Team+2

According to recent research on the effectiveness of professional development, coaching, study teams and peer visits  have 80% to 90% transference to the classroom. (Joyce & Showers, 1994; Showers, Murphy & Joyce, 1996). The following list of Characteristics of Effective Professional Development comes from work of the National Staff Development Council (Sparks 2002), Michael Fullan (2001), North Central Regional Laboratory (Sparks & Loucks-Horsley, 1989), and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (2003, July).


 * On the job, job-embedded training
 * Long-term, ongoing
 * Focused on classroom activities
 * Highly collaborative environment
 * Structured to offer chances to learn from others

In order for schools to successfully implement a peer coaching program, the administration needs to be involved and committed to establishing the structures. According to the responses from colleagues, this was the most important facet. According to the Fab Four, the first step in building the support system needed for a coaching program is “by hooking your principal”. They suggest addressing your principal with:

 || The school site should implement a schedule that would accommodate meeting times for peer coaches. A group of school leaders that include peer coaches should collaborate on creating a master schedule that will provide job embedded professional development that supports peer coaching.
 * = [[image:Team1.JPG width="310" height="266"]] ||= * research articles that address the positive enhancement of student learning
 * the amount of time that will be required
 * the amount of professional development
 * the cost of the training/coaching
 * how will your members be selected