ERIC Number: EJ752890
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2007-Jan
Pages: 7
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0094-0771
EISSN: N/A
Urban Professional Development Working to Create Successful Teachers and Achieving Students
Yost, Deborah S.; Vogel, Robert
Middle School Journal (J3), v38 n3 p34-40 Jan 2007
With the advent of No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, schools are being held accountable for measurable increases in student academic achievement as evidenced by performance on standardized tests. This movement has significant implications for the professional development of teachers who are ultimately responsible for ensuring that their underachieving students are making adequate gains on standardized tests. However, despite recommendations from National Middle School Association, professional development practices in the US remain inadequate. In response to this challenge, the authors of this article obtained a substantial school/university partnership grant, entitled Project Achieve, from the School District of Philadelphia to create a professional development model in one urban middle school to measure the extent to which intensified, personal professional development aimed at increasing teacher expertise would have an impact on student performance on district-wide benchmark assessments. This article provides an overview of Project Achieve, which focused on individualized professional development of urban middle school teachers during the 2004-2005 academic year. The aim of the project was to increase teaching expertise and skill in implementing a district-mandated core curriculum for the purpose of increasing student academic growth. (Contains 5 figures and 1 note.)
Descriptors: Program Effectiveness, Federal Legislation, Middle School Teachers, Standardized Tests, Faculty Development, Core Curriculum, Academic Achievement, Urban Education, Accountability, Student Evaluation, Teacher Improvement, Partnerships in Education, Grants, Teacher Competencies, Teaching Skills, Grade 5, Grade 8
National Middle School Association. 4151 Executive Parkway Suite 300, Westerville, OH 43081. Tel: 800-528-6672; Tel: 800-528-6672; Fax: 614-895-4750; e-mail: info@nmsa.org; Web site: http://www.nmsa.org/Publications/MiddleSchoolJournal/tabid/435/Default.aspx
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: No Child Left Behind Act 2001
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A