Did Schools That Missed AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) Improve the Quality of Professional Development for Teachers?

• In Event: Can Accountability Lead to Improved Teacher Quality?

Abstract

The overarching question for this study is: Does missing AYP prompt positive changes in schools, particularly changes in the quality of professional development (PD)? Our preliminary results based on nationally representative data suggest that the PD received by teachers in elementary schools that missed AYP target in reading/math for two consecutive years (consequently identified as in need of improvement under NCLB) showed greater improvement in its content focus, than that in schools that met AYP target in reading/math in both years. This study provides empirical evidence for the basic premise of NCLB’s accountability system. It also contributes to research literature on PD by examining PD as a policy outcome rather than a predictor as was done in most existing studies.

Authors

• Kwang Suk Yoon, American Institutes for Research

• Mengli Song, American Institutes for Research