Changing Practice

Rolling the Stone Up the Hill or Focusing on Implementation

Research on professional development for teachers consistently points out the need to provide ongoing and robust support and coaching to transfer knowledge and skills learned in workshops to classroom practice. However, despite this solid and long body of research, school districts continue to futilely emphasize one-off workshops rather than invest in the ongoing, job-embedded and sustained professional learning and coaching necessary to change practice.

To truly impact teacher learning and implementation, districts and schools must take a new approach to professional learning that:

1. Supports the dual role of teachers as technicians and intellectuals
2. Is grounded in six principles proven to promote transfer of new learning

Learn how in this whitepaper written by Linda Diamond,past-President of CORE. The whitepaper walks through each of these important principles, describes what it looks like when a professional learning program successfully incorporates all six, and highlights the impact this program model has had on instruction and student achievement in real districts and schools.

“ To truly impact teacher learning and implementation, districts and schools must take a new approach to professional learning. ”