Have you ever felt that nagging doubt when approving yet another substantial CPD budget? That quiet voice asking whether this investment will genuinely improve teaching? Over my six years as a MAT Chair, I’ve frequently encountered what I call the “accountability gap” – our remarkable ability to invest significantly in teacher professional development while having precious little idea whether it makes any difference to classroom practice.
The expensive elephant in the staffroom
In meetings across multiple schools, I’ve observed a common pattern: excitement and enthusiasm about new CPD initiatives followed by superficial evidence of impact. Most schools rely heavily on participant feedback forms – those cheerful sheets that tell us people enjoyed the session but reveal nothing about classroom change.
The Teacher Development Trust estimates UK schools spend over £1 billion annually on CPD – roughly £2,000 per teacher – yet fewer than one-third of teachers believe this training improves their classroom practice.
It’s rather like buying an expensive gym membership but never weighing yourself or checking if you can run any faster. You feel virtuous for spending the money but have no idea if you’re getting fitter.
Why we’re stuck in the CPD time warp
Most school CPD remains frozen in a curious time warp. Picture this familiar scene: teachers packed into the school hall, half-listening to a generic presentation while secretly marking books under the table or mentally planning their shopping list. Everyone completes a feedback form (usually positive – who wants to be labelled difficult?), then returns to teaching exactly as before.
This approach persists for three reasons:
- We’ve convinced ourselves that immediate reaction equals impact
- We’ve separated teacher development from actual teaching outcomes
- We’re afraid of what robust measurement might reveal
Through discussions with senior leaders across the sector, I’ve seen how this superficial data collection creates a false sense of security, allowing us to tick boxes without asking harder questions.
Breaking the measurement taboo
Why is measuring CPD impact so difficult? Based on my observations, three significant barriers stand in our way:
- Our devotion to the quick fix: We prioritise immediate feedback over patient observation of classroom change
- Our one-size-fits-all mentality: We use identical evaluation methods for wildly different developmental needs
- Our disjointed thinking: We rarely connect CPD data with wider school performance measures
When we fail to measure CPD effectively, we don’t just risk wasting resources – we undermine teacher confidence, stifle innovation and compromise pupil outcomes. High staff turnover rates, partially driven by ineffective CPD, cost schools significantly, both financially and educationally.
Reimagining what’s possible
Imagine a world where every CPD experience connects clearly to classroom outcomes. Where teachers can articulate precisely how their effective professional development affects their teaching. Where school leaders can demonstrate the relationship between development investments, teacher performance and pupil progress. These changes can lead to school improvement and stronger CPD outcomes.
This isn’t fantasy. Some pioneering approaches include:
- Building longitudinal impact evaluation into CPD design from day one
- Creating personalised metrics that reflect individual teacher growth journeys
- Intelligently integrating development data with broader measures of school effectiveness
These approaches require courage, creativity and patience; qualities our education system desperately needs.
Your turn
I’m deeply curious about your experience:
How does your school or trust measure whether CPD actually improves teaching? What one change would make your professional development more meaningful?
Let’s start an honest conversation about closing the accountability gap, ensuring every pound spent genuinely improves teaching and learning.
After all, if we can’t measure it, how do we know it matters?
#EducationalLeadership #SchoolImprovement #TeacherDevelopment #CPD
