Professional development study: CPS spent $6,500 per teacher, sees little improvement in return

The Chicago Public Schools spent almost $200 million on professional development last year--just under $6,500 per teacher--but the money yielded little discernable improvement in teaching, according to a first-ever, comprehensive inventory of professional development activities in the system.

The results of spending on professional development are "unclear and highly variable," states the report, a copy of which was obtained by CATALYST.

Overall, the report suggests that despite pockets of excellence and recent efforts to improve professional development, the school district is far from providing teachers with high-quality, ongoing help that results in higher student …