This article discusses how the author, together with his fellow teachers at Gilbert Public School District, effectively links professional development to teacher practice and student learning. With the help of the team at My Learning Plan Inc., a professional development management and evaluation system, they are taking initial steps to gauge the…

If clinical supervision is to be applied successfully in school districts, those responsible for its implementation must receive adequate training. A program of high-quality training in clinical supervision has been offered in the Denver metropolitan area for the past six years. The program is described and recommendations are made. (MT)

The multiplier strategy involves training selected teachers or supervisors, who subsequently act as turnkey trainers in their own schools or districts. Project SITE, which uses the turnkey strategy to train trainers in elementary mathematics and has been adopted by more than 250 schools, is described and evaluated. (MT)

An understanding of adult learning principles will enable staff developers to select the most appropriate learning environment for participants. The purpose and sample activities of formal, informal, or non-formal learning environments are presented. (JD)

The Greenwich, Connecticut, public school system is training teachers and administrators in the use of structured cooperative learning groups as part of a district-wide strategy to explore a variety of effective teaching practices. The cooperative learning program and its impact on teachers and students is described. (MT)

This paper details three practical ways in which presenters can exceed expectations by addressing content as well as increasing participants' capacity for collaboration. The methods include providing the rationale for collaboration before group learning activities, encouraging participants in active learning, and focusing attention on…

This article describes the training process developed for teachers when the Columbus, Ohio, public schools decided to introduce Student Team Learning in the middle schools and the intermediate elementary grades. (MT)

Teacher advisors in the Fall River (MA) public schools bridge theory and practice and merge curriculum development with staff development. They have revitalized the writing curriculum, brought freshness and excitement to teaching, and raised the quality of student writing. Their approach is described. (MT)

Developing a model to improve student academic learning time and achievement and to develop local resources to continue the program after the funding period required a staff development program that enabled teachers to use specific direct instruction teaching behaviors. The staff development program is described and recommendations are made. (MT)

A framework for staff development which focuses on acquisition of pedagogical language is presented as a means to increase teachers' cognitive complexity about the teaching-learning process. The language and concepts found in educational theory and research are key factors in enabling teachers' reflective instructional decision making. (JD)

This article presents a concept of reflection, explains its importance in staff development, and describes ways reflection can be effectively integrated into staff development programs. Programs discussed include Teacher Expectations and Student Achievement (TESA), as well as tailor-made peer coaching and discipline workshops. (IAH)

A good question is one of the most important tools in a staff developer's repertoire. Questions that cause thinking can produce more learning than telling. This paper describes how to develop questioning skills using word banks and scaffolds. It explains why mediative questions are important and which mediative questions are the most valuable. (SM)

A model of the inservice training of classroom teachers for mainstreaming handicapped children is presented. The materials used in the program provide information about handicapping conditions as well as curriculum and behavior management styles. (JN)

Describes a project to determine how teachers can best implement new ideas and strategies learned at staff development programs by using peer coaching as a follow-up to training. The project, based on an understanding of the usefulness of mathematics manipulatives, increased teachers' use of a new teaching strategy. (SM)

Study examined the effects of staff development specialists, study group teams, and peer coaching teams on implementation of classroom cooperative learning. Staff development was the most significant influence. The article recommends careful selection of peer coaching partners, adequate time for study group meetings, and set agendas for study…