ERIC Number: EJ1466732
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Mar
Pages: 29
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0162-3737
EISSN: EISSN-1935-1062
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Core Requirements, Structured Flexibility, and Local Judgment: Balancing Adherence and Adaptation in the Design and Implementation of District-Wide Professional Development
Julie Cohen1; Arielle Boguslav1; James Wyckoff1; Veronica Katz1; Katherine Sadowski2; Emily A. Wiseman3
Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, v47 n1 p263-291 2025
Professional development (PD) for teachers is a ubiquitous feature of the American educational landscape. Yet we know little about how districts navigate the variation in teacher learning needs when designing and implementing district-wide PD programs. In this paper, we describe how the District of Columbia Public Schools implemented an ambitious PD program called LEAP (LEarning together to Advance our Practice). Aligned with best practices, LEAP consisted of weekly group learning in content-specific teams, followed by individualized coaching support, all guided by a district-provided professional learning curriculum. We capitalize on both quantitative and qualitative data to understand how the program was implemented and how the district's implementation efforts shaped what happened on the ground. Finally, we highlight implications for other districts interested in implementing complex PD.
Descriptors: School Districts, Faculty Development, Program Design, Program Implementation, School Effectiveness, Teacher Effectiveness, Urban Education, Public School Teachers, Urban Teaching, Best Practices
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: District of Columbia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1University of Virginia; 2Cornell University; 3EY-Parthenon