Those called upon to forecast future trends in professional development are well-advised to remember the biblical observation, "There is nothing new under the sun." In fact, a case could be made that the greatest advances in professional development will come not from identifying new strategies or processes, but rather from applying what people…

Those who explore the topic of leadership will soon find a consistent theme: Leaders must focus on and accept responsibility for results. The increasing emphasis on measuring results using state and national tests has led some school leaders to focus on raising test scores. Yet data is not what drives educators to change or improve. In this…

Most schools and districts have created an artificial distinction between working and learning. They operate in a way that suggests teachers work (teach) 180 or so days a year and learn (attend programs) on four or five days each year set aside for professional development. The author states that school leaders must end this distinction between…

In this article, the author presents and discusses two school improvement strategies. The first strategy is the "if only" approach which bases hopes for school improvement on others. The second strategy is the "can-do" approach which focuses on the conditions that lie within the schools' sphere of influence.

One area in which educators can get a good return on their time investment is helping collaborative teams focus on and become proficient in developing local classroom assessments for all students in the same grade or course. Six steps to working collaboratively are described (e.g., analyze state and local curriculum guidelines, establish…

Principals are well-positioned to cultivate their schools' cultures. They must remain vigilant in rooting out the beginnings of negative culture, including such teacher attitudes and behaviors as not feeling responsible for student learning, preferring to work alone, wanting to protect their territory, and focusing on activity rather than results.…

Discusses the role of the principal as staff developer, clarifying some things that principals must do to fulfill their responsibilities as staff development leaders. This includes: emphasizing a context of collaboration in their schools, promoting results-driven learning, and modeling a commitment to their own ongoing professional development in…

Learning organizations must have a shared organizational vision. Schools can develop good vision statements when personnel base discussions on a collective investigation of research; emphasize meaningful, credible improvements; and share their thoughts and hopes while working toward consensus. Indicators that schools can impact through school…

Presents the perspectives of six advocates for quality staff development, including a principal who emphasizes questioning; a director of communications for parents who emphasizes reading clues; an educational consultant who recommends sharing information; a board of education member who recommends educating oneself; a school superintendent who…

Teachers are separated by isolated classrooms and tightly packed schedules, rarely working with colleagues on matters related to teaching and learning. This paper describes benefits of collaborative team structures in schools, discusses potential pitfalls, and notes that the challenge is to develop teams with a high group IQ that can work…