The Impact of Professional Development on the Implementation of New Standards

This study investigates the impact of professional development (PD) and professional learning (PL) on the implementation of new standards, specifically looking at elementary school teachers and the implementation of the Common Core State Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards. For this study, one school district’s PD and PL activities were studied. Four surveys were administered to teachers in this district. The results were analyzed using percentages, mean comparisons, and t tests. Three models of PD: the Traditional In-Service, Teachers Training Teachers, and Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) were compared. The results of this study show that PLCs are a more effective model of PD than both other models in terms of effectiveness.