No Panacea: Diagnosing What Ails Teacher Professional Development before Reaching for Remedies

Autor/inn/en	Tooley, Melissa; Connally, Kaylan
Institution	New America
Titel	No Panacea: Diagnosing What Ails Teacher Professional Development before Reaching for Remedies
Quelle	(2016), (44 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Monographie
Schlagwörter	Faculty Development; Performance Factors; Needs Assessment; Barriers; Teacher Education Programs; Program Effectiveness; Theory Practice Relationship; Organizational Culture; Productivity; Educational Responsibility; Change Strategies + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Leistungsindikator; Bedarfsermittlung; Theorie-Praxis-Beziehung; Unternehmenskultur; Produktivität; Erziehungsverantwortung; Lösungsstrategie
Abstract	Historically, states and districts have largely invested in teacher professional development (PD)--ranging from one-time workshops to collaborative peer learning communities--as the primary strategy to help teachers improve their practice. Despite its potential, in its present state, PD has gained a poor reputation among educators and those who study education, in part because little evidence exists that the significant investment of time and financial resources in PD has been consistently impactful. What is keeping PD from having its promised impact? Should states and districts be looking at other strategies for raising the quality of teaching for students? This report identifies key obstacles that prevent PD from reaching its potential for growing teachers' knowledge and skills in service of their students. The authors find that these obstacles prevent four elements of a productive PD cycle from occurring: (1) identifying teachers' development needs; (2) selecting aligned, evidence-based PD approaches; (3) implementing approaches with fidelity; and (4) assessing outcomes. The authors argue that these obstacles are reinforced by challenges in the professional culture experienced by many teachers. They also highlight how federal, state, district, and school-level actors all play a role in contributing to these obstacles and professional culture barriers, as do educator preparation programs. This report aims to provide a diagnosis of the underlying causes of ineffective PD that can serve as a foundation for remedying our nation's approach to teacher development. (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	New America. 740 15th Street NW Suite 900, Washington, DC 20005. Tel: 202-986-2700; Fax: 202-986-3696; Web site: http://www.newamerica.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01