Staff Development

Professional Development IQ Quiz

Here are the answers - click here to return to the questions.

1. According to the public, what is the most important teacher characteristic?

d. Well-trained & knowledgeable about how to teach effectively (The Essential Profession: A National Survey of Public Attitudes Toward Teaching Educational Opportunity and School Reform, by David Haselkorn and Louis Harris, Recruiting New Teachers, 1998.) 
 

2. Which strategy does the public believe has the greatest potential for improving schools?

b. Recruiting and retaining better teachers (Teacher Quality: A Review of Existing Data, Belden Russonelio and Stewart, Research and Communications, August 1999.) . Reducing class size
 

3. According to research, what school investment yields the greatest increase in student achievement?

d. More teacher education (31st Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools as reported in Teacher Education Reports newsletter, Vol. 21, No. 16, August 23, 1999, Wash. DC)
 

4. According to the National Credibility Index, who of the following is most believable on public issues?

b. Teacher (Teacher Quality: A Review of Existing Data.)
 

5. According to research, which factor constitutes 44 percent of the impact on student learning?

b. Qualifications of teacher ("Paying for public education: New evidence of how and why money matters," by Ronald Ferguson, Harvard Journal on Legislation, Vol. 28.)  

6. What percentage of teachers believes that professional development programs "generally waste their time?"

a. 10.5% (Schools and Staffing Survey: 1993-94, U.S. Dep't. of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.)
 

7. Which strategy did superintendents and principals identify as most effective for improving teacher quality?

c. More professional development opportunities for teachers (Public Agenda, 2000)
 

8. Of the following, which aspect of teaching is most important to students?

c. Knowing the subject areas (The MetLife Survey of the American Teacher: Key Elements of Quality Schools; A Survey of Teachers, Students, and Principals by Dana Markow, Sarah Fauth and Diana Gravitch, 2001.)
 

9. According to teachers, what is the number one reason for professional growth?

a. Improve student achievement (A National Survey of Teachers was conducted for NFIE by Greenberg Research, Inc. and the Feldman Groups.)