The Recipients of High-Quality Professional Development: Who They Are, Whom They Teach, and Where They Work

• In Event: 33.080 - Poster Session 6
  In Poster Session: 33.080-4 - Policies for Improving Teacher and Leadership Effectiveness

Abstract

Using a panel dataset of middle school mathematics teachers from three urban school districts, teacher fixed effects models are employed to identify if less skilled teachers serving at-risk student populations in failing schools attend collaborative, focused, coherent, and relevant professional development. Recipients of effective professional development are found to possess high content knowledge, execute less ambitious instructional practices, teach more LEP, but fewer poor, students; the minority status of students does not influence professional development attendance. The relationships between teacher knowledge and instructional practices and professional development attendance are also dependent on the accountability sanctions facing the school in which a teacher works. Findings indicate educational leaders could improve the quality of professional development for teachers who need it most.

Author

• Seth B Hunter, Vanderbilt University - Peabody College