Building teacher and school capacity to teach to ambitious standards in high-poverty schools

The present study examines the experience of two high-poverty schools that participated in a district professional development (PD) initiative designed to support teachers in meeting the goals of the Common Core State Standards. A small group of teachers from each school attended PD, learned collaborative planning and inquiry practices, and were expected to lead this work at their school. Key findings suggest that job-embedded support from experts and direction from the principal, rather than the leadership of teachers, were essential for translating learning from PD into changes in instruction and collaboration. Implications for developing capacity in high-poverty schools are discussed.