What makes professional development effective?
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The "high quality" in professional development is important to both those who provide and those who seek professional development. The following article provides insights into the practices supported by meaningful empirical research. This study used a quantitative analysis based on a large-scale national probability sample of mathematics and science teachers. The goal of the study was to examine how specific characteristics of professional development influence teacher learning. The findings, based on a self-report, indicated that professional development that focused on content knowledge, incorporated opportunities for active learning, and was integrated into or aligned with other professional development activities lead to meaningful teacher learning. That is, the form of the professional development paired with broad participation across school stakeholders and duration conducive to meet the learning expectations maximizes the usefulness of the professional development.

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