Tag: Professional development

California’s Early Literacy Initiative Shows Promising Results

By Xue Wang, School of Education, Johns Hopkins University

California’s Early Literacy Support Block Grant (ELSBG) provided substantial support to 75 of the state’s lowest-performing elementary schools. A quasi-experimental study examined the program’s impact during its first two years of implementation (2021-2023).

The ELSBG combined several key components: professional development grounded in the science of reading, approximately $1,000 per student in additional funding, school-specific literacy action plans developed with community input, and ongoing support from a competitively selected Expert Lead in Literacy. Schools had flexibility in spending within four categories: high-quality literacy teaching, support for literacy learning, pupil supports, and family/community supports.

Using synthetic difference-in-differences methodology, researchers found the program increased Grade 3 English Language Arts achievement by +0.14 standard deviations—equivalent to nearly 25% of a year’s learning. The percentage of students meeting or exceeding standards increased by 6 percentage points, representing a 20% improvement from baseline. The program also produced spillover benefits in Grade 3 mathematics (ES=+0.11) but showed no effects for Grade 5 students outside the targeted grades.

Implementation data revealed that schools allocated 71% of funds to staffing, with the largest portion (28%) going to literacy coaches trained in science of reading practices. The Sacramento County Office of Education, serving as Expert Lead, provided 36 professional development sessions reaching 3,300 participants and sponsored 336 teachers in an Online Elementary Reading Academy.

The intervention proved highly cost-effective at $1,144 per pupil annually, delivering 0.13 SD improvement per $1,000 spent—substantially outperforming other interventions like class-size reduction. Notably, these gains occurred during pandemic recovery in schools serving predominantly economically disadvantaged students (90% eligible for free/reduced lunch) and high percentages of English learners (43%).

The researchers cautioned that sustainability remains uncertain, as results cover only the first two implementation years. However, the findings suggest that combining evidence-based literacy practices with adequate resources, local flexibility, and expert oversight can produce meaningful improvements even in challenging contexts.

What is the link between STEM teacher professional development and student achievement?

By Cynthia Lake, Center for Research and Reform in Education, Johns Hopkins University

Although schools invest heavily in professional development to improve math and science instruction, there has been limited clarity on how these efforts affect teachers and whether changes at the teacher level lead to student learning gains. A new EdWorkingPaper from the Annenberg Institute at Brown University synthesizes findings from 46 randomized controlled trials to investigate the chain of effects from teacher PD to student outcomes.

On average, PD programs produced a large positive impact on teacher outcomes, including knowledge and instructional practice (ES = +0.52). Not all improvements were equally consequential for students. A one standard deviation improvement in instructional practice was associated with a +0.24 standard deviation gain in student achievement, while changes in teacher knowledge showed a smaller and non-significant relationship. PD programs that emphasized formative assessment or included a clear focus on deepening teacher knowledge were more likely to improve instruction.

These findings suggest that strengthening classroom instruction is a critical mechanism for translating teacher professional development into better student outcomes in math and science.

The effects of CGI professional development on student achievement in grades 3-5

By Susan Davis, Johns Hopkins University

A cluster-randomized trial examined the Year 1 effects of a three-year professional development program for math teachers, the Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) 3-5 Program, on third through fifth graders’ achievement in fractions learning.

The study involved 149 teachers in grades 3-5 from 31 schools in 9 districts in Florida who were assigned randomly to the CGI condition or to a wait-list control group. Teachers in the CGI group participated in workshops on number operations, and algebraic thinking, with a focus on fractions. These workshops took place over 5 days in the summer, 2 in the fall, and 2 in the winter. The training focused on math problem types and student strategies, and included teacher-student interactions where teachers applied what they learned, with later reflection and sharing with colleagues. Teachers in the control group continued with business-as-usual instruction.

Students were pre- and posttested using the Elementary Mathematics Student Assessment. Results showed that students of teachers in the CGI program outperformed the control group at post-test (ES=+0.19), which authors cited as a medium effect size equivalent to 1/5 of a school year in grade 3, and 1/3 of a school year in grades 4 and 5. A cost analysis, using Kraft’s schema to relate effect size to program cost, yielded a low per-student cost of $137.25. While CGI 3-5 is designed to be a 3-year program, this study provides important evidence of its one-year effects.

The impact of Kentucky’s Math Achievement Fund

By Cynthia Lake, Johns Hopkins University

Early intervention in mathematics is crucial for improving student outcomes and closing achievement gaps. A study in Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis examined Kentucky’s Math Achievement Fund (MAF), a statewide initiative aimed at enhancing math performance in grades K–3 through targeted interventions, teacher professional development, and peer collaboration. The study utilized a difference-in-differences (DiD) design to analyze data from 395 schools, comparing MAF schools with non-MAF schools to assess the program’s effectiveness on student math achievement, reading performance, and non-academic outcomes such as attendance and disciplinary incidents.

The findings revealed that MAF led to gradual but significant improvements in student outcomes. After four years, math scores in MAF schools increased by +0.09 standard deviations compared to non-MAF schools, with reading scores also seeing a +0.06 standard deviation improvement. The program contributed to reductions in disciplinary incidents and absenteeism, without any unintended negative consequences. Notably, the benefits were consistent across socioeconomic groups, with slightly greater gains observed among racial minority students. The structured intervention model, which emphasized early screening, small-group instruction, and teacher collaboration, played a key role in these positive outcomes. Despite the encouraging results, the study emphasized the need for sustained efforts and complementary strategies to maximize the long-term impact of early math interventions. The estimated four-year per-pupil cost of $750 suggests that MAF provides a cost-effective approach to improving math achievement. The findings underscored the potential of statewide, structured intervention programs as scalable solutions to address early math deficiencies and support student success across diverse populations.