Teachers' Professional Development and Education Reform

This issue of CPRE Policy Briefs contains excerpts from Little's article, "Teacher Professional Development in a Climate of Educational Reform." The brief addresses the problem of "fit" between current state and local reforms and prevailing approaches to professional development. The first section summarizes the major themes of reform; the second focuses on the policy dilemma these reforms present for professional development; the third describes emerging alternatives to traditional professional development' and the final section suggests principles to guide the design of professional development opportunities.