School district administrators' perceptions of the quality of professional development in Pennsylvania's public school districts

In an age of accountability emphasizing quality instruction and student achievement, the need for high quality professional development is critical. Federal and state legislation mandate teacher participation in staff development activities. Research describes the standards and characteristics of high quality professional development, yet evidence about the quality of professional development programs is lacking. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perceived quality of professional development programs in Pennsylvania's public school districts. School district administrators responsible for coordinating professional development were asked to respond to an anonymous survey to assess the extent to which the characteristics of high quality professional development are present in their districts' professional development programs. Perceptions about the greatest challenges facing professional development coordinators in providing high quality professional development to all staff were also assessed.;This descriptive study included an analysis of demographic information collected through a survey questionnaire. Respondents provided information about their position, years of experience, level of education, and size of school district. Information was gathered on the funding sources and number of school days allocated for professional development. The survey items were derived from the Professional Development Audit, an instrument developed by the Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning, which addresses the National Staff Development Council standards and the principles of professional development developed by the U.S. Department of Education. A statistical analysis was performed on each of the five (5) areas of high quality professional development which include: program vision and goals, program planning, program design, program resources, and program evaluation. A paired-samples t-test was used to compare the mean scores across all five (5) areas. Significant mean differences were found between all areas with the exception of Program Planning and Program Design. Program Vision and Goals was found to be the strongest aspect of districts' professional development programs. Program Resources was determined to be the weakest area. The study concluded that the greatest challenges facing professional development coordinators in Pennsylvania's public school districts were a lack of sufficient time to engage teachers in professional development activities and a lack of sufficient funding to support professional development needs.