Principals' access to professional development is positively related to student gains in both ELA and mathematics, with the strongest and most consistent relationships in mathematics¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r2 · q3 · i0 negligible
Currency · newest study 2022 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i0 The overall professional development access index is significantly related to student gains in ELA (0.817*) and mathematics (1.281**), with every professional development area showing at least a marginally significant relationship in mathematics; the forecasted 9-point mathematics difference is equivalent to 0.17 SD. → Campoli 2022 q3 i0 Professional development in leading instruction shows a very strong relationship to student gains in both subjects (ELA 0.869*, mathematics 1.176**). → Campoli 2022

Evidence¶

Campoli 2022¶

Campoli, A. K., & Darling-Hammond, L. (with Podolsky, A., & Levin, S.). (2022). Principal learning opportunities and school outcomes: Evidence from California. Learning Policy Institute. https://doi.org/10.54300/438.376

q3 · i0 · associational · r2

Linear regression on the full professional development sample of principals reporting professional development in the prior 2 years, from approximately 460 schools and 314,000 students. Table 4 prints the overall index at 0.817* for ELA and 1.281** for mathematics, with leading instruction at 0.869* and 1.176** respectively. Forecasting a 9-point mathematics difference between index scores of 2 and 9, the report states it "is equivalent to 0.17 SD."

"In mathematics, the 9-point difference in gains is equivalent to 0.17 SD, which can be interpreted as almost 3 months (55 days) of additional instruction."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Principals' instructional leadership practices are linked to improved student outcomes, largely through their support for teachers — the general claim this finding bears on, with the studies behind it
• As principals' professional development in instructional leadership increases, mathematics gains are significantly more pronounced for historically underserved students of color than for white and Asian students — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Professional development is associated with larger mathematics gains for students of early-career principals than for students of mid-career and veteran principals — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Principals' professional development access is positively but not significantly related to teacher retention — related
• Students whose teachers attended one or two PLI professional learning courses gained more on SBAC, with larger gains for two sessions than one — related
• State policy differences shape principals' access to high-quality learning: California principals report more access than national peers, North Carolina principals less — related
• Principals' access to professional development is significantly associated with teacher retention and student achievement, with gains greatest for historically underserved students — a broader claim this one bears on
• In a large California study, principals' preparation quality and professional development access predicted teacher retention and student achievement gains — a broader claim this one bears on
• HMH Personal Math Trainer use was associated with math gains in grades 4, 5, and 8 but negatively associated in grade 7, and teacher-created assignments showed the strongest association — related