Professional development (PD) opportunities are nearly universal in the experiences of U.S. educators, both in public school settings and in Christian schools. The question of which PD strategies are most effective has become more critical in recent years, as schools face increasing internal and external pressures to improve student outcomes and optimize instructional expenditures. As a result, many school leaders are seeking to identify PD opportunities with high return on investment (ROI) in terms of student learning and achievement.

In an effort to address this issue systematically, a comprehensive literature synthesis was commissioned by ACSI (Swaner 2016). The synthesis, which surveyed over 500 scholarly articles and resources over the past 20 years, asked the question, “What are best practices in PD for Christian school teachers and leaders?” While little research was found specific to Christian education, what was available corroborated much of the broader literature on PD in K–12 schools. A set of characteristics of effective PD were identified in the literature, as well as a range of practices for which there exists research on their effectiveness. The synthesis also reviewed the evidence for the importance of cultures of continuous improvement to the effectiveness of any PD efforts.

Professional Development for Christian School Educators and Leaders

An annual affirmation of commitment to the school and expected responsibilities as a board member.

A six step strategy for resolving school conflict in accordance with Matthew 18

As employees of an educational institution, you are held to a higher standard by parents, students, colleagues, and members of the public. We support and endorse a strict policy of respect toward students and expect employees to act at all times as adult role models.

Questions that should be asked by directors in determining the scope of their responsibilities and how these responsibilities should be fulfilled?