Professional development is viewed from several perspectives--time, funding, planning, and student outcomes--and includes both an urban and a rural story. This issue provides a special pullout section designed as a checklist to help guide professional development planning activities. The following articles are included: "Perspectives on Managing Staff Development" (Lenaya Raack), in which NCREL experts discuss a variety of key staff development issues for school administrators; "Common Goals & Promising Practices" (Ann Kinder), in which a rural school district and an urban school offer two successful examples of staff development; "Money Talk: Funding Professional Development" (Ann Kinder), which explores how states and districts allocate money to support professional development; "Improving Student Achievement around the Globe" (Gina Amenta-Shin), which describes how NCREL has collaborated with the Department of Defense Education Activity to help teachers integrate technology into classroom instruction; and "Thoughts on...Becoming a Better Teacher" (Cinder Cooper), in which a summer intern at NCREL explains the benefits of staff development and technology in addressing students with diverse needs. (DFR)