Professional Development: California

Analysis of California's policies

California requires that teachers receive copies of their evaluations "not later than 30 days before the last school day scheduled on the school calendar." The state does not specify that professional development activities must be aligned with findings from teacher evaluations. 

Citation

California Code 44663

Recommendations for California

Require that evaluation systems provide teachers with feedback about their performance.
Although California requires teachers to receive copies of their evaluations, this only ensures that teachers will receive their ratings, not necessarily feedback on their performance. California should specify that teachers should receive specific feedback on identified strengths and areas that need improvement.  

Ensure that professional development is aligned with findings from teachers' evaluations.
Professional development that is not informed by evaluation results may be of little value to teachers' professional growth and aim of increasing their effectiveness in the classroom. California should ensure that districts utilize teacher evaluation results in determining professional development needs and activities.

State response to our analysis

California recognized the accuracy of this analysis.