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 |
Principles of High-Quality Professional Development
The critical role played by professional development in any attempt to attain the goals of educational reform has been recognized and advocated at the national level. President Bush and the nation’s governors cited professional development for teachers as one of the original six education goals adopted in 1989 (Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory [NWREL], 1994). Goal Four states that, "By the year 2000, the nation’s teaching force will have access to programs for the continuous improvement of their professional skills and the opportunity to acquire knowledge and skills needed to instruct and prepare all American students for the next century."
To further delineate actions in support of this goal, the U.S. Department of Education’s Professional Development Team identified 10 principles of high-quality professional development to serve as guidelines to both professional development providers and recipients. These principles reflect and embody what research identifies as best practice for professional development opportunities (Office of Educational Research and Improvement [OERI], 1997).
High-quality professional development:
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