What Makes Professional Development Ineffective?s

Professional development literature over the past three decades provides clear distinctions about what works and what doesn’t. This body of extensive research clearly substantiates the ineffectiveness of the all too common one-shot workshop (Fullan & Stielgebauer, 1991). As indicated in Little’s (1989) comprehensive examination of professional development practices, a lack of attention to follow-up activities is another factor that contributes to ineffectiveness. Additional barriers include:

• Tendencies toward fads and/or quick-fix solutions

• Overload or too many competing demands

• Lack of attention to site-specific differences

• Teacher turnover

• Failure to allow sufficient time to plan for and learn new strategies

• Attempts to manage by central office staff, rather than provisions to develop capacity and leadership at the school level (Fullan & Stielgebauer, 1991)

---

This document's URL is: © 2001 Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory Date of Last Update: 09/19/2001 Email Webmaster Tel. 503.275.9500