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By Learning Forward
August 2011
Vol. 32 No. 4
Very little of the professional development literature identifies its costs. Many say good professional development is expensive, but what is meant by expensive, and if so, expensive relative to what? This article shows that effective professional development is not expensive relative to overall spending and that its key elements and their costs can be identified and afforded. Further, I have never had a legislative committee addressing school finance adequacy balk at resourcing a comprehensive professional development system (e.g. Odden, Picus, Goetz, et al., 2005). The systemic distribution of the most effective instructional practices is a core strategy in nearly all case studies of schools and districts that have dramatically moved the student achievement needle (Odden, 2009).  A more uniform distribution of effective teaching is the underpinning

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Authors

Allan Odden

Allan Odden (arodden@wisc.edu) is professor of educational leadership and policy analysis in the School of Education at University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

Allan Odden (arodden@wisc.edu) is professor of educational leadership and policy analysis in the School of Education at University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

References

Cohen, D.K. & Hill, H.C. (2001). Learning policy: When state education reform works. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Darling-Hammond, L. & Richardson, N. (2009). Teaching learning: What matters? Educational Leadership, 66(5), 46-55.

Elmore, R.F. (2002). Bridging the gap between standards and achievement: The imperative for professional development in education. Washington, DC: Albert Shanker Institute.

Elmore, R.F. (2002). Bridging the gap between standards and achievement: The imperative for professional development in education. Washington, DC: Albert Shanker Institute.

Garet, M.S., Birman, B., Porter, A., Desimone, L., & Herman, R. (1999). Designing effective professional development: Lessons from the Eisenhower program. Washington, DC: United States Department of Education.

Hirsh, S. & Killion, J. (2007). The learning educator: A new era for professional learning. Oxford, OH: NSDC.

Hirsh, S. & Killion, J. (2009). When educators learn, students learn: Eight principles of professional learning. Phi Delta Kappan, 90(7), 464-469.

Hord, S. & Hirsh, S. (2009). The principal’s role in supporting learning communities. Educational Leadership, 66(5), 22-23.

Joyce, B. & Calhoun, E. (1996). Learning experiences in school renewal: An exploration of five successful programs. Eugene, OR: ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management.

Joyce, B. & Showers, B. (2002). Student achievement through staff development (3rd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Loucks-Horsley, S., Love, N., Stiles, K., Mundry, S., & Hewson, P. (2003). Designing professional development for teachers of science and mathematics (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Miles, K., Odden, A., Fermanich, M., & Archibald, S. (2004). Inside the black box of school district spending on professional development: Lessons from five urban districts. Journal of Education Finance, 30(1), 1-26. 

Odden, A. (2009). 10 strategies for doubling student performance. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Odden, A. (2011). Strategic management of human capital in education. New York: Routledge Press.

Odden, A., Archibald, S., Fermanich, M., & Gallagher, H.A. (2002a). How to figure the cost of professional development. JSD, 23(2), 53-58. 

Odden, A., Archibald, S., Fermanich, M., & Gallagher, H.A. (2002b). A cost framework for professional development. Journal of Education Finance, 28(1), 51-74. 

Odden, A., Picus, L.O., Goetz, M., Fermanich, M., Seder, R.C., Glenn, W., & Nelli, R. (2005). An evidence-based approach to recalibrating Wyoming’s block grant school funding formula. Report prepared for the Wyoming Select Committee on Recalibration, Cheyenne, WY.

Odden, A. & Wallace, M. (2007). How to create world class teacher compensation. St. Paul, MN: Freeload Press.

Raudenbusch, S. (2009). The Brown legacy and the O’Connor challenge: Transforming schools in the images of children’s potential. Educational Researcher, 38(3),169-180. 

Supovitz, J. & Turner, H.M. (2000). The effects of professional development on science teaching practices and classroom culture. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 37(9), 963-980.

Odden, A. & Picus, L.O. (2008). School finance: A policy perspective (4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

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Learning Forward is the only professional association devoted exclusively to those who work in educator professional development. We help our members plan, implement, and measure high-quality professional learning so they can achieve success with their systems, schools, and students.

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