Teacher PD in the Common-Core Era
September 30, 2015
Teacher professional development today stands at the juncture of two developments: The adoption of the Common Core State Standards, and growing efforts to reconfigure and personalize learning opportunities for teachers. This special report explores that intersection, providing profiles of new ideas and challenges in PD today.
- Professional Development Common Core and Professional Development: Survey ResultsNew data from the RAND Corp. tracks teachers' PD needs, with a focus on topics connected to the common core.Teacher Preparation Is Collaborative PD Time Being Wasted in Schools?Kathryn Parker Boudett, co-author of Meeting Wise: Making the Most of Collaborative Time for Educators, offers ideas on what makes school-based meetings work well鈥攁nd why they often don't.Reading & Literacy The Common Core Raises Questions About Teachers' Questioning SkillsA number of new PD initiatives aim to help teachers elicit more complex responses and interpretations from students.Standards & Accountability Long Beach District Sets Course to Personalize Teacher PDThe closely watched California district recently launched a "myPD" platform to help teachers select their own training paths.Standards & Accountability Math-Modeling PD Takes Teachers Beyond the Common CoreA pilot professional-development program funded by the National Science Foundation introduces elementary school teachers to a method of advanced problem-solving.Standards & Accountability Lesson-Sharing Sites Raise Issues of Ownership, UseKey sources of common-core related PD, online lesson sites for teachers come with fine-print complexities.Standards & Accountability Video Gaining as Key Tool in Teacher-Learning PlansAs platforms evolve, more school districts are using video in professional development to boost teacher collaboration and refine classroom practice.Standards & Accountability Teachers Turn to Twitter for Solutions, ConnectionEducators say the social media platform offers immediacy and practicality often missing from school PD programs.Standards & Accountability To Tailor PD, D.C. Looks to Groom Teacher LeadersAn initiative in the nation's capital aims to give select teachers more time to work with colleagues.