As school and district leaders become more aware of how racial bias and racism affects interactions within the schools, some have sought to provide anti-bias training to faculty and staff. Drawing on the research into anti-bias and racial equity training, and their own experiences, Gislaine Ngounou and Nancy Gutierrez explain why it is beneficial…

School districts shape the conditions in which schools operate and as such can support or undermine school success and thus student success. All of which is to say that school districts matter. This article looks at the success of two districts whose low-income and minority students beat the odds in academic achievement. Lessons from these…

While state leaders understand the value of professional development, they also need to consider the costs. Such costs are some of the most difficult to calculate. If state leaders are going to pony up for improving the instructional skills of teachers and principals, they want to know that their dollars are well-spent. The same can be said for…

Describes staff-development plan related to the implementation of the Orange County (Florida) Literacy Project, a research-based literacy-improvement program for middle-school students. Defines literacy as reading, speaking, listening, viewing, and thinking. (PKP)

Outlines the Madison Workshop Program for staff development, operated by the local school system in cooperation with a local college. This unique collaboration funds nationally known educators to present workshops for local teachers. (MD)

Provides guidelines for meeting legal standards of fairness in teacher evaluation. (WD)

Through a cooperative arrangement, Advanced Systems Incorporated employees can earn a master's degree in instructional technology from Northern Illinois University. The program is mutually beneficial to the university and the corporation. (Author/WD)

Outlines a fictitious but ideal school in which staff work cooperatively and are encouraged to develop their talents. (MD)

Staff development as a transferable package of bite-sized knowledge pieces is outdated. To implement reform plans, teachers must be able to discuss, think about, try out, and hone new practices. Teachers can learn by observing children, adopting new subject-matter approaches, using strategies for learning together, integrating assessment with…

Contends that staff development, supposedly designed to assist teachers, has instead colluded with forces to continue their colonization. Since teachers are not taking charge of their profession and participating actively in educational change, certain actions must be taken to lighten their nonprofessional workload and to build a professional…

Presents a critical analysis of the Reagan administration's policies on school discipline, the Bauer Report, and the National School Safety Center. Points out that school discipline improves when the general quality of education is improved. (MD)

Examines professional growth, tenure limitations, and early retirement as methods of balancing age groups in the professoriate. (IRT)

Describes New Jersey's Academy for the Advancement of Teaching and Management, a central, state-funded training center designed to improve students' education by sharpening teachers' and administrators' professional skills. The program's success depends on three critical qualities--relevance, consistency, and continuity. (MLH)

The Marcus School staff feels that the best approach to discipline is a preventive one--the provision of a variety of educational and environmental alternatives that will interest, challenge, and motivate the pupil. (Author)