Case Study of Professional Development Expenditures at a Restructured High School

Abstract

This article is an analysis of professional development spending in a recently restructured urban high school. This study describes the school's restructuring effort, the ways in which professional development in the school supports the effort, and the ways in which the school reallocated

Effects of a Computerized Professional Development Program on Teacher and Student Outcomes

“…Today, inservice teachers rarely participate in effective pro fessional development because it requires expertise, time, funds, and coordination beyond the means of many schools and/or districts (e.g., Archibald & Gallagher, 2002;Elges et al, 2006). Computerized professional development pro grams, like the VW however, remove these access barriers.…”

“…Dep artments of education, school districts, universities, foun dations, professional organizations, and even broadcasters have all produced computerized programs in various forms (e.g., podcasts, webinars, online courses, and multimedia soft ware programs) for teachers (for reviews, see Ginsburg, Gray, & Levin, 2004;Kleiman, 2004). Many organizations have embraced computerized programs because they make professional development accessible to teachers (Kleiman, 2004;Walker, Downey, & Sorensen, 2008;Wells, Lewis, & Greene, 2006) and affordable for schools (Abbott, Green wood, Buzhardt, & Tapia, 2006;Wentling et al, 2000), factors that have proven to be barriers to professional devel opment in the past (Archibald & Gallagher, 2002;Elges, Righettini, & Combs, 2006).…”

Teacher professional development activities in Africa

“…Teachers recommended that the substance of PD endeavours should concentrate on the subject matter being taught in the classroom, complex topics that pose difficulties, and the expectations for learners in their matriculation examinations. Archibald et al (2011) posit that the effectiveness of PD hinges on the provision of suitable content for teachers, content that can enhance the teaching and learning processes within the educational system. This statement aligns with Knowles' (1984) theory of andragogy, which suggests that the content of professional development activities should be based on the classroom needs of teachers.…”

“…According to Bowman and colleagues (2001), the professional development activities of teachers in South Africa are characterised by irregularity, inconsistency, and inadequacy in addressing their professional needs. The challenges associated with Professional development activities among teachers can be attributed to the fragmented structures of such programmes, inadequate evaluation of teachers to determine their professional requirements, insufficient feedback on the Professional development activities, and other factors (Archibald et al, 2011). Elmore (2002) emphasises the importance of providing regular professional development opportunities for teachers to enhance their ability to effectively carry out their professional responsibilities.…”

The Effects of a Computerized Professional Development Program on Teachers and Students with and without Disabilities in Secondary General Education Classes

“…Effective PD is rare because it requires expertise, time, funds, and coordination that are beyond the means of many schools and/or districts (e.g., Archibald & Gallagher, 2002;Elges, Righettini, & Combs, 2006;Kleiman, 2004). In an attempt to overcome these barriers, many organizations (e.g., departments of edu cation, school districts, universities, foundations, pro fessional organizations, broadcasters) have developed computerized programs for teacher PD (see Ginsburg, Gray, & Levin [2004] and Kleiman [2004] for reviews).…”