Professional development is “a focus on and responsibility for student learning and the formation of professional community inside and outside the school.” Judith Warren Little, 1996

Effective professional development involves teachers both as learners and teachers, and allows them to struggle with the uncertainties that accompany each role. Linda Darling-Hammond and Milbrey W. McLaughlin, 1996

Improving teaching practice is an important way to improve student achievement… Wenglinsky (2000) and Sanders and Rivers (1996)

Well-designed professional development can improve practice and increase student achievement. A review of high-quality experimental studies found that among programs offering extended PD (49 hours on average over 6 to 12 months), student achievement increased by 21 percentile points. (Yoon et al., 2007)

More than 9 out of 10 U.S. teachers have participated in professional learning consisting primarily of short-term conferences or workshops. Professional Learning in the Learning Profession: A Status Report on Teacher Development in the United States and Abroad NSDC, February 2009

Other nations that outperform the United States on international assessments invest heavily in professional learning and build time for ongoing, sustained teacher development and collaboration into teachers’ work hours. Professional Learning in the Learning Profession: A Status Report on Teacher Development in the United States and Abroad NSDC, February 2009

U.S. teachers participate in workshops and short-term professional development events at similar levels as teachers in other nations. But the United States is far behind in providing public school teachers with opportunities to participate in extended learning opportunities and productive collaborative communities. Professional Learning in the Learning Profession: A Status Report on Teacher Development in the United States and Abroad NSDC, February 2009

Teachers are not getting adequate training in teaching special education or limited English proficiency students. More than two-thirds of teachers nationally had not had even one day of training in supporting the learning of special education or LEP students during the previous three years, and only one-third agreed that they had been given the support they needed to teach students with special needs. Professional Learning in the Learning Profession: A Status Report on Teacher Development in the United States and Abroad NSDC, February 2009

Showers (1982) found that training followed by peer-coaching increased teachers use of new practices more than without peer coaching. Knight, 2008

Showers (1984) found that coached teachers were more likely to put newly learned practices to use in the classroom, but also coaching contributed significantly to higher student achievement scores. Knight, 2008

One study found that teacher-to-teacher coaching and mentoring was more likely to result in higher-order learning experiences for students than traditional professional development activities. Quick et al., 2009

Professional development activities, such as study groups, mentoring relationships, and task forces that require active, collaborative participation over time have been found to be particularly effective. Porter et al., 2003

Studies of effective secondary school reading programs demonstrate one thing clearly: We cannot significantly improve the literacy skills of adolescents without comprehensive staff development. Sturtevant et al., 2006

Where do you and your school fall on the PD Continuum? Place your Post-it on the continuum.

PD Continuum Sit and Get Supportive Job-embedded collaborative Instructionally- focused On-going