills Instruction in the Secondary Schools. It promotes a thoughtful, inquiry-oriented dialog between a university and six participating schools that encourages teachers to become more effective decision-makers. (MD)

Describes comprehensive "Program for More Effective Teaching" based on research into teacher behaviors conducive to learning. Emphasis is placed on assessing levels of difficulty, monitoring student progress, adjusting strategies, and practical application of learning principles. (TE)

This book uses a traditional focus of educational development (teaching and learning) to examine the theories and practices of staff development in Australasia. The initial chapter reviews the philosophical foundations of staff development, including the basis of the idea of development, along with the problems that concept raises. Chapter 2…

This paper rests on two propositions: that inservice training must radically change to result in the transfer of training to classroom practice, and that inservice training must be embedded in coherent school improvement programs in order for change to be sustained. Accordingly, the first section reviews three recent research studies designed to…

A teacher professional development program in Virginia identified 15 performance indicators of effective teaching. Teachers are given 5 years and 30 observations (during which only teacher strengths are documented) in which to demonstrate and assess their proficiency. Peer evaluations and monetary incentives are successfully utilized. (MLF)