Newswise — Back-to-school heralds opportunities for students to learn, and at the same time, their teachers need opportunities to learn, too. Current research reported in Research Points, published by the American Educational Research Association (AERA), shows that professional development can aim at increasing student achievement.
AERA's Research Points suggests actions which policymakers can take to address professional development to improve student achievement:
"¢ Make sure that professional development focuses on the subject matter teachers will be teaching.
"¢ Align teachers' learning opportunities with their real work experiences, using actual curriculum materials and assessments.
"¢ Provide adequate time for professional development and ensure that the extended opportunities to learn emphasize observing and analyzing students' understanding of the subject matter.
"¢ Ensure that school districts have reliable systems for evaluating the impact of professional development on teachers' practices and student learning.
Research on the links between teacher learning and student achievement has centered on two areas: in the 1990s, research delved into student learning and in the 1960s, research focused on teaching skills.
Research also shows that professional development leads to better instruction and improved student learning when it connects to the curriculum materials that teachers use, the district and state academic standards that guide their work, and the assessment and accountability measures that evaluate their success.
The American Educational Research Association (AERA), founded in 1916, is the national research society for more than 22,000 members. AERA is dedicated to advancing knowledge about education, to encouraging scholarly inquiry related to education, and to promoting the use of research to improve education processes and serve the public good.
To read the full text of Research Points, please visit the AERA Web site: http://www.aera.net
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