Suggesting that too often initiatives have been placed in schools without attention to the implementation process, this paper discusses a model used in a professional development program for teachers of beginning reading and then describes and documents how each feature of the model was addressed through development and implementation work. The…

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 report presents information from North Carolina middle school principals and teacher leaders on the characteristics of effective middle school teachers. Principals indicated that knowledge, organization, and passion were the top middle school teacher characteristics. The report suggests that there are three types of teacher leaders: those who…

Jeffrey Wilhelm extrapolated 10 different dimensions of response to reading, which he grouped under the headings of "evocative,""connective," and "reflective" dimensions. A study used these dimensions of response to measure some of the activities set by a group of teachers and some of the written and oral work…

This document describes the development of an instrument designed to assess the implementation of a professional learning community among school staff. It describes the growing need for such instruments as schools increasingly deviate from traditional approaches in education in their efforts to enhance student learning. An instrument that could be…

This monograph describes the reflections of the first pilot group of teachers in the Fetzer Institute's Courage to Teach Program. A group of scholars at Richland College were the first to apply the institute's program to higher education. The essays in this collection were written by teachers and administrators who have worked together, and in…

The Professional Development Leadership Academy supports states in transforming systems of professional development. This paper investigates accountability considerations that are necessary to determine the impact and results of professional development from a state systems perspective. The five areas of focus that comprise the Academy knowledge…

A multi-perspective qualitative study was conducted during the spring 1996 semester to investigate the impact of a mentoring initiative on the performance of ten adjunct instructors, new to the faculty of Indian River Community College (Florida). The study found that all participants derived a significant value from the mentoring initiative, with…

The goals of this research were to: (a) investigate the mechanism by which master science teachers instruct peers, and (b) explore ways of optimizing professional development for science teachers sustained over time. One component of the data collection involved evaluating local teachers who attended outreach provided by master teachers. The local…

This booklet presents descriptions of the 22 Illinois schools that were identified by the Best Practices and Resource Committee of the Right to Read Initiative as providing leadership and learning in the area of best practices in reading. The description of each school's program includes demographic data; data on which of the 14 best practices in…

To set the scene, this report begins with the description of the classroom practice and activities of an English teacher at a technical high school in Miami. The report states that a number of the activities that occurred in the class constitute what many scholars in the field of English/language arts studies consider examples of best, or…

This book is a guide to the strategies, opportunities, and practicalities of developing an academic career within the British higher education system. Following an introductory chapter, the first three chapters discuss the nature and development of academic careers, while the remaining five chapters examine different academic roles or tasks. The…

This document was designed as a resource for district-level professional developers and teacher leaders who work with middle school teachers of mathematics. A bridge between standards and the classroom, it offers opportunities for teachers to examine the interrelationships between assessment, standards, and instruction in order to improve student…

An efficient way to help students achieve academically is to maximize the consistent attendance of permanent teachers in the classroom. Students nationwide are spending increased amounts of time with instructors other than their permanent teachers. A large contributor to the problem of teacher absenteeism is mandatory leave for professional…

This paper discusses a study of Dutch secondary education reform, describing the background, noting implications for teacher learning, and arguing that learning supports professional development and derives from performance of activities that help teachers develop professionally. Based on a literature study, a conceptual model was developed in…