Impact of sustained professional development in STEM on outcome measures in a diverse urban district

ABSTRACT

Sustained professional development can support STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) reform. The authors describe a 3-year study of sustained professional development for 3 diverse urban schools across the salient factors of fidelity of implementation of project-based learning, development of professional learning communities, and student achievement. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected. The students who experienced the greatest fidelity of implementation exhibited the greatest gains (d = 1.41–2.03) on standardized test scores, while those with the lowest fidelity of implementation exhibited negative gains (d = –0.16 to –0.08). Qualitative data indicated teachers perceived there were multiple benefits from the implementation of project-based learning.

KEYWORDS:

• High school
• mathematics
• professional development
• project-based learning
• science
• urban schools

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Charles M. Capraro, whose own personal perseverance and courage provided us all inspiration.

Note

Notes

1. For specific examples of PBL lessons, readers may refer to A Companion to Interdisciplinary STEM Project-Based Learning (Capraro, Capraro, Morgan, & Sheurich, 2010).