IDENTIFIERS *Capacity Building; *Professional Community; Teacher

This study investigated connections between school district policy related to professional development in four urban districts nationwide and school organizational capacity in one elementary school in each district. The elementary schools served large numbers of low-income students, had histories of low achievement, had shown progress in student achievement in recent years related to their sustained professional development, participated in site-based management, and had received significant professional development assistance from one or more external agencies. Researchers made two to four visits to each school for up to 4 days at a time, observing professional development activities and classroom instruction, interviewing school and district staff and external providers of faculty development, and collecting pertinent documents (e.g., achievement data and demographic and fiscal information). Results indicated that school district policy could help schools enhance teachers ' knowledge, skills, an