Professional Development Report Roundup

Research Report: Professional Development

By Stephen Sawchuk — August 24, 2010 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

State lawmakers and district officials should revise local collective bargaining contracts and state laws so that they support high-quality professional development, a report released this month by four groups urges.

The National Staff Development Council, the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, and the Council of Chief State School Officers banded together to produce the report. It incorporates the work of six state teams charged with examining local collective bargaining language and state codes that shape professional development.

The report covers a wide swath of topics, including whether the states and districts: have standards for professional development; specify budgetary policies for professional development; compensate teachers for professional development; and provide for teacher-designed professional development and collaboration. It also discusses how states address a few specific types of training, such as the professional development required for relicensure, induction, national-board certification, and career ladders.

The authors deem the current scope of policies disappointing. “From our study in these six states,” they write, “it seems that professional learning does not have a significant place in policy and collective bargaining language.”

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the August 25, 2010 edition of Education Week as Professional Development

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Reflections on Evidence-Based Grading Practices: What We Learned for Next Year
Get real insights on evidence-based grading from K-12 leaders.
Content provided by Otus
Mathematics Webinar How to Build Students’ Confidence in Math
Learn practical tips to build confident mathematicians in our webinar.
Student Achievement K-12 Essentials Forum How to Build and Scale Effective K-12 State & District Tutoring Programs
Join this free virtual summit to learn from education leaders, policymakers, and industry experts on the topic of high-impact tutoring.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Professional Development Some Schools Are Taking the Lead in Teacher Training. What That Looks Like
Finalists for a national school improvment award say schools need more ongoing training.
3 min read
First grade teacher Tyrhonda Route teaches a lesson at Waterloo Elementary School in Laurens County, S.C. The school's specialist and lead teachers provide ongoing professional development to other educators.
First grade teacher Tyrhonda Route teaches a lesson at Waterloo Elementary School in Laurens County, S.C. The school's specialist and lead teachers provide ongoing professional development to other educators.
Courtesy of National Institute for Excellence in Teaching
Professional Development Opinion Principals Need Mentors, Too. How to Find the Right One
Although my district paired me with an official mentor, it wasn’t until I sought out one of my own that I found the right fit.
Ian Knox
4 min read
A young education leader looks through a telescope in search of the perfect mentoring relationship.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
Professional Development Can AI Effectively Coach Teachers?
Coaching is one of the most effective but resource-intensive forms of professional development. Can AI fill in the gaps?
9 min read
Photo collage of woman working on laptop computer.
Education Week + Getty
Professional Development Spotlight Spotlight on PD for the Science of Reading
This Spotlight will help you discover how to help students develop conceptual understanding, effectively teach word problems, and more.