Collaborative Professional Development: One School's Story

This article describes how one elementary school's professional development model helped both new and veteran teachers grow in their knowledge and practice of balanced literacy. Created in partnership between university faculty, school administration, and elementary teachers, this multifaceted whole-school PD effort enabled teachers to learn in whole-group, small-group, and individual settings. Significant elements of the PD included learning conversations, demonstration lessons, book studies, and case studies of readers. In describing elements of the professional development and particular learning outcomes for several teachers, the article casts a vision for what is possible in supporting school-wide professional learning for both teachers and administrators.