Dear Friends:

One of the greatest challenges for school districts of all sizes is to determine the impact of professional development on student achievement and teacher effectiveness. Given the increased emphasis on educator effectiveness and efficient use of resources, addressing this challenge has never been more important.

To make strategic decisions regarding professional development, districts need to know how much is truly (not just perceived to be) spent on professional development and what is the real impact--on student academic growth, on teaching practices, and on teachers' perceptions of the value of professional development to their craft.

CTAC works in partnership with districts to directly address these questions around professional development. In our work with Duval County Public Schools in Florida, the professional development audit showed the significant impact of professional development in literacy on increases in student achievement. In Henrico County Public Schools in Virginia, we saw a marked impact of elementary school mathematics coaching on teacher classroom practice. In Prince William County Public Schools in Virginia, the audit demonstrated how key components of literacy professional development contributed to student academic growth, while also proving to be cost-effective.

Visit our website to learn more about the Professional Development Audit or contact CTAC at (617) 423-1444 or [email protected].