Professional Growth & Support Case Studies
Promising Practices at Achievement First, Agile Mind, Teach Plus, and Aspire Public Schools
Education Resource Strategies, May 2013
In this set of case studies, we profile four organizations that have implemented a strategic approach to teacher Professional Growth & Support. The charter management networks, Achievement First and Aspire Public Schools, and the two reform organizations, Teach Plus and Agile Mind, have successfully increased student achievement with a sustained focus on teaching effectiveness and capacity. Their investments in integrated professional growth models, instructional guidance systems, teacher leaders, and teaming around data demonstrate ways that schools can implement the Eight Principles of a Strategic Professional Growth & Support System, referenced inA New Vision for Teacher Professional Growth & Support.
In each case study, we describe the mission and background of the organization, strategic approaches to ProfessionalGrowth & Support, performance results, program costs, lessons learned, and next steps.
Professional Growth & Support Case Study: Achievement First (PDF)
Professional Growth & Support Case Study: Duval County Public Schools and Agile Mind (PDF)
Professional Growth & Support Case Study: Aspire Public Schools (PDF)
Professional Growth & Support Case Study: Orchard Gardens Pilot School and Teach Plus (PDF)
These case studies are part of a series of publications and tools devoted to teacher Professional Growth & Support. The rest include:
- A New Vision for Teacher Professional Growth & Support: Six Steps to a More Powerful SchoolSystem Strategy. This white paper draws on research, ERS experience with urban school systems, and detailed analyses of three case studies to present a new vision for building teacher effectiveness—one which moves beyond traditional “training” and is instead integrated into the essential instructional improvement activities that high-performing schools undertake.
- Professional Growth & Support System Self-Assessment:A self-assessment tool that allows a system to gauge its alignment with the principles for effective Professional Growth& Support.
- Professional Growth & Support Spending Calculator:A detailed set of worksheets and methodology to enable school systems to quantify their spending on teacher Professional Growth& Support.
- Professional Growth & Support Interactive Presentation:A narrated PowerPoint presentation that introduces the key concepts and findings around teacher Professional Growth& Support. Mid-presentation exercises encourage audience members to reflect on their system’s Professional Growth & Support investments.