This strategy involves designing a professional development program at the district level built on general principles that research suggests are key to influencing teachers' beliefs and reshaping their instructional practices. It requires a shift in the curriculum, pedagogy and discourse of professional development from simply giving teachers things to do in their classroom toward providing support for more reflective approaches to teaching, learning and assessment.

An important strength of this strategy is that professional development is custom-tailored to meet the long-term needs of the district. There are many tools to support on-going professional development and this strategy allows for linking a variety of tools in purposive ways. If a program of professional development is organized around the principles above, it stands a good chance of developing all personnel.

This approach to professional development stands in stark contrast to modal practice. It requires district leaders to take hard positions that �not everything goes.� A district needs to hold firm in supporting with its own resources only those activities that fit with the overall improvement plan. That may mean resisting calls to bring in charismatic or motivational outside experts or consultants when what they offer is not likely to move the district forward.

The "download extended report" provides a full description of this strategy along with guidance about implementing the strategy and strengths and limitations of the strategy.