July Issue Brief: Professional Development

Recent research reveals that although districts spend large amounts of money on professional development, PD has a poor reputation for actually improving instructional practice, and teachers claim that current approaches are not meeting their needs.

In this month’s issue brief, we focus on the problems with professional development, look to other countries and other industries for insights, and explore what teachers are asking for. We offer resources that provide insights into the most effective ways to support educator development.

We’d love to hear your thoughts! What are the problems with professional development? How can these problems be overcome? What are best practices in professional learning? Please respond to our call for commentary. We'd love to hear from you!

Thanks for all you do to support and inspire great educators and engaging education.
Kim Fleming
President, Core Education LLC

No Panacea: Key Obstacles to Effective Teacher Professional Development

In a new report, No Panacea: Diagnosing What Ails Teacher Professional Development Before Reaching for Remedies, New America identifies key obstacles that prevent PD from reaching its potential for growing teachers’ knowledge and skills in the service of their students.

Looking Outside: Learning about PD from Other Industries
A recent report written by the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders and Learning Forward examines what teachers and educational leaders can learn about professional development from other industries. The report analyzes suggestions from five major fields including: Law Enforcement, Psychology, Business, Medical Fields and the Military.

What Teachers Need to Make Professional Learning Work

Learning Forward and NCTAF recently released a white paper on the role that teacher agency plays in creating successful professional learning opportunities. The white paper, Moving from Compliance to Agency: What Teachers Need to Make Professional Learning Work, defines teacher agency as “the capacity of teachers to act purposefully and constructively to direct their professional growth and contribute to the growth of their colleagues.”

Professional Development Transformed
In a recent post in Education Week, Marc Tucker examines the teacher professional development systems in Hong Kong, Singapore, British Columbia, and Shanghai, then compares them to the professional development systems set up in the United States.

Do we Know How to Help Teachers Get Better?

TNTP has spent the last two years trying to answer the question, “Do we know how to help teachers get better?” Their report,The Mirage: Confronting the Hard Truth About Our Quest for Teacher Development, shares what they found.

Teachers Know Best: Teachers’ Views on Professional Development

The Boston Consulting Group was engaged by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to conduct interviews and surveys with teachers, professional development leaders in district and state education agencies, principals, professional development providers, and thought leaders to help identify professional development needs and opportunities for improvement.

Call for Commentary

What are the problems with professional development?
How can these problems be overcome?
What are best practices in professional learning?

Send your responses to these questions to kfleming@coreeducationllc.com
We thrive on the discussion!

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