High quality professional development school : a case study of a leadership team's processes and actions

Abstract

There is a lack of information reported about the processes and actions of leadership teams responsible for leading professional development in schools, specifically schools recognized for demonstrating high quality professional development. Recognizing the increased pressures associated with federal and state mandates linked to student achievement and teacher quality and the disconnect between what research has found to be effective professional development practices and what is being implemented in today's schools, there is a gap to be filled in terms of what allows schools to effectively reach adult and organizational learning. This “knowing-doing” gap (Pfeffer & Sutton, 2000) could be linked to schools not having a solid understanding of the leadership team's processes and actions involved in achieving exemplary status. This descriptive case study explores a rural Missouri school recognized for its implementation of a high-quality professional development program. Using a leadership team to plan for and support professional development learning experiences, this study examines whether or not this Missouri school's leadership team's processes and actions could be potential indicators which allow some schools to be able to bridge the gap between professional development actions and adult learning.