Reviewing the evidence on how teacher professional development affects student achievement

Topic area focus. As part of the Southwestern Regional Educational Laboratory’s (REL Southwest) fast-turnaround projects, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) will conduct a systematic review of research-based evidence on the effects of professional development on growth in student learning. The main focus of the review will be how students’ achievement in three core academic subjects (English/language arts/reading, mathematics, and science) is affected by professional development activities that are designed to enhance K–12 teachers’ knowledge and skills and to transform their classroom practices. A basic assumption of this review is that the effects of professional development on student achievement are mediated by increased teacher knowledge and improved teaching in the classroom (see appendix B, figure B.1). Existing literature reviews (Loucks-Horsley & Matsumoto, 1999; Supovitz, 2001) indicate that the volume of literature on the effect of professional development on student learning is thinner than that on the effects of professional development on teacher learning and classroom teaching practices. Therefore, we expect that our literature search will turn up existing studies on the effects of professional development on teacher learning and teaching practice (but which fall short of demonstrating its effect on student achievement), as well as those that take the next step and address the link between professional development and student outcomes. Our tally of excluded studies will be the means by which we document the paucity of research that directly examines the effect of professional development on student achievement. This systematic review of evidence will address the following research questions: What is the impact of providing professional • development to teachers on student achievement? If a sufficient number of studies remain in the final pool, we will also try to disaggregate the results to answer: Does the effect of teacher professional • development on student achievement vary by type of professional development provided (for example, summer institutes, workshops, online training)? Does the effect of teacher professional de• velopment on student achievement vary by content domain (English/language arts, mathematics, science)? Does the effect of teacher professional de• velopment on student achievement vary by grade level (elementary, secondary)? General inclusion criteria Populations to be included. Target populations for this review include the students of K–12 teachers of English/language arts/reading, mathematics, and science. Although we would like to be able to examine how the effect of teacher professional development on student achievement varies by student characteristics (for example, English language learners, economically disadvantaged students, students with disabilities), we do not expect to find many studies that directly address student outcomes, which are distal effects of professional development given to teachers. If our final review pool contains studies that allow for this disaggregation, we will include those findings in the final report. Types of professional development to be included. The No Child Left Behind provisions shed light on 30 reviewing the evidence On hOw teacher prOfeSSiOnal develOpment affectS Student achievement what constitutes professional development (see appendix C for detailed definitions). It encompasses a wide range of activities that are designed to provide teachers with opportunities to deepen their knowledge in the subject matter that they teach, improve teaching skills, and better understand how students learn and think. Therefore, we take an inclusive view on the form and substance of professional development (Kennedy, 1998). A variety of forms (format and structure) and substances (content and purpose) of professional development will be considered for the inclusion of review as long as they are designed to assist teachers of English/language arts/reading, mathematics, and science to achieve their desired goals for enhancing student achievement outcomes. The substance of professional development • may include combinations of the following areas: Research-based reform models, curri• cula, instructional strategies and models, or materials (for example, Cognitively Guided Instruction, America’s Choice, Open Court, Success for All) Content knowledge (for example, phone• mic awareness, algebraic concepts, use of manipulatives, conservation) Pedagogical content knowledge of a • particular subject: knowledge about how students learn a particular subject and understanding of student thinking Generic instructional strategies or teach• ing skills that are applicable to any subject (for example, differentiated instruction, cooperative learning, and reciprocal learning); this may include such special topics as classroom management, use of assessment data, alignment of instruction with standards, and teaching students with special needs in learning English, mathematics, or science (for example, English language learners and students with disabilities). The form of professional development to be • included in the review may involve: Traditional types of professional devel• opment such as workshops, summer institutes, and conferences. Reform types of professional develop• ment, such as coaching and mentoring, that are embedded in teachers’ classroom teaching. Online professional development such • as online courses, web-based teaching modules, or virtual teacher-learning communities. Types of research studies to be included. Our review of professional development literature focuses on studies that involve student learning in reading, mathematics, and science in grades K–12. To be included in the review, a study must meet several relevancy criteria: Topic. • The study has to deal with professional development applied to teaching in reading, mathematics, and science. The study is required to focus on the effects of teachers’ inservice professional development on student learning. Hence, this review does not include studies that are primarily focused on: Effects of pre-service teacher preparation • on student learning. Effects of teacher quality in general on • student achievement. Effects of comprehensive reform models, • curricula, instructional models, materials, and assessment on student achievement, with little attention to professional development (for example, teacher