CCSSO has established a collaborative research team involving Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) and American Institutes for Research (AIR) to investigate how professional development programs and activities in multiple sites (approximately 5 districts participating in MSP) can be evaluated using a common set of research-based measures, and how a survey methodology can be used to evaluate the effects of professional development in improving instruction in mathematics and science. The project will survey 640 middle school teachers about what and how they teach. Specifically, the study will address the following research questions:
- To what extent is the quality of the professional development supported by MSP activities consistent with a research-based definition of quality?
- What effects do teachers' professional development experiences have on instructional practices and content taught in math and science classes? Are high-quality professional development activities more likely than lower-quality activities to increase the alignment of content with state standards and assessments?
- How can MSP projects use study findings to improve professional development and the content and instruction of mathematics and science classes?
