Current Models for Evaluating Effectiveness of Teacher Professional Development

sub author: the Council of Chief State School Officers
written by Rolf Blank and Nina de las Alas
supported by the National Science Foundation

In April 2008 CCSSO invited 10 leaders in the field of research and evaluation of teacher professional development to meet with state education program managers and evaluators to present and discuss models for evaluating effects of professional development. Recent developments with state data systems, use of experimental designs in education research, and use of surveys and assessments has provided the tools for improved methods of evaluating professional development. The two-day conference provided an opportunity for leaders from states to learn how they can apply the models in their state programs.

http://programs.ccsso.org/content/pdfs/Current%20Models%20for%20Eval%20Effect%20of%20Teacher%20PD%20summary%20Report.pdf

Physics Teaching Web Advisory (Pathway)

written by Dean A. Zollman

Often a physics teacher, particularly one who is new to teaching physics, just needs an experienced colleague to answer a question about teaching, a particular physics topic, or give advice on a good demonstration; maybe the teacher just needs a video clip to illustrate a concept. The Physics Teaching Web Advisory (Pathway) is a state-of-the-art, Web-based digital video database that is providing just this kind of assistance.

http://www.aps.org/units/fed/newsletters/fall2009/zollman.cfm

Exploritorium Teacher Institute Leadership Program

published by the Exploritorium

The Exploratorium Leadership Program is a two-year training and support program for alumni of the Teacher Institute who take on the responsibilities of mentoring and coaching novice science teachers in the Exploratorium Beginning Teacher Program. The goal of the Leadership Program is to train a group of veteran science teachers to apprentice the novice teachers and induct them into the strategies for teaching science using exploration and inquiry. These veterans can choose to work as mentors or coaches. Another equally important objective of the program is to provide  experienced alumni with opportunities to develop their own leadership skills.

http://www.exploratorium.edu/ti/leadership/

Mentoring Beginning Physics Teachers

written by Drew Isola and Dale Freeland

A presentation on the PhysTEC project and the mentoring of beginning physics teachers. The presentation discusses the problem of teacher attrition and the role of mentoring in solving the attrition problem.

http://www.compadre.org/PTEC/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=7590&DocID=599

Retaining California Teachers So All Students Learn

written by Ken Futernick

As part of an analysis of teacher retention in California, the Center for Teacher Quality at California State University conducted a study to better understand the factors that contribute to teacher attrition and turnover. Close to 2,000 current and former California public school teachers participated in an online survey, the data from which was used to examine the professional and personal reasons cited by those who leave teaching and those who remain in the classroom through several different educational lenses: low-poverty and high-poverty schools, elementary and high schools, and general education classrooms and special education classrooms. The resulting analysis provides a detailed description of the different strategies required to retain teachers in different types of schools.

http://www.calstate.edu/teacherquality/documents/possible_dream.pdf