Communities of practice have become important tools for districts striving to improve teacher quality in a way that improves student outcomes, but scaling the benefits of these communities requires a more rigorous, intentional approach. That's why Learning Forward, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, created the Redesign PD…

The author spends a lot of time thinking about good professional learning vs. typical professional development. Based on her 20-plus years of experience, as well as a bit of inspiration from Reuben Duncan, assistant superintendent in School Administrative Unit 29 in Keene, N.H., she shares what she considers to be the ten best ways to waste…

Describes an on-site staff development program within one school district's secondary schools. The Secondary Instructional Specialist Program trains teachers to provide on-site assistance to other teachers. The assistance considers district, school, and teacher needs and goals. The paper includes recommendations for staff developers. (SM)

Staff development is crucial in creating successful mentoring relationships in schools and districts. Four major tasks for staff developers when creating programs for mentors are: selecting and training mentors, matching mentors with proteges, setting goals and expectations, and establishing the program. Implications for staff developers are…

When Prince George's County Public Schools created a teacher mentor program, administrators also created a system for evaluating it with clear expectations and goals at the outset. Precisely defining objectives enabled leaders to see their progress, determine what needed to change along the way, and build support for the program.