In this report we offer specific recommendations to state and district leaders in five significant areas that we have found to achieve high-quality professional learning at scale. These recommendations are: 1) Use dollars more effectively; 2) Find or create time for high-quality professional development; 3) Verify professional development materials are effective; 4) Shift priorities to emphasize institutional change and professional development; and 5) Ensure every teacher and leader receives high-quality professional development. We believe these recommendations can help create professional learning systems that are replicable, affordable and effective.
We developed the report with support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation as part of a series focused on CCSS professional development titled Common Core State Standards & the Transformation of Professional Development. The series is comprised of an introduction and three briefs providing school and system leaders and professional development providers with models for providing high-quality learning experiences.
