Professional development should be continuous and ongoing, involving follow-up and support for further learning, including support from sources external to the school that can provide necessary resources and new perspectives. Following is additional information and results. Return to Top Support for Professional Development Professional development does not exist in a vacuum, nor does it happen without conscious support from school leaders. Here's how professional development is supported in Kansas. The most uniform support for professional development reported by teachers and principals is the awarding of inservice points for participation.
All teachers indicate that a written policy on earning inservice points exists.
Virtually all principals indicate they support professional development through release time from teaching. More than three-fourths of teachers indicate their school has a written policy on release time. More than half of teachers indicate that study groups and grade level meetings are standard practice in their schools. More than half indicate that teachers receive support through peer coaching. Eighty percent of principals indicate that the lack of district administrative support for professional development is not at all a problem.