Teacher Professional Development and Preparation

Rockman et al Cooperative has evaluated a variety of short- and long-term professional development initiatives, including face-to-face, online, and hybrid or blended formats. Our in-depth examinations include programs designed for teachers of English language arts and literacy, math, science, social studies, and projects seeking to reach underserved schools and English Learners.

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Selected Projects Include

  • Appalachian Support for Specialized Education Training (ASSET)

    The Appalachian Support for Specialized Education Training (ASSET) project was funded through the Department of Education’s Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) grant program and sought to develop and provide high-quality professional development micro-credentials for Appalachian teachers. The REA research team designed and implemented a randomized control trial with more than 600 participants. In addition to the RCT, we gathered formative evaluation data on each micro-credential from a teacher advisory board and early micro-credential completers and studied iterative versions of simulations designed to assess participants’ performance within one of the mathematics micro-credentials.

  • Photo: Dr. Peter Chang.

    Jackson State University: Mississippi Academy for Science Teaching (MAST)

    Rockman et al has served as the external evaluator for four professional development programs provided by Jackson State University for science teachers in elementary, middle and high school. REA has employed a mixed methods approach, including pre- and post surveys, qualitative interviews, and observations to measure the quality of implementation and impacts on teachers and students. Our most recent evaluation, a long-term impact study of MAST alums between 2004-2017, showed that MAST can achieve meaningful and sustained impacts on teaching and learning.

  • Photo courtesy of marco antonio torres via CC licensing.

    Multilingual Learner Project

    The Multilingual Learner Project (MLP) was a partnership between the City College of New York and New Visions for Public Schools funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of English Language Acquisition. The program was designed to allow in-service, content-area high school teachers in New York City to obtain TESOL certification and onsite training and support focused on strengthening connections between school and home. REA’s research focused on investigating the implementation of training program and its influence on teachers’ practice and communication with families, and utilized a quasi-experimental design with matching to estimate program effects on students’ language development and progress toward graduation.

  • Photo courtesy of woodleywonderworks via CC licensing.

    Project PLANET

    Project PLANET was a two-year NSF DRK-12 project that explored the integration of science-related storybooks, hands-on investigations, and a planetarium experience to support early elementary aged students in learning astronomy. First and third grade teachers in California and Pennsylvania worked with The Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Lawrence Hall of Science, and West Chester University to create two five-day lesson sequences. Our research focused on the opportunities provided for students to explore natural phenomena (i.e., noticing, recognizing change, etc.), and the connections teachers and students made between the curriculum learning sequence (i.e., storybook, hands-on investigations, and the planetarium). Methods included videotaped lessons, student pre-post content surveys, interviews with teachers, and observations of classrooms and professional development sessions.

  • Image courtesy of Center for the Future of Teaching & Learning at WestEd

    Teacher Practice Networks

    Rockman et al served as an evaluation partner for the 5-year Teacher Practice Networks (TPN) initiative that was led by the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning at WestEd on behalf of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Over 35 educational organizations with large networks of K–12 teachers were awarded grants to help spread innovative, standards-aligned approaches to college readiness across their teacher networks. REA designed and conducted annual surveys across the networks’ TPN teachers and their teacher leaders to develop an understanding about implementation and outcomes of the teacher practice networks each year. Findings revealed that teacher leaders’ self-efficacy for instructional leadership and instruction increased over time and teachers reported valuable impacts on their standards-aligned teaching.