New Thinking on Staff Development

Publication: Teacher Magazine
Date: October 25, 2007

Summary: The success of the National Writing Project model is noted in this article from Teacher Magazine that discusses how ideas about what makes high-quality professional development have changed over the years.

This article from Teacher Magazine describes how the concept of high-quality professional development has changed over the years, citing several studies that demonstrate the success of professional development strategies that have long been part of the NWP model:

“Experts know, for instance, that programs focused on the academic content that teachers must cover and on how students learn that content are more effective than those that impart generic teaching techniques.

They know that longer-lasting professional development tends to produce better results. They also know that such programs work best when they link to teachers’ daily classroom work—the tasks their students will have to do, for example, or the texts they will use.

To a lesser degree, researchers also have a hunch that it’s important for teachers to engage in learning sessions collectively—maybe with other teachers from the same department or grade—so that they can meet later to reflect on what they learned.”

In a sidebar that outlines NWP's core principals, author Debra Viadero, associate editor of Education Week, notes that researchers cite the National Writing Project as an effective model of professional development.

Read the full article in Teacher Magazine (free registration required).