ABSTRACT
A push for school reform based on educational standards is sweeping the country. Articles about these standards and their impact on schools and students appear in newspapers and jour nals across the nation. Most writers couple the issue of higher standards with the need to assess whether students are meeting the higher standards and the need to develop ways of holding students, teachers, schools, and principals accountable for meet ing the standards. Trailing behind the discussions about stan dards, assessment, and accountability is the recognition that effective, continual high-quality professional development must be in place to prepare teachers to help students achieve the higher standards. In this chapter, we explore the ways in which effec tive professional development can contribute to a comprehen sive school dropout prevention effort.
