Chicago public school children scored substantially higher on the Illinois Goals Assessment Test after their teachers took part in the Teachers Academy's professional development programs, according to an evaluation conducted by Brigitte Erbe, director of the graduate research center at Roosevelt University. Academy students scored an average of 33 points higher than other sixth-graders in the Chicago system. An additional six schools entered the Academy in the spring of 1992. The 17 schools combined showed a gain of 39 points. By comparison, other Chicago schools gained only 11 points.
Professional development is hard work.
It takes tremendous time, energy and, of course, money. The ultimate goal is a better education for our children. Improved science and math performance is not an end in itself. But these subjects provide an excellent means for producing children who can think critically, speak persuasively, and solve problems in a very real and complicated world. All rights reserved.