Professional Development part of the Education Reform Network

Leadership

Staff development that improves the learning of all students requires skillful school and district leaders who guide continuous instructional improvement.

Rationale:

Quality teaching in all classrooms necessitates skillful leadership at the community, district, school, and classroom levels. The following links support this standard:

• Administrative Support
  Provides articles with discussion/reflection tools. Focuses on the principal's responsibility for teacher learning.
• Ally in the Office
  The experience of the principal and staff at Savannah Oaks Elementary School in Verona, Wis., illustrates how a principal can help teachers assume leadership roles and make fundamental decisions that affect teaching and learning. This article details the process through which the principal guided teachers who developed a program that eliminates traditional age groupings and letter grades for some students, and how the culture of leadership engendered by that process has helped the school meet subsequent challenges.
• American Association of School Administrators
  Professional organization that provides an online journal, links to other resources, and up-to-date information for school leaders.
• ASPIRA Association
  The ASPIRA Association, Inc. is the only national nonprofit organization devoted solely to the education and leadership development of Puerto Rican and other Latino youth.
• Association for Training and Development
  Professional organization for trainers in the private sector. Most resources require membership, but there are online articles.
• Building a Committed Team
  Describes the value of teams, highlight experts in this area, and links to resources for building teams.
• Building Leadership Capacity
  Provides articles with discussion/reflection tools. Good for use with study groups.
• By Your Own Design
  Collaboration between ENC and NSDC to develop tools for staff developers.
• Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy
  Offers leaders publications and other forms of information to identify ways that leaders, policymakers, teacher developers, and the reform community can support teachers' work and careers.
• CEO Forum Reports
  Reports on integrating technology into the curriculum.
• Classroom Action Research
  Describes the action research process used in the Madison Metropolitan School District.
• Clearinghouse on Educational Management
  Resource for administrators to get information on relevant and hot topics.
• Critical Issue: Building a Collective Vision
  Overview of vision. Provides links to model program and other resource.
• Critical Issue: Creating High-Achieving Learning Environments
  Series of websites on identified critical issues. Another topic is .
• Critical Issue: Realizing New Learning for All Students Through Professional Development
  Overview of designing professional development for teachers to teach all students. Provides links to model program and other resource.
• Critical Issue: Finding Time for Professional Development
  Overview of time for professional development. Provides links to model program and other resource.
• Critical Issue: Leading and Managing Change and Improvement
  Overview of change process. Provides links to model program and other resource.
• Design Your Professional Development Program: Where to Start
  Planning guide for staff developers. Provides a survey to assess professional development.
• Designing Effective Professional DevelopmentA Conceptual Framework
  Conceptual framework for professional development in science and mathematics.
• e-Lead: Leadership for Student Learning
  A Web-based tool/resource - www.e-lead.org -- to help school systems plan for and design leadership development opportunities for their principals.
• EdLinks: Teacher Training & PD
  Selected collection of education-related web sites. Briefly describe each site to help find the information needed.
• Edutopia: Ongoing Professional Development
  Through a combination of articles, video clips and links to other resources, this site offers an overview of ongoing professional development. Lucas Foundation Site.
• Finding Time for Professional Development
  Report on how to find time for professional development.
• Funding issues
  Provides articles with discussion/reflection tools. Good for use with study groups.
• Grants and Related Resources
  Provides links for resource information related to funding.
• Helping Teachers Through High-Quality Professional Development
  Archived articles, project, and other resources that address teacher development.
• Involving Others in Organizing PD
  Describes how to involve external partners in the design of PD. Uses video clips, links to other resources.
• Islands of Hope in a Sea of DreamsA Research Report on the Eight Schools That Received the National Award for Model Professional Development
  Report (October 1999) describing the eight schools receiving the National Award for Model Professional Development.
• Leadership & Teams
  Toolkit developed by the National School Boards Association. Topics include:Leadership Qualities Leadership Self-Assessment Leadership Teams Team Climate Survey Dealing with Conflict Communication Styles Behavioral Styles Leadership Anecdotes .
• Leadership for Student Learning: Reinventing the Principalship
  Report (October 2000) described why the principal is important, specific problems that threaten the principalship, and strategies leaders can do to address the principalship crisis.
• League of Professional Schools
  Provides an overview of the League of Professional Schools. Action research is a primary component of this school reform model.
• National Awards Program For Model Professional Development
  Description of award program and criteria for selection.
• National Writing Project
  Official site for the National Writing Project. Provides links to resources.
• NEA Publications
  Professional organization provides publications online that assist teacher leaders.
• Notes & Reflections, Winter 2002
  Gives directions for the following tools:Tools and Facilitator NotesConsensogramA statistical survey that measures a group's perception of effort, commitment, and understanding.Five WhysDetect the root cause of a problem or situationThink, Pair, ShareKeep your audience engaged and check their understanding.Interview Design ProcessEspecially useful for collecting baseline information about that group.
• Notes and Reflections
  Online newsletter published three times per year by NCREL for professional developers. The newsletter is free and subscribers are notified by e-mail that an issue is online.
• Pathways to School Improvement
  Comprehensive set of tools to help school leaders. Survey provided, scored and linked to critical issue topics.
• Philosophy and Psychology of Change
  Understanding change by looking at the psychology and philosophy of change and its impact on teachers and their resistance to change.
• Principal
  Provides links to hot topics for principals, such as assessment, funding, school improvement, standards.
• Principles for Principals
  Description of a free series of 8 professional development workshops for K-12 principals .
• Principles for Professional Development
  American Federation of Teachers report (1999) that describes guiding principles for professional development.
• Prisoners of Time
  1994 report on the use of time in schools.
• Professional Development in Education and the Private Sector: Following the Leaders
  NCREL report (November 2000) by Sabrina W. M.
• Professional Development: Staff Learning for Student Results
  Links to resources in NCREL to help staff developer plan.
• Professional Development: NSBA
  Toolkit developed by the National School Boards Association. Topics include: Models for Professional Development, Planning Professional Development, Evaluating the Professional Development Plan, Professional Development Issues, Professional Development Research and Resources.
• Professional Development:Learning From the Best
  A Toolkit for Schools and Districts Based on the National Awards Program for Model Professional DevelopmentBy Emily Hassel .
• Public Engagement
  Provides articles with discussion/reflection tools. Good for use with study groups.
• School Improvement: Focusing on Student Performance
  Describes the school improvement model advocated by the Regional School Accreditation Commissions .
• Teacher Advancement Program
  Describes Teacher Advancement Programs for improving teacher quality to increase student achievement, now being implemented or in the planning stages at a growing number of schools in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, and South CarolinaFive Principles of TAP 1. Multiple Career Paths 2.
• Teacher Change
  Focused on the TIMSS, this set of resources provides leaders with tools to help teachers understand the purpose for school change.
• Teachers Leading Teachers
  This article describes how a district in suburban Dallas has invested in teacher leaders with a focus on a literacy model to improve student achievement on state test, TAAS. 25 reading specialists were assigned to coach, help teachers analyze data, collaborate on writing lessons, model lessons, and observe teachers.
• Technology Information Center for Administrative Leadership
  Resource matrices developed in the following areas:Data-Driven Decision Making Curriculum Integration Financial Planning Operations and Maintenance Professional Development Technology Planning Resources are categorized into: publications, models/examples, people/organizations, hardware/software, & vendors.
• The Change Process
  Provides articles with discussion/reflection tools. Focuses on the change process.
• The Teacher�s Principal
  What does effective instructional leadership look like? Research now shows the best leaders talk with teachers to promote reflection and actively promote professional growth. A range of strategies helps accomplish these goals.
• Time issues
  Provides articles with discussion/reflection tools. Good for use with study groups.
• Using The Knowledge Loom: Ideas and Tools forCollaborative Professional DevelopmentA Guidebook for Professional Development Facilitators and Participants
  Guidebook helps staff developer work through the steps for collaborative professional development. Downloadable in PDF format.
• Welcome to ITTE
  Designed by the National School Boards Association to promote technology in education. Provides links, articles on hot topics, and other resources.