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Discusses planning and performing staff evaluations and evaluating staff development programs in order to improve staff training and overall student achievement.
Student Achievement through Staff Development: Fundamentals of School Renewal, Second Edition, is a comprehensive guide to staff development, aimed at devising a learning system for educators that facilitates the learning of all students.
How can we create and sustain professional learning programs that actually lead to improved student achievement? In this thoughtful and informative guide for teachers, administrators, and policymakers, Douglas B. Reeves provides answers. First he casts a critical eye on professional learning that is inconsistent, unfocused, and ultimately ineffective, and explains why elaborate planning documents and "brand-name" programs are not enough to achieve desired outcomes. Then he outlines how educators at all levels can improve this situation by * Taking specific steps to move from vision to implementation; * Focusing on four essentials: teaching, curriculum, assessment, and leadership; * Making action research work; * Moving beyond the "train the trainer" model; and * Using performance assessment systems for teachers and administrators. If you're tired of professional development that takes up too much time and delivers too little, read Transforming Professional Development into Student Results and discover how to move toward a system that gives educators the learning experiences they need to make a measurable difference for their schools and their students.
"In Why Can′t We Get It Right? Second Edition, Marsha Speck and Caroll Knipe provide a thorough overview of what is known about the nature of professional development that produces high levels of learning and performance for teachers and their students. They admirably achieve their goal of showing how well-designed professional development with a clear focus on improved student learning can make a difference in teaching and student success." —From the Foreword by Dennis Sparks, Executive Director National Staff Development Council How can we use professional development to provide the best teaching and learning opportunities for all students? To increase student achievement and prepare all students to meet standards, educators must be well prepared. Teachers who know their content and strategies can open a virtual toolbox and take out what they need to help all students become successful. This thoroughly revised and updated edition of Why Can′t We Get It Right? explains how educational leaders can design, deliver, and evaluate collaborative standards-based professional development. In this unique and indispensable guide, Marsha Speck and Caroll Knipe provide professional development designs, challenging teachers to make a difference for students and resulting in dramatically improved schools. This excellent resource contains: Essential questions about high-quality professional development Information on creating the culture for a learning community Conditions and processes for professional development Suggestions on designing your own model Tools for evaluating and rethinking professional development and learning Strategies for deepening a leader′s impact on a standards-based system If we are to improve learning and achievement in our schools, we must also nourish the growth of educators and foster a learner-centered environment!
Provides specific information on how to transform schools into results-oriented professional learning communities, describing the best practices that have been used by schools nationwide.
How can we use professional development to provide the best teaching and learning opportunities for all students? Teachers who know their content and strategies can open a virtual toolbox and take out what they need to help all students become successful. This revised and updated edition explains how educational leaders can design, deliver, and evaluate collaborative standards-based professional development, and contains: Essential questions about high-quality professional development Information on creating the culture for a learning community Conditions and processes for professional development Suggestions on designing your own model Tools for evaluating and rethinking professional development and learning Strategies for deepening a leader’s impact on a standards-based system
"At last we have a book that realistically, empathically, and interestingly describes leadership and the professional development work that needs to accompany it—for principals. It is all here: readings, web sites, theory, practice, helpful forms to use, vignettes of principals. Lindstrom and Speck are both ′insiders′ and ′outsiders′ teaching us in the best of ways how to both think about and act on our new knowledge!" Ann Lieberman, Senior Scholar Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching "This is the book to read! I will recommend it to my colleagues the minute it is off of the press. The authors should be very proud of their work and contribution to a pivotal need in the field. Bottom line: It will help improve what we do for children—our ultimate purpose." Becky J. Cooke, Principal Evergreen Elementary School, Spokane, WA Raise student achievement by developing leadership, teamwork, skills, and knowledge in teachers! Individual teachers have the greatest effect on student performance. Principals, as professional development leaders, are in the best position to provide teachers with the professional development strategies they need to improve their skills and raise student achievement. The Principal as Professional Development Leader guides readers through a step-by-step process to formulate, implement, and evaluate long-term professional development. Authors Phyllis H. Lindstrom and Marsha Speck simplify and focus the function of the principal as professional development leader by providing scenarios, processes, context, and content that principals can use to create an integrated, collaborative learning environment. Aligned with National Staff Development Council standards, this user-friendly resource includes Rubrics, worksheets, and surveys Professional development planners Sample forms for classroom visits and observations Calendars of professional development activities Recommended readings and reflective questions In order to improve learning for all students, this unique text provides the strategies, skills, and tools necessary to build the capacity of professional development within the school. The authors supply practical techniques for analyzing student achievement data, evaluating professional development plans, and achieving a culture of sustained improvement.
The purpose of this study was to gather information about the perceptions of teachers and principals with regard to staff development and its impact on student achievement. Two instruments were used for data collection: The National Staff Development Council Staff Development Inventory and a scripted interview session that was conducted with teachers and principals. First the study explored the perceptions of 240 teachers and principals in two central Pennsylvania school districts regarding their staff development experiences. The second part of the study used an interview session with 13 teachers and principals to further investigate themes that emerged during the survey analysis. Reactions and perceptions were related to three research questions that guided the study. Results appeared to be consistent. Teachers perceived differentiated staff development opportunities to be more useful with greater classroom applicability than large "one-size-fits-all" in-service sessions. Data also implied that neither teachers nor principals made a direct connection between professional development learning and student achievement gains. Overall, conclusions pointed out that schools can achieve sustainable change over time when staff development is tailored to meet the instructional needs of teachers for the advancement of their students.
'Taylor shows how school leadership actions can turn almost any educational challenge into a positive. Her use of current school administrators as examples, the explanatory charts, and the guiding professional analysis make this book a necessary companion to implementing sustained school reform' - Mary Ann Haas, Retired Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Flagler School District, FL There is no single solution to improving learning and closing the gap for disadvantaged children. Rather, improvement is the result of a number of successful practices used together. This valuable resource shows school and district leaders how specific, consistent actions can result in dramatic change and increased student achievement. From stimulating intellectual growth to making decisions based on data, this book provides leader actions and examples of schools where the gap in learning is closing through exceptional leadership, and includes: - Numerous examples from real schools, offering descriptions and analysis of actions that increase achievement - Interviews with successful headteachers that provide a realistic look at the issues involved - A focus on second-order changes, where small improvements can create dramatic rethinking of the organization, the roles of individuals, and the approach to learning - Ample forms, sample notes, templates, and other materials to get you started Based on theory, but grounded in practice, this book shows headteachers the specific actions they need to take to drive high levels of student achievement in their schools.
