Insights, inspiration, and practical advice for modern educators.
A landmark review of 35 rigorous studies identified seven features that separate professional development that changes teaching from PD that wastes a Tuesday afternoon.
Bastien Dolce
Sep 24, 2026 · 6 min read
A meta-analysis of 60 causal studies found coaching improves instructional quality more than any other PD model — and meaningfully raises student achievement.
Research keeps finding the same thing about sit-and-get PD: a single session with no follow-up almost never changes what happens in classrooms.
A review of research on professional learning communities found that when PLCs focus on student learning, both teaching practice and achievement improve.
Video-based coaching models like MyTeachingPartner let teachers study their own classrooms — and a federally reviewed study found real gains in student achievement.
A critical review of 15 studies found new-teacher induction improves retention, classroom practice, and even student achievement — but only when it goes beyond a buddy system.
Edcamps throw out the agenda and let participants build the day. Research on the model found high perceived impact — and a design teachers describe as more useful than traditional PD.
From Learning Forward's annual conference to the merged ISTELive and ASCD events, here is how the major PD conferences compare — and how to make any of them pay off.
Coaching improves teaching more than any PD model — until a district tries to give every teacher a coach. Here is what the research says about why effects shrink and what to do.
