Realizing their coaching program was not having desired effects for teachers or for students' achievement, leaders in the Manor School District in Texas revamped the district's coaching program. They created two "communities" encompassing all coaches in the district (since district schools were each doing their own thing with regard to…

The teacher quality gap is even more severe for English language learners than it is for low-income students and students of color, because a "highly qualified" teacher of ELLs must have special skills and abilities, write Gándara and Santibañez in this article. The authors examine how well prepared today's teachers are to provide…

The Common Core State Standards have been adopted by 46 states and the District of Columbia. They enjoy a huge following of well-wishers and supporters who are optimistic that the standards will boost achievement in U.S. schools. Setting aside the cheerleading and fond hopes, what are the real chances of success? The most reasonable prediction is…

Forty-six states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Department of Defense schools have adopted the Common Core State Standards. Adoption was only the first step. Ensuring that the standards will improve student learning will require new assessments, curriculums, instructional materials and resources, and professional development.…

As teachers learn new pedagogical strategies, they crave explicit demonstrations that show them how the new strategies will work with their students in their classrooms. Successful instructional coaches, therefore, understand the importance of modeling lessons to help teachers develop a vision of effective instruction. The author, an experienced…

Instructional rounds are a disciplined way for educators to work together to improve a school's instructional core. The practice combines three common elements of improvement: classroom observation, an improvement strategy, and a network. Instructional rounds differ from supervision and evaluation in that people doing rounds learn something…

Despite the fact that two of every three students in U.S. schools have reading proficiencies below the level needed to adequately do grade-level work, schools don't make a point of offering either high-quality professional development for kindergarten teachers nor expert tutorial instruction for at-risk kindergartners. This means that most schools…

National science assessments and international comparisons indicate that science achievement in the United States is stagnant or declining. Of the many steps needed to improve U.S. science education, the authors write, none is more important than improving teacher training and preparation. Analyses of scores on the National Assessment of…

By leaving school and home routines behind, a group of Maine elementary teachers have found grant-funded summer retreats an excellent source of renewal. Teachers have a chance to pursue chosen professional activities, participate in data- driven conversations, and spend time together with no competing concerns. (MLH)

A 2-year demonstration project funded by the Carnegie Corporation investigated combined effects of interventions involving teachers, students, and parents in a small northeastern district with an increasingly diverse population. Teachers examined racial identities and attitudes toward other groups, and designed effective antiracist curricula…

In one Texas school district, a few elementary and secondary teachers traded classes for one day to compare differences in working conditions. Teachers benefited by developing greater appreciation of their colleagues' efforts, making connections between secondary and elementary schools, gleaning new teaching ideas and methods, and gaining…

Faculty at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy are improving their understanding of teaching and learning through an innovative system combining collaborative accountability and professional development. CADRE (Career Development Reinforcing Excellence) centers around a network characterized by collective educational goals, self- and…

Three central Minnesota school districts, the Chamber of Commerce, business representatives, and public service organizations decided to help teachers translate workplace expectations into school lessons. The result was the "Relevance Counts Institute," which shows teachers specific occupational skills one day and employee applications…

Situated in a western mountain range, the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching is a residential facility that houses teachers seeking intellectual refreshment. The center pays all expenses, aiming to advance teaching as an art and a profession via seminars and a relaxed atmosphere. (MLH)

In the American Federation of Teachers' Thinking Mathematics collaboration, teachers have become equal partners with researchers to create staff development aimed at mathematics instruction. Researchers and 5 visiting practitioners have cooperated to create mathematics foundations materials conceptualized in 10 guiding principles for mathematics…