Can Professional Development of Teachers Reduce Disparity in Student Achievement?

• In Event: Roundtable Session 18.
  In Roundtable Session: Everybody Learns: Professional Learning Communities and Student Improvement

Abstract

Improving student achievement, while reducing achievement gaps among minority and underpriveleged groups is an aim that forms the impetus for much research in education. There is an increased focus on school-level reform, particularly relating to teacher effectiveness and development since this is the area of primary influence on student achievement. However, while considerable research has investigated the influence of professional development interventions, much of this has reported small or inconsistent transfer to gains at the student level, or has failed to even collect student achievement data, making conclusions about the value of the intervention difficult. This paper investigates whether large gains made by students whose teachers received professional development generalise across subgroups, and result in a reduction in disparity.

Authors

• Kane Meissel, The University of Auckland

• Judy M. Parr, University of Auckland