The following is a list of recent resources for those focused on the professional improvement of teachers, principals, and other educational leaders.

New Report on School Leadership for Learning: The Alliance for Excellent Education (the Alliance) is partnering with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (the OECD) for the release of the OECD’s new report, School Leadership for Learning: Insights from TALIS 2013. Given every five years by the OECD, the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) provides cross-country analyses that help countries identify others facing similar challenges and learn about their policies. This report specifically looks at different approaches to school leadership and its impact on professional learning communities and on the learning environment in schools. Learn more through a live webinar on Tuesday, September 20, 2016 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. (EST).

Successful Aspiring Principal Residency: For those who missed NYC Leadership Academy’s recent Webinar Series: Putting the Pieces Together – The Essential Elements for a Successful Aspiring Principal Residency.  The first webinar in the series titled: Side by Side: Building Essential Partnerships for Success was held on Thursday, July 28, 2016.  A recording of the webinar is available for those who were unable to attend or want to re-watch. A copy of the webinar PowerPoint can be found here .

NYCLA Refines School Leadership Coaching Tools & Trainings. School leadership coaching is one of the most powerful resources for both new and experienced principals. Through NYCLA’s Facilitative, Competency-Based (FCB) Coaching Model, principals receive individualized support in making changes to instructional quality and organizational capacity – changes that significantly impact the students they serve. We have developed and revised numerous trainings and tools that provide insights and access to our proven coaching model. To learn more about these tools and trainings, or to register for FCB I coach training in September, email our team at contactus@nycleadershipacademy.org. Space is limited.

Teaching Quality:
 FL – Professional Learning Communities Bring Benefits for Teachers, Students.
Professional learning communities have grown in popularity as research continues to show that they can help school culture as well as student achievement. A review of 11 studies by University of Florida researchers, published in 2008, found measurable, positive impacts on teaching practice as well as student learning, as evidenced by performance on standardized tests. (Education Dive, Aug. 18).

Teach Plus is looking for excellent teachers for the Illinois Teaching Policy Fellowship.  Teachers will learn about policy issues that affect them and their students, practice advocacy skills such as writing op-eds or meeting with legislators, and work to influence state education policy to ensure that all students receive a great education.  Fellows also receive a stipend.  If you are an experienced teacher (at least three years classroom experience) who is ready to expand your influence, learn more here.

High Hopes and Harsh Realities: The Real Challenges to Building a Diverse Teacher Workforce. This report examines what it would take to achieve a national teacher workforce that is as diverse as the student body it serves, and how long it will take to reach that goal. The authors identify four key moments along the teacher pipeline: college attendance and completion, majoring in education or pursuing another teacher preparation pathway, hiring into a teaching position, and staying in teaching year after year. (Source: Brookings Institution). 

MS District Shifts to Competency-Based Professional Development.
The Columbus Municipal School District will move to a personalized, competency-based program for professional development. (THE Journal, Aug. 24).

Teachers in Common Core States Have Big Say in Choosing Resources, Report SuggestsA new report from the RAND Corporation found that “more than 90 percent of math educators surveyed on the report … said they either selected or developed their own materials.” The results are based on two web-based surveys given to the American Teacher Panel. The report says that “teachers of math and English/language arts in states following the common-core standards are playing a strong role in developing or selecting the classroom resources they use.” Many of the elementary-level teachers who participated said they use “self-selected or developed materials” at least once a week. English/language arts teachers reported using texts “leveled to readers’ skill levels” rather than ones “targeted to specific grades,” which ensures that students are using materials that are developmentally appropriate.

REACH Evaluation: Three years after the launch of Chicago’s redesigned teacher evaluation system, REACH Students, most teachers and administrators continue to report they believe REACH has the potential to improve instruction and student learning, and they remain negative about the use of student growth in evaluations. Teacher Evaluation in Practice: Year 3 Teacher and Administrator Perceptions of REACH, the latest report from the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research’s (UChicago Consortium) three-year study of the new evaluation system in Chicago Public Schools, focuses on teacher and administrator perceptions and presents teachers’ summative ratings for all three years of REACH.

Evaluation of the Teacher Incentive Fund: Implementation and Impacts of Pay-for-Performance After Three Years. The Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF), now named the Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program, provides grants to support performance-based compensation systems for teachers and principals in high-need schools. This report examines the impact of pay-for-performance bonuses as part of a comprehensive compensation system within a large, multisite random assignment study design. The report provides implementation and impact information after three years. Implementation was similar across the three years, with most districts (88%) implementing at least three of the four required components for teachers. (Source: Institution of Education Sciences).

Room to Run:
 TNTP released a new interactive site called “Room to Run,” detailing the results of effective teaching to high-quality academic standards. The project focuses on classrooms in four states where teachers are pushing students to think more deeply and critically to provide meaningful analysis and fuller answers.

Different Funding Systems, Same Underlying Problems. 
A new policy report from the Urban Institute examines how national policies will need to recognize the variation and differences across the community college sector in order to be successful. (Inside Higher Ed, Aug. 19).