Effects of a Teacher Professional Development Program on the Mathematics Achievement of Middle School Students

Abstract

The effect of a 15- to 24-month in-service professional development (PD) program on state accountability mathematics test scores for middle school students was examined using a quasi-experimental design. Middle level mathematics teachers (n = 128) from 7 school districts and 64 middle schools volunteered for a PD sequence of content-oriented summer courses and pedagogy-oriented structured follow-up experiences during the subsequent academic year. Student effects of the PD program were measured using Colorado's state mathematics test results for 2 cohorts of students: 1 that received mathematics instruction from participant teachers in the year prior to the PD and another cohort that received mathematics instruction in the year following the PD. The odds of a student achieving a Proficient or Advanced score on the state test were then compared between cohorts. Results showed that students' odds of achieving a score of Proficient or better increased with teacher participation in the PD program.

Impacting teachers’ understanding of geometric similarity: results from field testing of the Learning and Teaching Geometry professional development materials

“…Research has provided emerging evidence that certain characteristics of PD are important for influencing changes in classroom practice and supporting student achievement (Heck et al 2008, Sample McMeeking et al 2012. For example, programs with a focus on subject matter knowledge and student learning in that subject are more likely to have an impact on student achievement than those focused on more generic topics (Kennedy 1999, Cohen andHill 2000).…”

Mobile Teacher Professional Development (MTPD): Delving into English Teachers’ Beliefs in Indonesia

“…Professionalism is imperative for teachers because it affects teaching quality (see Gore, Lloyd, Smith, Bowe, Ellis, & Lubans, 2017) and student achievement (see Sampel McMeeking, Orsi, & Cobb, 2012).…”

The impact of school district financial allocation on district effectiveness : a look at school districts in Missouri

“…Table 5.1 displays these results. Greenwald, Hedges, and Laine (1996) and Sander (1999) in that class size reduction matters, but also adds value to the professional development findings by Blank (2013), Iatorola and Fruchter (2004), Heller et al, (2011), andSample McMeeking, Orsi, andCobb (2012) in that professional development can have an impact on achievement. From a larger perspective, this finding also supported the notion that resources in the classroom can be allocated in such a way to improve district effectiveness.…”

“…The professional development program was designed to give teachers deeper content knowledge and to use an-inquiry based approach to math. Again the authors found that students with teachers who participated in these programs performed significantly better on standardized tests than teachers who did not (Sample McMeeking, Orsi, and Cobb, 2012).…”

“…defines professional development as "those processes and activities designed to enhance the professional knowledge, skill, and attitudes of educators so that they might, in turn, improve the learning of students" (from SampleMcMeeking, Orsi, and Cobb, 2012). In addition to spending on staff, school districts also invest significant resources inprofessional development.…”