Using Research to Inform Practice in Urban Schools: 10 Key Strategies for Success

Abstract

To develop schools that are self-renewing learning organizations, we must ensure that teaching staffs are properly prepared and trained by making a commitment to provide professional development opportunities reflecting the best we can offer from the knowledge base. Similarly, if we are to affect sustained school improvement efforts, practitioners and researchers must continuously share and exchange this knowledge base with one another. How is this shared language best developed? Hodges offers 10 strategies: implementing school-based staff development programs; cooperatively planning and supporting staff development programs; ensuring that staff development programs contain effective training components; offering cooperative/collaborative training experiences; designing research-based staff development programs focused on improved student performance; maintaining high expectations and standards; committing to long-term training efforts; establishing ways to support and recognize transfer of new learnings; assessing staff development program effectiveness on significant measures; and linking research to teacher preparation programs.