An Exploration Into The Quality of Professional Development At Select Charter Schools

The quality and quantity of professional development in charter schools remain largely unexplored. This study sought to address this gap by investigating teachers’ perceptions and experiences with professional development at seven charter schools using a mixed-methods approach, including a survey. Follow-up interviews were then conducted with five teachers and three principals to explore the survey findings in greater depth. Survey data revealed most teachers believe professional development (PD) in charter schools is engaging, helpful, relevant, and easy to understand. The data also show most teachers believe the content of professional development is aligned with the content taught in their classrooms and it incorporates active learning strategies. Interviews with teachers suggest charter schools often provide time for reflection and collaboration with other teachers and this is essential in supporting a lasting effect of PD. Teachers indicated they sometimes needed to find their own sources of PD due to the advanced nature of the subject matter they teach. This was especially true for teachers at smaller schools who were the only teachers of a particular subject. A major finding of this study is teachers at charter schools are generally satisfied with the professional development opportunities offered. However, the study also suggests there is room for improvement, particularly when it comes to providing teachers with adequate time to practice new skills learned during professional development and to implement changes in their classrooms.