Although instructional leaders increasingly acknowledge the influence of emotion on student learning, the role of emotion in teachers' professional learning has received less attention. In this conceptual article, we draw on three psychological perspectives--cognitive, organizational, and developmental--to provide instructional leaders with an…

As secondary school leaders consider a shift toward standards-based grading (SBG) practices, they are no doubt weighing the odds of a successful implementation process. This research followed up on a study from 2014 to identify the challenges secondary school leaders experience when changing the currency of the classroom from points to learning.…

In response to legislative mandates that schools use evidence-based instructional practices, the National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center has identified evidence-based practices and predictors in the area of secondary transition for high school students with disabilities. This article provides an overview of practices and…

This article discusses the outcomes of a partnership between four high schools and one university to reduce the need for remediation in reading and writing. The purpose of the partnership was to build relationships between secondary and postsecondary faculty and to create a senior year English Transition course for students who did not meet ACT…

Describes how teachers and administrators at one school developed Inservice Ideas for Teacher Encouragement (INSITE), a series of high-interest, low-budget inservice training programs that draw from existing resources including the current expertise and interests of staff members. Programs addressed both personal and professional development…

According to this model for effective professional growth programs for teachers, teachers and their supervisors must independently identify the teachers' growth needs, must agree on the needs, and must mutually develop a program that is appropriate, demands supervisor responsiveness, and is well-received by the teacher. (PGD)

In recent years, different researchers and research agencies, teacher associations, national education organizations, and the U.S. Department of Education have published lists of the characteristics of effective professional development to guide school leaders in their improvement efforts. This study analyzed 13 of the better known of these lists…

Describes a staff development program used at Corbett Middle School in Gresham, Oregon, that introduced learning style theory and in subsequent years focused on helping teachers implement teaching methods that applied the theory effectively and creatively. The program's goals, processes, support services, and evaluation are discussed. (PGD)

This article features schools and school districts with successful induction programs, all easily replicable. Increasingly, research confirms that teacher and teaching quality are the most powerful predictors of student success. In short, principals ensure higher student achievement by assuring better teaching. To do this, effective…

Explains how schools, regardless of size, can provide ongoing and innovative programs for professional growth. (JM)

Staff development activities should achieve both indirect outcomes (behavior changes of staff members) and direct outcomes (improvement in student achievement). This article describes how one junior high staff development program was initiated and carried out. (DS)

This article examines and compares teachers in a national sample of middle level schools to those in a selected group of highly successful middle level schools. The context within which they work, their preparation, their level of implementation of middle level best practices, and their involvement as teacher leaders are discussed. Results show…