Project Activities
Research question
- Given the wide latitude in the types of educators NPD grantees could serve, which types did NPD grantees choose to serve?
- Faced with both substantial flexibility and some federally encouraged topics or approaches, what kinds of professional development did they choose to provide?
- To what extent did NPD grantees use rigorous research to design their activities and collect data to support rigorous project evaluations, as the program encouraged?
Structured Abstract
Design
This descriptive study was based on a survey of all NPD grantees funded in 2016 and 2017. The survey was conducted in Spring 2021, which was the final year of funding for the 2016 grantees and the fourth of five years of funding for the 2017 grantees. The evaluation also drew on existing information from grantees' applications.
Key findings
- Given wide latitude in whom to serve, grantees focused on supporting general education teachers and EL specialists already in the classroom, compared to those still preparing to become teachers.
- All grantees provided professional development on multiple topics, most often focusing on English language development and academic content mastery.
- Almost all grantees reported using rigorous research evidence to inform their professional development, as encouraged by the program. However, some had chalenges implementing the practices they identified in research.
- Limitations in the types of data that grantees collected may have impeded grantees' ability to address the emphasis on performance measurement and rigorous project evaluations.
People and institutions involved
IES program contact(s)
Products and publications
A report, titled How a Federal Grant Program Is Training and Supporting Educators of English Learners, was released in August 2024.
Questions about this project?
To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.
