The Influence of Professional Development Methods on Student Mathematics Performance in New Jersey Public Elementary Schools

This quantitative study was developed to determine the influence of professional development methods on student academic performance in elementary mathematics. The study also reviews the relationship between content that was delivered in professional development programs and student performance. Additionally, the research analyzes the difference in student math performance when professional development decisions are made by administrators versus a mixed group of stakeholders. An online survey was conducted to collect data from district- and school-level administrators in New Jersey public school districts that serve elementary students from grades three to six. The study includes representation from 11.4% of public school districts across the state. The results of the survey were examined with public data from New Jersey Department of Education district performance reports. Regression models were used for each of the three research questions and identified the control variables as the percentage of students with disabilities, the percentage of English learners, and the percentage of economically disadvantaged students. The results indicate that the content that was delivered and the decision maker were more significant factors for the influence of professional development on student academic performance compared to the provided methods