Urban School Reform Enabled by Transformative Professional Development: Impact on Teacher Change and Student Learning of Science

Abstract

This longitudinal study of middle school science teachers explored if a teacher participation in the TPD program resulted in change in instructional practice as well as a significant increase in student learning. Four participating schools were matched and randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. Teacher and student outcomes were compared. Eight teachers from Bryce and Zion Middle Schools participated in the 2-week summer institute, followed by monthly release day professional development sessions focused on implementing instruction outlined in the National Science Education Standards. Student achievement was assessed using the pre-or postinstruments. Students of teachers at treatment schools experienced significantly larger gains than students at the control schools. TPD intervention teachers experienced increase in teaching effectiveness. Findings in this study revealed the positive impact that whole-school, sustained, collaborative,

Impact of teachers’ professional development on school improvement—an analysis at Bangladesh standpoint

“…This finding is similar to Leithwood and Steinbach's (1995) study result where they mentioned that teachers' collaboration was more likely experiencing the long term growth enough to lead to quality school improvement. This finding is also in the alignment of some other researchers (Putnam and Borko 1997;Little and McLaughlin 1993;Louis and Kruse 1995;Johnson and Fargo 2010) who experienced the same significant effect of teachers' collaboration on school improvement.…”

Supporting Professional Development in Special Education with Web-Based Professional Learning Communities: New Possibilities with Web 2.0

“…Professional development activities that are likely to have the greatest effect on student achievement are those that occur over an extended period of time, are focused on subject matter content and how students learn that content, involve collaborative engagement in teamwork, and promote active engagement in the learning process (Bausmith & Barry, 2011;Johnson & Fargo, 2010). Active learning is a critical component of professional growth because it engages all participants as equal partners in the learning process and puts the learner at the center of community work (Doppelt et al, 2009).…”

“…However, to accomplish that purpose, teachers must know the content to be learned and how students learn it (Bausmith & Barry, 2011). They also must become collaboratively engaged in teamwork as learners themselves in the context of their own classrooms (Johnson & Fargo, 2010). Neither general nor special educators have the depth of knowledge and skills necessary to develop the level of content and pedagogical expertise required to meet the learning needs of every student in today's academically diverse classrooms.…”

A Face-to-Face Professional Development Model to Enhance Teaching of Online Research Strategies

“…There is evidence that face-to-face professional development can (a) enhance student outcomes when based on the core features of effective professional development (e.g., Desimone, 2009;Johnson & Fargo, 2010;Penuel, Fishman, Yamaguchi, & Gallagher, 2007), (b) promote teaching with technology in classrooms (e.g., Sadik, 2008), and (c) benefit SWLDs (e.g., Harris, Graham, & Adkins, 2015). The current project's face-to-face professional development model, designed to prepare teachers to instruct students in online research strategies with the SOAR Student Toolkit, was developed using evidence-based principles for well-designed professional development and was grounded in prior research.…”

“…Johnson and Fargo (2010) conducted a longitudinal study of middle school science teachers who participated in the Discovery Model Schools initiative, which was followed by 1-day periodic professional development sessions. The Discovery Model included the five core features of effective professional development.…”