HOBOKEN, N.J., Jan. 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Advancement
Courses, a Wiley brand (NYSE: JWA) (NYSE: JWB) and leader in
online K–12 professional development, today announced research
revealing the state of professional development for teachers. This
report sheds light on how much schools are spending, where the
money is coming from, what training looks like day-to-day, and the
myriad factors and challenges that impact school leaders' choices
for professional development.
The new report, "Professional Development for Teachers: What
Schools Value and How They Invest," analyzed survey results from
administrators nationwide and found that nearly 90 percent of
school leaders believe that professional development is a good
investment for their district. However, their level of satisfaction
varies based on a variety of factors. Budget, funding, online
offerings, and teacher input all affect how professional
development is perceived by educators across the United States.
"The Professional Development for Teachers report is just a
starting point in analyzing how professional development can help
our teachers, across the U.S., become better educators," said
Daniel Kosta, senior director of
marketing at Advancement Courses. Through Advancement Courses'
research, we hope to help school and district leaders see how they
compare to other schools, identify opportunities to create
meaningful professional development experiences, and provide
teachers with valuable tools to teach the next generation of
students in the most impactful way possible."
Significant findings of the report include:
- Schools' average spending on professional development is
inversely tied to the size of the district. The average cost of
professional development per educator falls into three distinct
tiers: districts with 1–100 educators ($500 per educator), districts with 101–1,000
educators ($100 per educator), and
districts with more than 1,000 educators ($30 per educator). Larger districts are more
likely able to offer their professional development at a lower cost
per educator because they have more internal resources and
opportunities to scale their programs.
- The source of funding makes a difference in the choice of
and satisfaction with professional development. Schools that
receive funding from multiple sources offer more professional
development options than schools that rely heavily on local taxes
for funding. The schools with multiple funding sources express
higher rates of satisfaction with their professional development
despite having lower budgets than schools with local tax
funding.
- Technology education is school leaders' top choice for
professional development. More than twice as many schools
identify technology training, for both classroom devices and
integration techniques, as the most popular option for professional
development compared to the next most popular topic.
- Most professional development happens in-person and on
in-service days. Only 30 percent of schools have primarily
online professional development, even though the flexibility tends
to create higher satisfaction for school leaders.
- Teachers rarely have input on professional development.
Only 24 percent of schools allow teachers to vote on the topics of
training they will receive. Furthermore, only seven percent are
given the autonomy to decide what trainings they can participate
in.
- Most school leaders believe professional development results
in better teachers, but lack of time, money, and relevant options
limits their ability to offer effective professional
development. Nearly 90 percent of school leaders believe
professional development is a good investment for their district.
However, one third cite not having enough time as the biggest
challenge to helping teachers improve their craft.
- School leaders value professional development that focuses
on the school's or district's unique needs. School leaders
value a personalized program that allows them to see the impact of
the opportunities they offer to support their schools' current
initiatives or needs.
Follow us on:
- Facebook: @AdvancementCourses
- Twitter: @AdvanceTeaching
- Instagram: @advancementcourses
For more information and the full report, please visit:
https://www.advancementcourses.com/pd-for-teachers-report/.
About Advancement Courses, A Wiley Brand
For more than 30 years, Advancement Courses, a Wiley brand, has
been a leader in professional development, providing expertly
crafted, classroom-applicable courses to thousands of teachers
across the country. With more than 240 online courses in 20
different subject areas in our catalog, we create customizable
professional development plans for schools and districts so they
can offer training in the topics that matter most to them,
including ESSA requirements, district/school improvement plans,
teacher wellness and retention, and much more. All courses are
graduate level, online, and self-paced to allow for maximum
flexibility and no disruption to classroom time. For more
information, visit
https://www.advancementcourses.com/schools-districts/
About Wiley
Wiley drives the world forward with research and education.
Through publishing, platforms and services, we help students,
researchers, universities, and corporations to achieve their goals
in an ever-changing world. For more than 200 years, we have
delivered consistent performance to all of our stakeholders. The
Company's website can be accessed at www.wiley.com.
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