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Professional Development in Tough Economic TimesHow can we continue to provide effective professional development that improves teaching and learning when fiscal resources for professional development are reduced? Because professional development occurs in multiple ways, school districts and schools can be creative with repurposing existing time, financial resources, personnel, technology, and materials to increase educators' opportunities to learn. Some designs for professional development do not require huge expenditures, but rather require a new way of thinking. Use the resources below to learn more:
What evidence is most helpful to school boards so they understand the value and results of professional development and continue to support it during tough economic times? Evidence demonstrating the link between professional development and student achievement is critical to convince school boards of the value of professional development. School boards are interested in knowing about the return on their investment in professional development. Use the resources below to learn more:
With significant changes in our school systems, including Common Core State Standards and new student assessments, what professional development best supports implementation? Schools and districts often focus primarily on the launch of new initiatives and don't sufficiently support their implementation in a sustained manner. Changes as substantial as Common Core State Standards and new student assessments will require multi-year professional development plans with multiple layers of focus and support. Use the resources below to learn more:
What structures, strategies, and tools are available for school-based professional development that will increase reliance on internal expertise during tough economic times? Research for more than three decades has confirmed that teacher collaboration is associated with improvements in student learning, teachers' sense of professionalism, and school cultures that promote collective responsibility. Structures that support school-based professional development will require effiective communication and relationship- and trust-building among faculty as well as strong data analysis, information access, and research skills from each member of the staff. Use the resources below to learn more:
How can I access research with evidence of results in the field of professional development? Learning Forward strives to make information readily available about professional development through its online, searchable database of articles, reports, or news stories as well as providing links to relevant research and other reports related to professional development. Learning Forward members are encouraged to recommend reports to include in the archives and database and may send those to Jacqueline Kennedy at jacqueline.kennedy@learningforward.org. Use the resources below to learn more:
How might we begin to evaluate our professional development to gain better support for it? Learning Forward offers several resources to support schools and districts to evaluate the impact of its professional development. The process begins by being clear about the expected outcomes of professional development; identifying the most important questions to ask about professional development, including questions about its quality and effectiveness; identifying the type of evidence needed to answer those questions; collecting the evidence; analyzing and interpreting the data; and reporting the findings to all stakeholders. Use the resources below to learn more:
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