By Michael Fullan
Bruce Joyce and Beverly Showers continue to provide the state-ofthe-art ideas on the role of staff development and its link to improved student achievement. This third edition of Student Achievement Through Staff Development contains numerous clear examples of powerful cases of improved student achievement.
First, the authors establish that student learning for all should be the only goal for staff development. They then demonstrate the very close linkages between staff development, the development of professional learning communities, changes in curriculum, instruction and climate, and the cumulative effects on student learning.
They use case examples to test the propositions, showing clearly how the content and process of staff development can alter the functioning of classrooms and schools. Joyce and Showers provide ideas for “designing training and peer coaching,” “moving from workshops to the classroom,” and “inquiring about and evaluating what students are learning.”
In addition to sharpening the focus on staff development and student learning, this new edition pushes much further into the critical importance of the larger infrastructure. There are new chapters and analyses on (1) the states of growth of people, (2) creating communities in districts and schools, (3) the role of leadership at the school and district levels, and (4) policy implications for national standards for staff development.
The overall result is that Student Achievement Through Staff Development is a comprehensive guide that establishes the core agenda for staff development—one that weaves together classrooms, schools, districts, and state policy—all for the benefit of students. The findings and cases ring true with my own analyses of successful