For the first time, school districts around the country are being required to adopt formal accountability measures to assess teacher effectiveness. In a radical shift, teacher quality will be based on outputs (student achievement; teacher observations) rather than inputs (years of service; degrees attained). This change in school culture and practice is an attempt to improve everything from individual student learning to national economic competitiveness. It also requires that administrators implement new and rigorous teacher evaluation programs that align with state and federal guidelines. Busy administrators lack the training and experience necessary to quickly and efficiently craft a teacher evaluation system that successfully meets the needs of their district. Questions like "What is the best program for my district?" or "How do I get the teachers on-board?" are being asked by school leaders across the country. This book provides real-world answers by highlighting 10 diverse model programs from around the country.

Many colleges/universities, their professors, and their students are waking up to the question: "how can we transform our institution to meet the needs of today's professors and students?" This book offers real-life depictions of how colleges and universities, often mired in calcified practices, beliefs, and aspirations are remaking their approach to Leadership & Identity - mid-flight - by confronting complacency and building new kinds of futuristic and humanistic programs and practices. It offers thought-provoking and instructive insights into the personalities and policies that enhance, or detract from, institutional evolution and provides practical insights into key levers for targeted, transformational growth. Chapter authors present dynamic case studies from 6 institutions in 5 states along with touching interviews that provide insights about being a change agent and impacting institutional change. Probing questions are offered to readers along with a unique worksheet designed to intentionally promote new light bulb moments at one's own college/university. This book offers thought-provoking and instructive insights into the personalities and policies that enhance, or detract from, institutional evolution and provides practical insights into key levers for targeted, transformational growth. Each case study includes information about the Background for the Change Initiative, the Change Initiative Itself, Challenges & Successes, and Lessons Learned.

This book offers real-life depictions of how colleges and universities are remaking their Teaching & Learning practices by confronting complacency and building new kinds of futuristic and humanistic programs and practices. Chapter authors present dynamic case studies from 5 institutions in 5 states along with touching interviews that provide insights about being a change agent and impacting institutional change. Probing questions are offered to readers along with a unique worksheet designed to intentionally promote new light bulb moments at one's own college/university. This book offers thought-provoking and instructive insights into the personalities and policies that enhance, or detract from, institutional evolution and provides practical insights into key levers for targeted, transformational growth. Each case study includes information about the Background for the Change Initiative, the Change Initiative Itself, Challenges & Successes, and Lessons Learned.

Many colleges/universities, their professors, and their students are waking up to the question: "how can we transform our institution to meet the needs of today's professors and students?" This book offers real-life depictions of how colleges and universities, often mired in calcified practices, beliefs, and aspirations are remaking their approach to Leadership & Identity - mid-flight - by confronting complacency and building new kinds of futuristic and humanistic programs and practices. It offers thought-provoking and instructive insights into the personalities and policies that enhance, or detract from, institutional evolution and provides practical insights into key levers for targeted, transformational growth. Chapter authors present dynamic case studies from 6 institutions in 5 states along with touching interviews that provide insights about being a change agent and impacting institutional change. Probing questions are offered to readers along with a unique worksheet designed to intentionally promote new light bulb moments at one's own college/university. This book offers thought-provoking and instructive insights into the personalities and policies that enhance, or detract from, institutional evolution and provides practical insights into key levers for targeted, transformational growth. Each case study includes information about the Background for the Change Initiative, the Change Initiative Itself, Challenges & Successes, and Lessons Learned.

This book offers real-life depictions of how colleges and universities are remaking their Teaching & Learning practices by confronting complacency and building new kinds of futuristic and humanistic programs and practices. Chapter authors present dynamic case studies from 5 institutions in 5 states along with touching interviews that provide insights about being a change agent and impacting institutional change. Probing questions are offered to readers along with a unique worksheet designed to intentionally promote new light bulb moments at one's own college/university. This book offers thought-provoking and instructive insights into the personalities and policies that enhance, or detract from, institutional evolution and provides practical insights into key levers for targeted, transformational growth. Each case study includes information about the Background for the Change Initiative, the Change Initiative Itself, Challenges & Successes, and Lessons Learned.

For the first time, school districts around the country are being required to adopt formal accountability measures to assess teacher effectiveness. In a radical shift, teacher quality will be based on outputs (student achievement; teacher observations) rather than inputs (years of service; degrees attained). This change in school culture and practice is an attempt to improve everything from individual student learning to national economic competitiveness. It also requires that administrators implement new and rigorous teacher evaluation programs that align with state and federal guidelines. Busy administrators lack the training and experience necessary to quickly and efficiently craft a teacher evaluation system that successfully meets the needs of their district. Questions like "What is the best program for my district?" or "How do I get the teachers on-board?" are being asked by school leaders across the country. This book provides real-world answers by highlighting 10 diverse model programs from around the country.

As if a pending divorce, emotional turmoil and life changes were not enough to deal with; Buddy Figaro is visited by an alien, the size of a housefly. Buddy, then, learns an invasion of Earth from a distant star is coming unless Buddy can successfully argue that the world deserves another chance despite its history of war and its violent nature deemed to threaten the galaxies. Can he do it?