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Trends and Issues: Instructional Personnel

Supporting Teacher Learning

With the continuing push for restructuring and reform, staff development has taken on a new urgency. The traditional afterschool "chalk ‘n talk" presentations in the cafeteria are fast disappearing, replaced by richly varied activities that emphasize collaboration, teacher initiative, and a focus on student achievement.

However, this picture is far from uniform. In her examination of staff development practices, the Judith Renyi (1996) found that "the nation’s schools fail to provide adequate development for teachers." Despite the evident needs, too many teachers lack learning opportunities, time, or interaction with peers. While Japanese teachers spend 40 percent of their day on development or collegial activities, American teachers are limited to around 14 percent.

Fortunately, most teachers appear to view staff development as a potentially valuable activity. A 1998 survey by NCES found that 41 percent of teachers who participated in more than eight hours of professional development activities believed that their teaching significantly improved as a result. Almost three-fourths of the teachers surveyed said their main motivation for development was to improve student achievement; only 5 percent said that monetary compensation or career advancement was an important goal. What seems to be most needed at the moment is an infrastructure for staff development that will permit faculty to take full advantage of the rich array of activities currently available.

Provide time for development, either by rearranging schedules or adding to the length of the school year. Many schools have opted for periodic early dismissal to free up whole afternoons for development activities.

Help teachers take responsibility for their own professional development. School reform has expanded teachers’ responsibilities beyond their own classroom, so their roles must expand as well. Development should be controlled at the school level, allowing it to respond to the needs of students at a particular site. In addition, teachers should be able to take a leadership role by sharing their expertise rather than just benefitting from the expertise of others.

Increase the school’s leverage by seeking partnerships with external constituencies, such as parents, universities, and community groups such as libraries, museums, business, and government.

Find the revenues to support development activities. This can be done by reallocating existing development money to development centered around student achievement, and locating new money through community partnerships. Expenditures should be accompanied by standards for measuring results.

Following through on these recommendations is not completely within the immediate authority of school leaders, but they clearly will be key players in negotiating the necessary resources, modifying schedules, and supporting teachers.

Administration