This qualitative study, which includes interviews with principals and teachers and observations of professional development activities, teacher team meetings, and technical support consultations, concludes that the work of teacher professional communities can be divided into two categories. The supportive practices of teacher teams are related to achieving the daily tasks required of individual teachers, such as addressing students' behavioral and learning problems. Developmental practices are related to improving instruction and curriculum schoolwide, and include planning, implementing, and monitoring interventions geared toward improving student performance.

This qualitative study, which includes interviews with principals and teachers and observations of professional development activities, teacher team meetings, and technical support consultations, concludes that the work of teacher professional communities can be divided into two categories. The supportive practices of teacher teams are related to achieving the daily tasks required of individual teachers, such as addressing students' behavioral and learning problems. Developmental practices are related to improving instruction and curriculum schoolwide, and include planning, implementing, and monitoring interventions geared toward improving student performance.

This qualitative study, which includes interviews with principals and teachers and observations of professional development activities, teacher team meetings, and technical support consultations, concludes that the work of teacher professional communities can be divided into two categories. The supportive practices of teacher teams are related to achieving the daily tasks required of individual teachers, such as addressing students' behavioral and learning problems. Developmental practices are related to improving instruction and curriculum schoolwide, and include planning, implementing, and monitoring interventions geared toward improving student performance.

"Strengthening the Work of School Boards In Pennsylvania" makes recommendations for state policymakers, school boards and superintendents, and voters and community leaders about how they can improve the effectiveness of school boards and increase the number of citizens who are motivated and prepared to serve on boards. The report also includes a model Board Code of Conduct and model Governance-Management Compact that can be downloaded as individual documents from the "Education Policy Information Clearinghouse" section of the EPLC website.

"Head of the Class: A Quality Teacher in Every Pennsylvania Classroom" makes recommendations for how state policy can increase and support Pennsylvania's supply of qualified teachers. The report emphasizes that quality teaching is key to student achievement and that the state must act to ensure the presence of a qualified teacher in every Pennsylvania classroom at all times.

When the Reform Board of Trustees of the City of Chicago adopted the Design for High Schools in 1997, the Chicago Public Schools had been actively involved in school reform for nearly a decade. It was generally believed, however, that reform efforts had taken hold more thoroughly in the elementary schools than in the secondary schools. The Design was intended to spur change in the high schools by increasing both academic press and personalism. To establish a viable research agenda and prepare for a program of research on Chicago public high schools, the Consortium organized a conference, "Research on High School Reform Efforts in Chicago," at the University of Chicago's Gleacher Center in March 2001. The conference brought together a group of scholars and educators who, mostly independent of one another, were studying Chicago's public high schools, including the Design's efforts to improve them. The volume presents these authors' papers, which document the results of reforms during the late 1990s at the district, school, and departmental levels. The conference and the compilation were made possible by the support of The Chicago Community Trust.

When the Reform Board of Trustees of the City of Chicago adopted the Design for High Schools in 1997, the Chicago Public Schools had been actively involved in school reform for nearly a decade. It was generally believed, however, that reform efforts had taken hold more thoroughly in the elementary schools than in the secondary schools. The Design was intended to spur change in the high schools by increasing both academic press and personalism. To establish a viable research agenda and prepare for a program of research on Chicago public high schools, the Consortium organized a conference, "Research on High School Reform Efforts in Chicago," at the University of Chicago's Gleacher Center in March 2001. The conference brought together a group of scholars and educators who, mostly independent of one another, were studying Chicago's public high schools, including the Design's efforts to improve them. The volume presents these authors' papers, which document the results of reforms during the late 1990s at the district, school, and departmental levels. The conference and the compilation were made possible by the support of The Chicago Community Trust.

When the Reform Board of Trustees of the City of Chicago adopted the Design for High Schools in 1997, the Chicago Public Schools had been actively involved in school reform for nearly a decade. It was generally believed, however, that reform efforts had taken hold more thoroughly in the elementary schools than in the secondary schools. The Design was intended to spur change in the high schools by increasing both academic press and personalism. To establish a viable research agenda and prepare for a program of research on Chicago public high schools, the Consortium organized a conference, "Research on High School Reform Efforts in Chicago," at the University of Chicago's Gleacher Center in March 2001. The conference brought together a group of scholars and educators who, mostly independent of one another, were studying Chicago's public high schools, including the Design's efforts to improve them. The volume presents these authors' papers, which document the results of reforms during the late 1990s at the district, school, and departmental levels. The conference and the compilation were made possible by the support of The Chicago Community Trust.