The paper "Effective Teacher Professional Development" by Linda Darling-Hammond, Maria E. Hyler, and Madelyn Gardner, with assistance from Danny Espinoza, reviews 35 methodologically rigorous studies to identify the features of effective professional development (PD). The authors define effective PD as structured learning that leads to changes in teacher practices and improvements in student outcomes. They find seven key elements of effective PD: 1. **Content Focus**: PD that focuses on specific curriculum content helps teachers understand and teach that content effectively. 2. **Active Learning**: Teachers engage in hands-on experiences to design and practice new teaching strategies. 3. **Collaboration**: High-quality PD creates spaces for teachers to share ideas and collaborate, often in job-embedded contexts. 4. **Use of Models and Modeling**: Curricular models and instructional examples provide clear visions of best practices. 5. **Coaching and Expert Support**: Experts share specialized knowledge directly with teachers to address individual needs. 6. **Feedback and Reflection**: Built-in time for reflection and feedback helps teachers refine their practices. 7. **Sustained Duration**: Effective PD provides adequate time for learning, practice, implementation, and reflection. The paper also highlights the National Writing Project as a successful example of integrating these elements through collaborative and job-embedded professional development. Finally, it discusses the importance of policy support and practical implementation to ensure the effectiveness of PD initiatives.The paper "Effective Teacher Professional Development" by Linda Darling-Hammond, Maria E. Hyler, and Madelyn Gardner, with assistance from Danny Espinoza, reviews 35 methodologically rigorous studies to identify the features of effective professional development (PD). The authors define effective PD as structured learning that leads to changes in teacher practices and improvements in student outcomes. They find seven key elements of effective PD: 1. **Content Focus**: PD that focuses on specific curriculum content helps teachers understand and teach that content effectively. 2. **Active Learning**: Teachers engage in hands-on experiences to design and practice new teaching strategies. 3. **Collaboration**: High-quality PD creates spaces for teachers to share ideas and collaborate, often in job-embedded contexts. 4. **Use of Models and Modeling**: Curricular models and instructional examples provide clear visions of best practices. 5. **Coaching and Expert Support**: Experts share specialized knowledge directly with teachers to address individual needs. 6. **Feedback and Reflection**: Built-in time for reflection and feedback helps teachers refine their practices. 7. **Sustained Duration**: Effective PD provides adequate time for learning, practice, implementation, and reflection. The paper also highlights the National Writing Project as a successful example of integrating these elements through collaborative and job-embedded professional development. Finally, it discusses the importance of policy support and practical implementation to ensure the effectiveness of PD initiatives.