Professional development (PD) and training is often the vehicle that provides information to professionals and others who support students and youth with disabilities. And high quality, research-based PD can best prepare training participants to use effective practices when working with students and youth.
But what makes the most effective PD?
While there is very little information about high quality PD for transition, four key features of quality PD for educators have been identified in the research (Darling-Hammond & Baratz-Snowden, 2007; Desimone, 2009):
- Content is relevant and aligns with educators’ knowledge and beliefs
- Active learning opportunities exist
- Team-based participation among educators
- Sustained duration (more than one training) of PD
The resources below provide detailed information about each of these features and how they have been implemented and tested in PD research.
Simplified Version
In fairly straightforward language, the annotated bibliography outlines the key research findings related to transition PD for the four key features.
Professional Development for Transition Annotated Bibliography (PDF)
Research Article
Prefer the nitty-gritty research version? We've also included the research article that the annotated bibliography is based on.
Article: Essential Elements and Features of Transition-Focused PD (PDF)
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