This paper reports on research evaluating a faculty development program, Creating a Collaborative Learning Environment (CCLE), at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The study combined a contextual study to examine historical data and three case studies with participant verification. CCLE is a voluntary professional development program designed…

This study investigated whether vertical (grade level sequence) alignment of the curriculum in conjunction with teacher collaboration would enhance student performance on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) test in south Texas school districts of various sizes. Surveys were mailed to the office of the superintendent of 47 school…

In 1989, Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS) implemented the Study of Teaching (TST), a staff development program for administrators and teachers to promote professional collegiality. A 3-year evaluation of program implementation in the Germany Region for the Office of Dependents Education was undertaken. This report documents…

What elements are critical in fostering the engagement of two individuals in a mentoring relationship? Based on this phenomenological research on the mentoring experiences of women faculty, a feeling of connection emerged as an essential attribute of these relationships. The findings suggest that HRD professionals should be engaged in providing…

This paper discusses how the authors' department curricula, classroom environments, and ultimately student learning might be improved by "high tech" assessment and evaluation techniques to find out "what people really care about." Collaborative technologies are used to gather and process the opinions of students, faculty, and…

This document is a resource developed for educators trained in the Professional Learning Team (PLT) process by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL). The PLT process is a research-based model for effective schoolwide professional development that results in teachers changing their instructional practices. This publication provides…

This manual is a guide to consultation and collaboration for educators of gifted children and is based on the Resource Consultation and Collaboration Program implemented at 10 schools in Charlotte, North Carolina, over 2 years. Individual chapters of the manual address the following topics: (1) overview of resource consultation and collaboration…

This report observes three teachers connected with the Coalition of Essential Schools (based at Brown University) who have begun the work of changing their classroom practices. All are experienced teachers who describe themselves as having been good conventional teachers before becoming involved in the Essential Schools effort. They believe that…

This book is designed to help school leaders critically examine what they should expect from students, how they will know when students have achieved those expectations, and how to design and implement instruction to ensure that every student achieves agreed-upon goals. It asserts that leaders are first and foremost teachers. Chapter 1, "Teaching…

This dissertation conducted a study that analyzed the impact of year-long mentorships on the decisions of nine new teachers of students with autism, hearing impairments, moderate retardation, and physical disabilities, to remain in the special education field. Mentors were recommended by principals but volunteered to be part of the support…

Experience shows that mentoring has a positive effect on new teachers' professional lives. Quality induction programs promote greater teacher retention, breaking the cycle of attrition, which saves money for school districts and ensures that teacher shortages do not dictate hiring policy. These benefits are felt most in school districts with…

This publication examines the literature on promising practices in professional development, focusing on the role of effective inservice professional development in successful elementary school reform, promising practices, and results of a survey of educators from the northwest United States. After an introduction, Section 1 discusses "Learning in…

Educators at one Georgia high school identified improved student proficiency in critical thinking as a major school goal. In order to infuse thinking skills instruction across the curriculum, a nine-member interdisciplinary team of teachers worked with a learning consultant for 1 year. Collaboration resulted in the development of a new model for…

Teaming is certainly being pointed to as a strategy to improve learning for at risk students. Whether teaming is actually effective at improving student achievement seems to have mixed findings. Some studies find no significant differences for reading, math, science, and social studies achievement, where others state "evidence abounds suggesting…

Using 1987 Longitudinal Study of American Youth data, this study examined allocation of mathematics and science teachers' subject-area preparation levels across and within a national sample of American secondary schools. The study assessed relationships between average teacher-preparation levels and clientele socioeconomic status, school size, and…