EPI finds high-quality professional development for teachers significantly boosts pupil attainment - AoC responds

Today (Wednesday 19 January) the Education Policy Institute has published new research, The effects of high-quality professional development on teachers and students. Among the key findings are: High-quality continuing professional development (CPD) for teachers is as effective for improving pupil outcomes as having a teacher with a decade’s experience in the classroom. Quality CPD programmes have a greater impact on pupil outcomes than performance-related teacher pay or lengthening the school day. Increasing the availability of high-quality CPD is likely to improve acute teacher retention problems. Responding to the report, Deputy Chief Executive Kirsti Lord said: “The EPI report findings clearly demonstrate the value of good quality CPD to both to staff and students. In an environment where learning is the core purpose, it may seem obvious that continuous professional development not only improves the engagement and retention of educators, but also improves the achievement of students. However, in a complex educational environment, with significant financial challenges, high quality, organisation-wide CPD can sometimes fall from focus. To retain outstanding staff and ensure colleges can thrive CPD must be viewed as an investment that benefits the whole organisation and be prioritised.” You can read the full report here.