Professional development or staff development are terms that are employed at times interchangeably to refer to the process by means of which individual professionals in a specific field receive the ongoing training and other forms of programming needed to ensure that they remain conversant and current with the trends in their field (Speck & Knipe, 2005). It encompasses many different types of formal and informal learning opportunities and can be both intensive and collaborative, including consultation, mentoring, learning communities, supervision, orientation, and so forth (Public Education Network, 2011).
In the field of education, professional development is considered to be a mandatory aspect of practice and an integral element in career programming (Public Education Network, 2011). It is not limited to teachers but includes administrators, adjunct faculty or staff, and in some instances, parents. Different states use different professional or staff development requirements for teachers. Some states require that teachers participate in a set number of continuing or professional educational training programs per year while others require that teachers in particular demonstrate programming leading to recertification (Speck & Knipe, 2005). Some school systems go even further, requiring that teachers acquire an advanced degree within a specific number of years after beginning professional practice.
As noted by Jasper (2006), professional or staff development is integral to the field of education not only at the state level with respect to certification, but also at the district and school or building level. Generally, districts respond to state mandates regarding required professional development programs, identifying the exact number and type of programs that teachers must attend and complete during a fixed period of time. There are some fairly significant variances in these requirements and, according to Hill (200...