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28 Sep 2016
Report

Focusing on Mathematical Knowledge: The Impact of Content-Intensive Teacher Professional Development

Michael S. Garet, Jessica Heppen, Kirk Walters, Julia Parkinson, Toni M. Smith, Mengli Song, Rachel Garrett, and Rui Yang, AIR
Geoffrey D. Borman, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Thomas E. Wei, Project Officer, Institute of Education Sciences

In an era of increasingly rigorous state standards, teachers at all grade levels face heightened expectations to deepen their students’ understanding of mathematical concepts. Teachers may thus benefit from professional development (PD) that deepens their own conceptual understanding of math.

This report is the result of a study commissioned by the Institute of Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education, which examined the impact of content-intensive PD on teachers’ math content knowledge, their instructional practice, and their students’ achievement.

The key findings on the impact of the study PD on teacher knowledge, practice, and student achievement include:

  • The PD had a positive impact on teacher knowledge. On average, treatment teachers’ math knowledge scores on a study-administered math assessment were 21 percentile points higher than control teachers’ scores in spring 2014, after the PD was completed.
  • The PD had a positive impact on some aspects of instructional practice, particularly richness of mathematics. We assessed teachers on three dimensions of practice: richness of mathematics, which emphasizes the conceptual aspects of math, such as the use and quality of mathematical explanations; student participation in mathematics, which focuses on student mathematical contributions, explanations, and reasoning; and errors and imprecision, which focuses on incorrect, unclear, and imprecise use of math.
  • Despite the PD’s generally positive impact on teacher outcomes, the PD did not have a positive impact on student achievement. On average, treatment teachers’ students scored two percentile points lower than control teachers’ students in spring 2014 on both a study-administered math assessment aligned with the content of the PD and the state math assessment.
PDF icon Full Report - Focusing on Mathematical Knowledge: The Impact of Content-Intensive Teacher Professional Development
PDF icon Executive Summary - Focusing on Mathematical Knowledge: The Impact of Content-Intensive Teacher Professional Development
PDF icon Study Snapshot - Focusing on Teachers’ Mathematical Knowledge
Video Recap of the Study

Related Work

28 Sep 2016
News Release

Professional Development Shown to Improve Teachers’ Knowledge and Some Aspects of Teaching But Not Student Achievement

An intensive content-focused professional development program improved fourth-grade teachers’ knowledge and some aspects of their instruction, but not their students’ achievement, according to a new study by AIR.
25 May 2011
Report

Middle School Mathematics Professional Development Impact Study: Findings After the Second Year of Implementation

This study examines the impact of intensive mathematics professional development (PD) on teachers' knowledge and teaching skills for 7th grade mathematics in rational number topics such as fractions, decimals, percent, ratio, and proportion. The intensive PD studied includes over 100 hours of support in the form of summer institutes, seminars, and in-school coaching.

Topic: 
Mathematics Education, Teacher Preparation and Performance
2 Sep 2008
Report

Impact of Two Professional Development Interventions on Early Reading Instruction and Achievement Report

To help states and districts make informed decisions about the professional development (PD) they implement to improve reading instruction, the U.S. Department of Education commissioned the Early Reading PD Interventions Study to examine the impact of two research-based PD interventions for reading instruction. This report describes the implementation of the PD interventions tested, and examines their impacts at the end of the year the PD was delivered.
Topic: 
Education, Teacher Preparation and Performance

Further Reading

  • Does Content-Focused Teacher Professional Development Work?
  • Learning from Mixed Results: What's Next for Teacher Professional Development?
  • Professional Development Shown to Improve Teachers’ Knowledge and Some Aspects of Teaching But Not Student Achievement
  • The Mathematics Professional Development (PD) Impact Study
  • AIR Researchers to Present at Biannual Society for Research on Education Effectiveness (SREE) Conference
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Michael S. Garet

Vice President and Institute Fellow
Image of Jessica Heppen

Jessica Heppen

Senior Vice President

Topic

Education
Mathematics Education
Teacher Preparation and Performance

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