PDF version What Is Effective Professional Development? What Have We Learned About Professional Development? Priciples of High-Quality Professional Development Some Guiding Questions for Selecting Professional Development Activities Lessons from Adult Learning Theory Finding Time for Professional Development What Makes Professional Development Ineffective? Some Alternatives to Short-Term, "One-Size-Fits-All" Workshops Conclusion |
Conclusion
The message from research is clear: Effective professional development is intensive and sustained; it occurs through collaborative planning and implementation; and it engages teachers in opportunities that promote continuous inquiry and improvement that is relevant and appropriate to local sites.
Although the lessons from research are explicit, challenges and questions remain. A significant challenge is to put these lessons into action. Many professional development activities simply do not exemplify what we have learned from research. Another, and yet unanswered, question that is the focus of several current investigations is how to better represent and determine the relationship between improved student achievement and professional development activities.
The schools and districts in the "Northwest Sampler" section of this booklet are examples of how some educators have translated the lessons from research into practice. They contribute important insights to the ongoing study of effective professional development.
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