Professional development tune-up

Cars are expensive. To preserve their investment, owners get regular tune-ups to keep their vehicle in good operating condition. Tune-ups can prevent major repair costs and help the car perform well in the long run. In contrast, professional development programs for teachers often require the investment of significant upfront time and resources but fail to find ways to extend positive outcomes. Our research, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), suggests that using the tune-up concept for professional development may offer a cost-effective way to sustain instructional changes and improvements.

To determine the value of a professional development tune-up, we looked at 49 elementary teachers from 30 California schools located in 19 rural districts who had previously completed a three-year state-funded, science-based professional development (PD) program. The teachers completed one of four different PD programs, which ended between 2010 and 2014.