Collaboration lab evaluating professional development for Kansas teachers

The Research Collaboration Lab at the Center for Research on Learning is working with the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) to evaluate and recommend improvements for professional development aimed at public school teachers and administrators.

Through a five-year contract awarded by KSDE in 2015, the Lab evaluation team is helping providers who are part of the Kansas Technical Assistance System Network. The purpose is to help KSDE ensure that K-12 educators receive quality, evidence-based professional development to improve student outcomes.

Amy Gaumer Erickson and Pattie Noonan, associate research professors, and a research team have already evaluated and provided feedback on more than 50 professional development events that took place across Kansas. More information is available online.

Gaumer Erickson and Noonan and the Research Collaboration Lab also have written a guide for middle and high school teachers to help them address important college and career competences for students, such as conflict management and perseverance. A video, available on YouTube, discusses relevant research on self-efficacy and strategies educators can use to integrate relevant instruction into the classroom. More resources on their College and Career Competency Framework are available online, including videos, questionnaires and teacher guides.