Using professional development to achieve classroom reform and science proficiency: an urban success story from southern Nevada, USA

Abstract

This paper provides a detailed description and evaluation of a three‐year professional development project in a large urban setting in the southwestern United States. The impetus for the project was curriculum development focused on integrated scientific inquiry. Project goals included the development of a professional learning community, reformed teacher practice, and improved content knowledge for teachers and their students. Annually, a two‐week summer institute was provided for approximately 50 high school science teachers with graduate‐level coursework during the academic year. The results document improvements in teacher content knowledge and key changes in the classroom characteristics of teacher participants. Further, students enrolled in a target course with teachers who participated fully in the professional development were more than twice as likely to pass the state science examination. The results from this project add to what is known about delivering successful, contextually relevant professional development.

Acknowledgements

The success of this project was due in large part to the tireless contributions of the leadership team, including: Loretta Asay, Mary Pike and David Miller from the Curriculum and Professional Development Division of CCSD; Pam Jernigan in the CCSD Grants Department; Jeff Bostic, Elizabeth Marconi and Bret Sibley from SNRPDP; and Marykay Orgill, Megan Litster and Janelle Bailey from the UNLV faculty. Thanks to Dr. Richard Vineyard at the Nevada Department of Education and Miriam Lund at the US Department of Education for their ongoing support. Funding for this project was provided by the State of Nevada Department of Education under Title II, part B of the United States Department of Education’s Math and Science Partnership program.