Periodic reexamination of existing professional development school forms is good practice to ascertain whether goals are being met. Such an assessment was sparked by a request from a superintendent in a 14-year-old professional development school structure at a public college in the Northeast. This assessment revealed that although the…

This study used a randomized field trial design to evaluate the efficacy of a research-based model for scaling up an intervention focused on preschool mathematics. Although the successes of research-based educational practices have been documented, equally well known is the paucity of successful efforts to bring these practices to scale. The same…

An area of particular concern in adolescent literacy is comprehension of informational text: many students can successfully decode words without actually being able to understand the texts they read. As they progress through school, they have to read increasingly complex texts but receive little if any explicit instruction to help them. Beyond the…

In this article, the author describes his work with a professional network in Connecticut. The Connecticut Superintendents Network is designed to be a community of practice among superintendents who are committed to sustained instructional improvement in their districts. Here, the Harvard University professor applies the medical rounds model to…

Reflection is an appropriate way of accounting for professional practice and is a standard way in which one can "become better acquainted with one's own story". Defining "subjectivity" as "the quality of an investigator that affects the results of observational investigation", Peshkin highlights the requirement for…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to suggest a conceptual model of formal mentoring as a leadership development initiative including "learning goal orientation", "mentoring functions", and "leadership competencies" as key constructs of the model. Design/methodology/approach: Some empirical studies, though there are not many, will provide…

Professional socialisation refers to the acquisition of values, attitudes, skills and knowledge pertaining to a profession. This article reviews the definition and conceptualisation of professional socialisation through anticipatory and formal professional socialisation processes. It describes the core elements of professional socialisation such…

Mentoring has become increasingly popular during recent years and particularly so in the provision of leadership development, including the mentoring of school principals. In New Zealand, many of these mentoring programmes are developed and funded by central government and are mostly designed to meet the needs of those in their initial years of…

The task of creating organizational policies and systems that promote and support reflective teaching is multifaceted and seldom enumerated in early childhood professional literature. One of the best overviews the author has found comes from Carol Brunson Phillips and Sue Bredekamp (1998). The author opines that if the early childhood profession…

Professional identities in further education (FE) colleges and schools in England have been substantially affected by recent educational reform; additionally, recent reform of provision for the 14-19 age group requires close collaboration between the two sectors. Drawing on case-study data from four English FE colleges, this paper takes as its…

A qualitative study of the perceptions of mentoring by early childhood teachers provides evidence for the concept of transformation for both mentor and protege in their personal and professional development. The concept of mentoring in early childhood education is presented as a viable strategy in the effort to professionalize early childhood…

Understanding change over time in one's ability to function as a professional is fundamental in the practice of clinical supervision. Drawing on developmental models of human behavior, a model of the development over time of therapy practice is presented. Specific domains of clinical practice and overriding structures that provide markers in…

Surveyed 148 New Hampshire school counselors regarding the need for professional development. Results indicated counselors had a desire and need for greater communication, contact, and liaison with other counselors and professional personnel. Describes the use of a workshop to develop the needs assessment survey. (JAC)

Examines the stages through which trainees pass on their way to the development of competency in working with clients of dissimilar racial or ethnic background. Proposes a model which provides an appropriate learning environment for each stage. (JAC)

The Office of the Secretary of Defense supports a vast and complicated system of education and professional development for civilians. The RAND study team from the National Defense Research Institute conducted a broad review of the literature on educational assessment and reviewed the documents of organizations engaged in such assessment,…