An Investigation of School District Professional Development for Middle School English Language Arts and Reading Teachers

This study reinforces the existing research through teachers' perceptions of school district professional development and their attempts to implement the training. I investigated middle school English Language Arts teachers' professional development in one school district for one school year. Specifically, this study examined teachers' reactions to ongoing professional development offered by one school district. The research questions guiding this study are the following: 1.What are ELAR teachers' perceptions of school district professional development?2.How do school district's professional development sessions impact ELAR teachers' instructional decision-making to address the needs of diverse adolescent students? The findings suggest the significance of teachers' ongoing professional development provided by school districts in preparing them to become consciously informed educators.