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McREL Research Affirms Link Between High-Quality Teacher Professional Development And Improved Student Achievement A new study from Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL), has found that professional development for teachers can have a positive impact on student achievement if it is sustained over time; focuses on specific content areas or instructional strategies; supports the collective learning of most, if not all, teachers in a school; aligns with school and teacher goals; and provides opportunities for teachers to practice and apply new knowledge. McREL researchers also found, however, that in general, teacher professional development does not reflect these characteristics. As a result, it has had mixed results in improving student achievement. McREL arrived at these conclusions after examining 37 major studies of professional development. McREL recommends that schools and districts should carefully scrutinize professional development programs to ensure that they are based on rigorous research and employ effective strategies for improving teacher and student performance. The researcher findings suggest that for classroom practice to change, professional learning opportunities should be grounded in the student's curriculum, embedded and connected to several elements of instruction, and extended in time so there may be practice, coaching and follow-ups. The research also indicates that substantial changes in teacher instruction and student learning take time. Progress should be assessed ongoing. This is cause for policymakers to look at the time and resources schools and districts are operating with. "The results of this study affirms what educators have long known -- that high-quality professional development is one of the best investments a school or district can make for its students," said McREL President and CEO Tim Waters. "Too often, though, professional development remains a perfunctory, one-day training on the topic du jour with little follow up or opportunities for teachers to learn together or practice what they are learning." The complete research publication, Professional Development Analysis, is available online http://www.mcrel.org/topics/productDetail.asp?topicsID=10&productID=234 What is professional development? Cathy Miles Grant says, "Professional
development includes formal and informal means of helping teachers learn new skills;
develop new insights into pedagogy and practice; and explore new or advanced understandings
of content and resources." (Professional Development in a Technological Age:
New Definitions, Old Challenges, New Resources. Technology Infusion and School
Change; Perspectives and Practices, TERC, 1998.) Why does it matter? "The current teaching model - one teacher in a single classroom, doing the same work on the first day of the job as on the last - no longer serves the needs of a radically transformed society,…We must realize that culture cannot change until the job of teaching is reconfigured to reflect the realities of how people work and learn in today's world….. Success….depends on transforming teaching from an isolated, free-lance culture into an open, collaborative culture that fosters professional excellence and accountability." V. Troan and K. Boles in "Who's Teaching Your Children?", 2003. High-Quality Professional Development: Guidelines for Washington's Schools Ensuring rigorous learning environments for students requires ongoing professional development for their teachers. Washington has developed guidelines for professional development based on recommendations from over 100 educators throughout the state. The plan defines seven effective, research-based practices in professional development:
The Importance of Professional Community by Robert J. Garmston, Sacramento, California and Bruce M. Wellman, Guilford, Vermont "Teachers in successful schools are undeniably interdependent. Professionals working in concert produce cumulative effects in student learning. As more schools, districts, states, and provinces develop and attempt to implement clear standards and high expectations, the need for collaborative energy becomes increasingly clear." Samples of Teacher Support The Center for Strengthening the Teaching Profession invited teachers from around Washington State to provide examples of ways that principals, colleagues, and districts are supporting instruction in ways teachers find particularly helpful. View what teachers have to say about people and places that are providing the professional development, instructional support and leadership teachers need. The Support Gap: New Teachers' Early Experiences In this report, Susan Moore Johnson and others summarize the results of surveys of new teachers in several states (FL, MA, MI, NC and WA). They found that, "overall, new teachers in low income schools experience less support in hiring, mentoring and curriculum than those who teach in high income schools. It seems, then, that alongside the student achievement gap there exists a comparable and troubling support gap for new teachers in the first critical years on the job." The report goes on to describe particular practices in hiring, mentoring and curriculum guidance helped new teachers settle into a new profession. Learn more PDF (291 KB) about what the report has to say.
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