Special Report
Professional Development From Our Research Center

What School and District Leaders Get, Want, and Need From Professional Development

By EdWeek Research Center — November 02, 2021 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

The EdWeek Research Center conducted a nationally representative survey of educators from Aug. 25 to Sept. 8, including more than 450 school and district leaders, about their professional development access, needs, and preferences. Here are the details.

About how often does your school district provide formal professional development to principals and assistant principals?
DATA: How often are principals and assistant principals in your district consulted on the type of professional development they need?
DATA: How do you learn about professional development opportunities? Select all that apply.
Data: Survey of Principals: What format do you prefer when receiving your professional development training?
DATA: Survey of TEACHERS, PRINCIPALS, AND DISTRICT LEADERS: How willing or resistant is your district when it comes to allowing you to use and apply professional development knowledge in action?
DATA: SURVEY OF PRINCIPALS: In what areas of school leadership do principals in your district need professional development? Select all that apply.

Read the Full Report

Professional Development Reports Principal Professional Development: Results of a National Survey
This report examines results from a survey asking principals to share their views regarding professional development and training.
January 27, 2022

Coverage of leadership, summer learning, social and emotional learning, arts learning, and afterschool is supported in part by a grant from The Wallace Foundation, at www.wallacefoundation.org. Education Week retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage.

A version of this article appeared in the November 03, 2021 edition of Education Week as What School and District Leaders Get, Want, and Need From 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
Reading & Literacy Webinar
Improve Reading Comprehension: Three Tools for Working Memory Challenges
Discover three working memory workarounds to help your students improve reading comprehension and empower them on their reading journey.
Content provided by Solution Tree
Recruitment & Retention Webinar EdRecruiter 2026 Survey Results: How School Districts are Finding and Keeping Talent
Discover the latest K-12 hiring trends from EdWeek’s nationwide survey of job seekers and district HR professionals.
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
Professional Development Webinar
Recalibrating PLCs for Student Growth in the New Year
Get advice from K-12 leaders on resetting your PLCs for spring by utilizing winter assessment data and aligning PLC work with MTSS cycles.
Content provided by Otus

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 Video How One District Is Getting Secondary Teachers Up to Speed on Reading Support
A district invests in improving secondary teachers' knowledge to help students needing reading support.
1 min read
High school teachers learn how to teach reading to struggling older readers during an AIM training at Marietta High School in Marietta, Ga., on Nov. 10, 2025.
High school teachers learn how to teach reading to struggling older readers during an AIM training at Marietta High School in Marietta, Ga., on Nov. 10, 2025.
Jason Drakeford for Education Week
Professional Development Opinion Calling Yourself a 'Lead Learner' Doesn't Make It So
As an educator, knowing your job well can dull your desire to grow. There's a way to change that.
5 min read
Screenshot 2025 11 20 at 5.50.16 PM
Canva
Professional Development Opinion How Education Leaders Can Build a Better Space for Collaborative Learning
School improvement often falls flat, and initiatives are easily abandoned. That can be changed.
5 min read
Screenshot 2025 11 07 at 3.38.08 PM
Canva
Professional Development How Do Teachers Learn Best? Here's What They Say
Teachers are required to do professional development, but too often it falls short of their needs.
5 min read
Master teacher Krysta McGrew, center, leads a 5K cluster meeting at Ford Elementary School in Laurens, S.C., on March 10, 2025.
Master teacher Krysta McGrew, center, leads a professional development session at Ford Elementary School in Laurens, S.C., on March 10, 2025.
Bryant Kirk White for Education Week