Finding Time for Faculties to Study Together
Murphy, C. (Summer 1997) Journal of Staff Development v.18 n.3
http://www.nsdc.org/library/publications/jsd/murphy183.cfm
Carleen Murphy provides an extensive list of options used by different schools to create time for teachers to meet in “study groups.” Sample strategies include early release, late start, hiring substitutes, and involving parents or business partners in special activities.

Making Time for Adult Learning
Pardini, P. (Spring 1999) Journal of Staff Development
http://www.nsdc.org/library/publications/jsd/pardini202.cfm
This article highlights different methods used by eight schools across the country to create time for teacher collaboration. Strategies include early release, involving students in community service projects, allowing paraprofessionals to cover classes for a limited period of time, and reassessing how faculty meeting time is currently used. The author provides contact information for each of the profiled schools.

Think Outside the Clock: Create Time for Professional Learning
Richardson, Joan. (2002). National Staff Development Council.
http://www.nsdc.org/members/tools/tools08-02.pdf
This article suggest strategies for creating time for professional development and describes a variety of approaches already taken by specific schools and districts.  The author suggests “banking” time by lengthening the school day, “buying” time by hiring more teachers or substitute teachers, creating common planning time, and adding professional days to the school year.  Under “Schools that have Found Time,” the author describes a once-a-week late start schedule at Brandon High School in Ortonville, MI. Similarly, the Rockwood School District in Ellisville, MO, has a monthly early release day for professional development.

Critical Issues: Providing More Time for Professional Development
North Central Regional Education Laboratory (NCREL) (2004)
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/educatrs/profdevl/pd600.htm
The authors discuss different means to create time for professional development ranging from “traditional strategies,” such as banking time or creating an extended day, to embedding it within the school day or taking advantage of online opportunities. They list “action options” for school board members, administrators, and teachers, in addition to profiling several schools that have taken creative approaches to integrating professional development. They also include a chart listing different strategies, their requirements, effects on parents, and costs.

Professional Development: Learning from the Best
A Toolkit for Schools and Districts Based on the National Awards Program for Model Professional Development. 
Hassel, Emily. (1999). NCREL.
http://www.ncrel.org/pd/toolkit/lftb.pdf
The toolkit presents the practices of award-winning schools in a format that gives step-by-step guidance for implementing effective professional development (PD).  The four steps covered are designing, implementing, evaluating and improving, and sharing learning from PD.  With regard to time, the author suggests scheduling PD activities on the weekend, creating a half-day in students’ schedules, using after school hours on weekday afternoons regularly, doing as much block PD in the summer as possible, organizing joint PD with other districts and spending the saved money on substitutes, and asking staff to voluntarily extend the school day by short amounts of time (e.g., 10 minutes).

Planning and Conducting Professional Development That Makes a Difference: 
A Guide for School Leaders
Southern Regional Education Board.
http://www.sreb.org/programs/hstw/publications/profdev/00V02_ProfDevGuide.pdf
The authors provide a step-by-step approach to integrating a successful professional development program into a school.  Steps include identifying school needs, developing a plan, making room in the school calendar, finding the best workshop leader, preparing teachers for the event, using strategies to increase effectiveness, evaluating the event, planning follow-up activities, and building the capacity of teacher leaders.  Suggestions include giving students early release regularly so that teachers can do professional development.

How Can Schools Make Time for Teacher Learning?  
Sparks, Dennis. (1999) Results.
http://www.nsdc.org/library/publications/results/res3-99learning.cfm
This brief article summarizes approaches to creating time for teacher learning and collaboration, which the National Staff Development Council believes should constitute at least one-quarter of a teachers’ work time.  Recommended approaches include using substitutes to free teachers, using faculty meetings for teacher learning, and lengthening the school day four days a week with early release on the fifth. 

Making Time for Teacher Professional Development
Eric Digest. (1996).
http://www.ericdigests.org/1997-2/time.htm
This digest from the Educational Resources Information Center makes recommendations for how districts and schools can find time for professional development. Suggestions include using teaching assistants to cover class time, lengthening school on four days and giving early release on the fifth, and block scheduling.

“Finding the Time to Build Professional Development into the Life of Schools” 
Teachers Take Charge of Their Learning: Transforming Professional Development for Student Success. 
NEA Foundation for the Improvement of Education (NFIE). (1996).  Washington, DC.
http://www.nfie.org/publications/charge/section2.htm
NFIE gives two primary recommendations for finding time for professional development: flexible scheduling and an extended school year for teachers.  The authors also recommend that schools create more effective blocks of time without adding days to teachers’ contracts by grouping “early release” days and other non-instructional time that already exists in teacher contracts.  Large blocks of time (approximately two weeks) are recommended for projects such as redesigning curriculum, incorporating technology, or creating other major school improvement plans. 

Professional Development, Northwest Sampler: Idaho 
Northwest Regional Education Laboratory. June 1998.
http://www.nwrel.org/request/june98/idaho.html
This describes a professional development strategy in Coeur d’ Alene, ID, in which schools select a “teacher leader” for each school to lead professional development on a given issue (e.g., literacy).  The school hires an intern teacher (a certified first-year teacher) to team teach a class with the team leader, allowing the lead teacher time throughout the day to work on professional development issues with other teachers in the school.

Making Time for Adult Learning
Pardini, P. (Spring 1999) Journal of Staff Development
http://www.nsdc.org/library/publications/jsd/pardini202.cfm
This article highlights different methods used by eight schools across the country to create time for teacher collaboration. Strategies include early release, involving students in community service projects, allowing paraprofessionals to cover classes for a limited period of time, and reassessing how faculty meeting time is currently used. The author provides contact information for each of the profiled schools.

Making Time for Teacher Professional Development
Eric Digest. (1996).
http://www.ericdigests.org/1997-2/time.htm
This digest from the Educational Resources Information Center makes recommendations for how districts and schools can find time for professional development.  It includes suggestions such as using teaching assistants to cover class time, lengthening school on four days and giving early release on the fifth, and block scheduling.

Finding Time for Faculties to Study Together
Murphy, C. (Summer 1997) Journal of Staff Development v.18 n.3
http://www.nsdc.org/library/publications/jsd/murphy183.cfm
Carleen Murphy provides an extensive list of options used by different schools to create time for teachers to meet in “study groups.” Sample strategies include early release, late start, hiring substitutes, and involving parents or business partners in special activities.

Think Outside the Clock: Create Time for Professional Learning
Richardson, Joan. (2002). National Staff Development Council.
http://www.nsdc.org/members/tools/tools08-02.pdf
This article gives suggestions for how to find time for professional development and describes a variety of approaches already taken by specific schools and districts.  Under “Schools that have Found Time,” the author describes how Montgomery County, MD has an allocation for a staff development substitute teacher, who earns more than traditional substitutes and only relieves teachers for professional development.

Making Time to Train Your Staff 
Guskey, Thomas. (1998) The School Administrator Web Edition.
http://www.aasa.org/publications/sa/1998_08/focGuskey.htm
The author emphasizes the importance of continued learning for educators and recommends changing the school structure in order to provide time for professional development.  The brief lists six strategies and several “guidelines for success” to find time and maximize its effectiveness.

Planning and Conducting Professional Development That Makes a Difference: 
A Guide for School Leaders
Southern Regional Education Board.
http://www.sreb.org/programs/hstw/publications/profdev/00V02_ProfDevGuide.pdf
The authors provide a step-by-step guide to integrating a successful professional development program into a school.  Suggestions for making room in the school calendar include adding more professional development days, scheduling professional development activities during the summer, giving students early release, and using substitutes to allow teachers to attend workshops.

Winning the Substitute Game
District Administration. (2004).
http://www.districtadministration.com/page.cfm?p=807
This article provides strategies for attracting and retaining quality substitutes.  The authors concentrate on the challenges and concerns of substitute teachers themselves.

How Can Schools Make Time for Teacher Learning?  
Sparks, Dennis. (1999) Results.
http://www.nsdc.org/library/publications/results/res3-99learning.cfm
This brief article summarizes approaches to creating time for teacher learning and collaboration, which the National Staff Development Council believes should constitute at least one-quarter of a teachers’ work time.  Recommended approaches include using substitutes to free teachers, using faculty meetings for teacher learning, and lengthening the school day four days a week with early release on the fifth. 

data analysis | time | leadership | empowerment | prof development | facilities & resource