This paper describes an instructional improvement approach which aims to assist educational systems to enhance their capabilities to plan and implement effective improvements in their basic skills programs, and illustrates how research on implementation and dissemination is used in the design and development of the approach. Four elements of the…

This study was commissioned by the California Community Colleges System Office to identify effective practices in basic skills programs. The Center for Student Success (CSS), which is affiliated with the Research and Planning (RP) Group for California Community Colleges, was selected to conduct the study. There are three major components of the…

Effective professional learning requires that staff developers thoughtfully plan to meet varying teacher needs and be responsive to differences--that they model the differentiation teachers will practice in the classroom. Staff developers must be mindful of participants' current learning needs and plan according to their readiness, interest, and…