Professional Development: Rhode Island

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: Rhode Island results. State Teacher Policy Database. [Data set].
Retrieved from: https://www.nctq.org/yearbook/state/RI-Professional-Development-9

Analysis of Rhode Island's policies

Rhode Island requires that all teachers receive written, detailed feedback that informs recommendations for professional growth. The state also specifies that evaluation systems be designed to provide "agreement between the evaluation analysis and the identified goals and improvement expectations that inform professional development."

Citation

Recommendations for Rhode Island

State response to our analysis

Rhode Island recognized the factual accuracy of this analysis.

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).