Report by the National Staff Development Council, February, 2009

The report was written by Linda Darling-Hammond and a team of researchers from the Stanford University School Redesign Network.

For many years Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act has required low-performing schools to set aside 10% of their allocations for schoolwide professional development. Title II funding has resulted in the allocation of more than $3 billion to professional development. More than 40 states have adopted standards calling for effective professional development for all educators accountable for results in student learning. And several national studies on what distinguishes high-performing, high-poverty schools from their lower-performing counterparts consistently identify effective schoolwide collaborative professional learning as critical to the school’s success. And yet as a nation we have failed to leverage this support and these examples to ensure that every educator and every student benefits from highly effective professional learning.

http://www.nsdc.org/stateproflearning.cfm