SRN LEADS/Stanford University: School Redesign Network — Leadership, Equity & Accountability in Districts & Schools

Professional Development in the United States

Teachers are the single most influencing factor in student achievement, and how teachers are trained and supported throughout their careers is vital to their success. The National Staff Development Council and SRN's parent program, SCOPE, are involved in a multi-year effort that tracks state's progress in teacher professional development and identifies model policies and practices that can be adopted. The study is one of the most comprehensive yet conducted. The following reports have been released through this study:

December 2010: Teacher Professional Learning in the United States:
Case Studies of State Policies and Strategies

A study looking at the policies and professional development strategies of four professionally active states through case studies.

Executive Summary Technical Report (final draft; final, formatted version to be posted soon)

 

August, 2010: Professional Development in the United States: Trends and Challenges

A report analyzing the status of professional learning in the United States by identifying the availability and quality of professional development in the United States based on 11 criteria. Executive Summary Technical Report Press Release

February, 2009: Professional Learning in the Learning Profession: A Status Report on Teacher Development in the U.S. and Abroad

A baseline assessment of what works and what is happening in states and other nations to provide us with useful benchmarks against which we can measure state and district progress Executive Summary Technical Report Press Release

 

The multiyear research initiative is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, MetLife Foundation, NSDC, and the Wallace Foundation.