Scaling Up Instructional Improvement through Teacher Professional Development: Insights from the Local Systemic Change Initiative. CPRE Policy Briefs. RB-44

There is a widespread view in the research and policy communities that the quality of mathematics and science instruction offered to students in the United States is low (Business-Higher Education Forum, 2005; Gonzales et al., 2004; National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inConsortium for Policy Research in Education
Main Authors Weiss, Iris R, Pasley, Joan D
Format Report
LanguageEnglish
Published Consortium for Policy Research in Education 01.03.2006
Subjects
Educational Change
Instructional Improvement
Low Achievement
Mathematics Achievement
Mathematics Instruction
Pedagogical Content Knowledge
Professional Development
Science Achievement
Science Instruction
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Summary:There is a widespread view in the research and policy communities that the quality of mathematics and science instruction offered to students in the United States is low (Business-Higher Education Forum, 2005; Gonzales et al., 2004; National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century, 2000; National Research Council, 2000, 2001, 2005; National Science Board, 2004; Weiss, Pasley, Smith, Banilower, & Heck, 2003). The widely discussed results of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) suggested that the reasons for American students' poor performance in mathematics and science are complex, but at least partly due to weaknesses in the knowledge and skills of those teaching the subjects (Schmidt et al., 2001). In order to enhance teaching in these content areas, states and school districts need to act on what research has discovered about professional development (PD) and instructional improvement. The purpose of this brief is to share results from a major PD effort that extend understanding of what is entailed in creating improvements at scale. (Contains 3 figures, 1 table, and 2 footnotes.)