The National Writing Project's professional development approach reflects a shift from the tradition of theory dictating practice, maintaining that engaging teachers in teaching teachers empowers them to meet the challenges of increasing student diversity. By providing support in risk-free settings, teachers can collaborate as educational leaders,…

Braskamp uses four questions to focus his discussion on the improvement of faculty evaluation: (1) Why do we assess? (2) What are the standards and criteria of quality and effectiveness? (3) What do we assess? (4) How do we assess? (JM)

Presents 24 articles describing innovative efforts in medical education in the areas of faculty development; developing skills as residents; and culture, ethics, spirituality, complementary, and alternative medicine. Each report includes an objective, description, discussion, and contact information for inquiries. (EV)

Describes how an Alabama school system incorporated the National Staff Development Council's Standards for Staff Development into a district-wide effort to improve staff development. Evaluation of the professional development effort was a top priority, with participant input an important component. Professional development was designed to be…

Describes the development of a substitute teacher training program. The process began with surveys of substitute teachers, classroom teachers, and administrators about what such a program would require, following which a committee was formed to make recommendations on program design, materials, and delivery; conduct a literature review on…

Reviews results of selected studies on teacher effectiveness; describes the difficulty of attracting quality teachers to provide "authentic instruction" to low-performing students in high-poverty and high-minority schools; identifies structural conditions that can produce good teaching; describes actions school leaders can take to recruit,…

Discusses an eight-year seminar series at Emory University, the Luce Seminars, that sparked insights about new approaches to supporting faculty. The seminars, which strengthened the university's cultural milieu for scholarship without increasing the formal expectations of faculty performance, offered lessons on guiding teacher excellence,…

Discusses synchronous communication in learning via the World Wide Web and considers arguments for advantages of asynchronous approaches. Describes a synchronous Web-based professional development program for mathematics teachers in North Carolina and discusses the nature of online communication. (LRW)

Argues that teaching portfolios are time consuming and have not been shown to improve college faculty teaching skills. Raises some unanswered questions concerning teaching portfolios and reviews what is known about effective teaching at the college level. Suggests that constructing the portfolio often becomes the focus instead of instructional…

Numerous studies indicate that student learning is directly linked to the quality of teaching that occurs in the classroom. School boards can play a vital role in staff development. They should adopt standards for student learning, teaching, leadership, and staff development. Adequate funding and an incentive system that rewards improvements in…

Discusses the urgent need for projects to train college teachers. Discusses advantages and disadvantages of the current system. (ASK)

Surveyed U.S. and Canadian dental schools on their faculty development activities and how they are administered. Identified percentages of schools engaging in each of 18 faculty development activities, and six administrative models: an office of academic affairs, departmental chair, a faculty development committee, an office of the dean, an office…

This longitudinal study of teacher development followed two female teachers through a 5-year program and into their first 3 teaching years. Though they had many common experiences, they thought about those experiences quite differently. The article highlights how their conceptions of students and themselves as teachers changed over time and…

A faculty development workshop that addressed assessment, measurement, grading, and evaluation was designed for a system of 21 career-focused postsecondary schools with 1,500 faculty. Faculty, students, and administrators were involved in the design, and a pilot test was conducted with a small group, which resulted in adjustment of activities and…

Discusses how assistant principals can create learning experiences for their staff on a tight time line. Suggestions include finding a consultant to facilitate the learning experience, assembling a team of teachers to help plan for changing how staff development is designed, and having teachers think about planning a day of collaborative learning…