Research
The Research behind Standards for Professional Learning
Learning Forward believes that professional learning investments of time and resources must be guided by evidence of what works for educators and students. To that end, standards are informed by a range of research as well as by input from educators.
This paper offers an overview of the research used in the revision of standards, references and additional reading, and a snapshot of Learning Forward’s future research agenda.
Evidence of how Standards for Professional Learning are associated with improved teacher instruction and student outcomes
The Center on Great Leaders and Teachers at the American Institutes for Research (AIR) conducted a systematic literature review and meta-analysis to understand the relationships among Standards for Professional Learning and teacher and student outcomes.
AIR researchers formally analyzed the available evidence from randomized field trials of teacher professional learning programs that tied features of Standards of Professional Learning to teacher instruction and student learning.
The study found consistent evidence that program alignment with Standards for Professional Learning is associated with improved teacher instruction and student achievement outcomes. Investments in professional learning can yield meaningful improvements in student achievement, and the benefits for students come through improvements in instruction.
See the full meta-analysis from the Center on Great Leaders and Teachers: How Learning Forward’s Standards for Professional Learning Are Associated With Teacher Instruction and Student Achievement: A Meta-Analysis.
What is a meta-analyses?
Here is a short video from AIR about how they work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABqgvzUASYc.
