Providing High Quality Professional Development

1

• Providing High Quality Professional Development
• Andrew Wayne, Senior Research Analyst
• American Institutes for Research
• May 10, 2007

2
Context The Importance of PD

• Student achievement has become a priority
• PD can affect student achievement
• PD may have enduring effects on teachers and
  administrators

3
Context Federal Support

• Federal funding for PD has grown
• Accountability systems encourage PD for
  identified schools
• Teachers in high-poverty schools receive more PD
  on reading and math

4
Effective PD Research Base

• Experiments
• Correlational studies
• Case studies

5
Effective PD Features

• Structural features
• What does it look like from the outside?
• Core features
• Whats inside?

6
Effective PD Structural Features

• Duration and time span
• Collective participation
• Integration with daily work

7
Effective PD Core Features

• Focus on content
• Opportunities for active learning
• Coherence

8
Funding High Quality PD

• High quality PD is usually expensive
• Many funding streams support PD, which causes
  some fragmentation
• High quality PD may require joining funding
  streams

9
Ensuring High Quality Delivery

• Are the materials good?
• Who are the trainers?
• How do the trainers prepare?