Challenges

Theme: Professional Growth

How might we ensure valuable professional development and growth for STEM teachers?

Many districts do not offer high-quality, targeted professional development opportunities tailored to the needs of STEM teachers. The quality and effectiveness of STEM-specific PD for PK-12 teachers can be improved through efforts to better align teacher evaluation criteria with individual teacher’s professional growth needs and to provide PD activities, accordingly. PD can also be improved with a deliberate focus on best practices for teaching STEM, such as the use of active learning strategies. Moreover, teacher professional growth can be improved by incorporating opportunities for teacher input into PD opportunities, including teacher-to-teacher collaboration and coaching.