Effective Professional Development and Research Information

Module 1: Creating Effective PD Committees

Explore the structures that district-wide and school-based PD committees can take, the areas in which committees should have authority and responsibility, and tips for working as a committee to make good decisions.

Module 2: PD Research and the Process of Change

Effective PD should be based on research and an understanding of how change brought about by PD needs to be supported. Read about what the latest research on PD tells us, and gain an overview of two components of the Concerns-Based Adoption Model for change - Stages of Concern and Levels of Use.

Module 3 - Developing a Comprehensive PD Plan

Learn about the 4 elements of a comprehensive professional development plan - and why each is essential to include in the plan. View sample Practice Profiles for each element via the Appendices below. See how the elements and their components align with current state professional development guidelines.

Module 4 - Conducting Effective Needs Assessments

Explore the pros and cons of traditional paper-and-pencil needs assessments, and how to use small group discussions to look at student data to determine teacher learning needs.

Module 5 - Differentiating Your District Professional Development Plan

Professional development that is differentiated and teacher-directed can have a much greater impact on instruction and student learning. Learn what questions to ask to determine when PD should be district, school, or team-based, how to develop an effective PD growth plan, and view samples of PD growth plans that take teachers to deep levels of learning.

• Education Week Article on Professional Development (2004)

  A summary of study findings about what contributes to effective professional development that impacts student learning.

• From Surviving to Thriving (ASCD 2009)

  To remain enthusiastic and committed in their work, teachers need environments that promote meaningful learning.

• Reviewing the Evidence on How Teacher Professional Development Affects Student Achievement

  SW Regional Educational Lab 2007

• Scaling Up Instructional Improvement Through Teacher Professional Development (Consortium for Policy Research in Education 2006)

  Report of an effort to bring about large-scale, systemic change through teacher professional development.

• State of the Profession: Study Measures Status of Professional Development

  NSDC has sponsored this initial report to synthesize what we know as a baseline to inform decisions and improvements in professional learning.

• State of The Profession Revisited (NSDC 2009)

  Global statistics bring fresh thinking to inquiry into professional development - a view from education research Bruce Joyce.

• Teacher Learning: What Matters? (ASCD 2009)

  Research shows how schools can create more powerful professional development experiences.