Professional Development: Connecticut

Retaining Effective Teachers Policy

Goal

The state should require professional development to be based on needs identified through teacher evaluations.

Meets goal
Suggested Citation:
National Council on Teacher Quality. (2011). Professional Development: Connecticut results. State Teacher Policy Database. [Data set].
Retrieved from: https://www.nctq.org/yearbook/state/CT-Professional-Development-9

Analysis of Connecticut's policies

Connecticut requires that teachers receive feedback from their evaluations that is "clear, specific, and constructive." The state also specifies that professional development activities for teachers must be directly informed by student performance and be linked to teacher evaluation goals.

Citation

Recommendations for Connecticut

State response to our analysis

Connecticut recognized the factual accuracy of this analysis. The state added that the revised Educator Evaluation Guidelines states: "Professional development should reflect the needs of individuals and groups of educators identified through the evaluation process and should address the needs of educators along the career continuum from novice to mid-career to veteran educator."

Research rationale

For evidence of the benefits of feedback from evaluation systems, and the potential for professional development surrounding that feedback, see T. Kane et al, "Evaluating Teacher Effectiveness." Education Next. Vol 11, No. 3 (2011); E. Taylor and J. Tyler, "The Effect of Evaluation on Performance: Evidence from Longitudinal Student Achievement Data of Mid-Career Teachers." National Bureau of Economic Research (2011).

Much professional development, particularly those that are not aligned to specific feedback from teacher evaluations, has been found to be ineffective.  For evidence see M. Garet, "Middle School Mathematics Professional Development Impact Study: Findings After the Second Year of Implementation." Institute of Education Sciences (2011).

For additional evidence regarding best practices for professional development, see "The Deliver, Financing, and Assessment of Professional Development in Education: Pre-Service Preparation and In-Service Training." The Finance Project (2003).