Effective Staff Development

There are many different types of staff development (Ryan, 1987). These may include grade-level meetings, building-level meetings, or district-level meetings. The effectiveness of the meetings is dependent upon factors such as the following:

Teacher Involvement

Teachers should be involved in all aspects of planning and implementation of the staff development (Showers et al., 1987).

Meet Individual Needs

Individual needs of teachers should be considered. These must take into account the teachersÔ experience, level of expertise, teaching assignments, and professional goals, as well as the resources available to the school (McLaughlin, Pfeifer, Swanson-Owens, & Yee, 1986).

Match Content to Teachers' Classrooms

Content should be introduced and applied in situations that match those of the participants (Dillon-Peterson, 1986).

Thorough Presentation of Ideas

Staff development sessions should:

Present the background or theory for the innovation or strategy
Provide a demonstration with interactive activities and visual media
Provide initial practice in the sessions
Provide immediate feedback to teachers about their efforts
(Johnson, 1989; Showers et al., 1987; Sparks, 1983; Volker, Gehler, Howlett, & Twetten, 1986).

Coaching

Expert or peer coaching should be provided to support teachers as they try new ideas in their classrooms (Hoffman, Roser, &Farest, 1988; McLaughlin et al., 1986; Showers et al., 1987).

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