Practice-Based Professional Development: Elevate Your Growth

What Research Says About the PD That Truly Improves Student Writing

When we think about improving student writing, the research is clear: it’s not enough for teachers to attend one-day workshops or hear about “best practices.” What really moves the needle is professional development (PD) that is practice-based: PBPD that helps teachers learn, try out, reflect on, and embed instructional practices in their own classrooms, with support over time. This kind of PD aligns closely with the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) model. In fact, a randomized controlled study by Harris et al. (2012) shows how practice-based professional development (PBPD) tied to SRSD can produce strong improvements in student writing (Harris et al., 2012).

In this blog, I’ll define practice-based Professional Development (PBPD), summarize what we learn from Harris et al. (2012) and other research on effective PD, then offer practical suggestions for how middle school teachers (especially those teaching grades 6–8) can use PBPD to improve writing outcomes in their classrooms.

What Is Practice-Based Professional Development?

Practice-based professional development means PD that is not just about theory or strategy in the abstract, but that is tied tightly to teachers’ actual classroom work. Key features include:

• Active learning: Teachers engage in learning by doing—modeling, rehearsing, trying out new strategies, analyzing student work, etc.

• Classroom-embedded: The PD involves materials, genres, or tasks teachers already use (or will use) with their students.

• Ongoing support and feedback: Rather than a “one and done” session, teachers receive help over time through coaching, peer observation, feedback, and reflection opportunities (Desimone, 2009).

• Tailoring to student needs: Teachers examine their students’ writing, strengths, and weaknesses and adjust instruction accordingly.

• Collaborative learning: Teachers work together, grade teams, cross-grade, or in partnership with universities, to share practices, observe each other, provide feedback, and problem solve (Borko, 2004).

Practice-based PD differs from generic workshops in that it is more sustained and contextual and aims for fidelity in implementation and relevance to student outcomes.

What We Learn from Harris et al. (2012): PBPD + SRSD in Elementary Grades

Harris and colleagues’ 2012 study, Practice-Based Professional Development for Self-Regulated Strategies Development in Writing: A Randomized Controlled Study, provides strong evidence of how PBPD can work. Here are the main lessons:

1. Setting

   • The study involved 20 teachers (grades 2 and 3) in three rural elementary schools. Teachers were randomly assigned to use SRSD in either story writing or opinion essay writing.

   • The PD was tied to a broader three-tiered prevention model, combining academic, behavioral, and social supports.

2. What the PD looked like

   • Intensive initial PD: about 12–14 hours in small teams, using materials they’d actually use with students; teachers practiced lessons, observed models, etc.

   • Support after training: observations in about one out of every three lessons, feedback, and help with problem-solving. Teachers used checklists, shared exemplar student work, and adapted lessons to student needs.

3. What happened to students

   • Students in SRSD (PBPD) classrooms showed significant gains in writing quality, inclusion of genre elements (story or opinion), and transitions (for opinion essays).

   • Teachers implemented with high fidelity, and teachers and students viewed the instruction as socially valid (they believed it mattered and was acceptable).

4. Challenges and caveats

   • Time constraints limited the number of sessions (max 24 class sessions), which may have limited growth on some measures.

   • Story writing was more complex for young students; opinion essays showed clearer gains.

   • The study did not include very intensive coaching beyond observations, so the impact of extended coaching remains an open question.

(Harris et al., 2012)

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Other Research on Effective PD / PBPD

To place the Harris et al. study in a broader context, here are other recent, credible studies and reviews that tell us what makes PD effective, particularly for writing and student growth.

1. These features overlap strongly with what Harris et al. did in their PBPD in SRSD:

   • Content focused (specific subject matter)

   • Active learning

   • Collaboration among teachers

   • Models of effective practice

   • Coaching or expert support

   • Feedback and reflection

   • Sustained duration over time (Learning Policy Institute, 2017)

2. Sims, Fletcher-Wood, & O’Mara-Eves (2022): This meta-analysis of 104 randomized controlled trials found that PD programs are most effective when they combine “causally active components” that support insight, goal setting, technique, and practice (UCL CEPEO Report).

3. Meta-analyses and reviews:

   • A meta-analysis of STEM PD found that programs with more than ~80 hours of training yield larger impacts on pedagogy and student outcomes (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017).

   • Another review (Ventista, 2023) found that continuous PD that includes training, coaching, and collaboration improves student learning.

4. Characteristics & obstacles:

   • PD fails when disconnected from teachers’ daily work, practice isn’t built in, or follow-up is absent (Learning Forward).

   • Teachers need time, resources, and support for implementation, or PD risks burnout and low fidelity.

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Practice-Based Coaching (PBC): A Model for Sustained Teacher Growth

Another model closely tied to practice-based professional development is Practice-Based Coaching (PBC). PBC is a structured approach that supports teachers in applying evidence-based practices with fidelity through ongoing, job-embedded learning cycles. Each cycle includes three components: setting shared goals and creating an action plan, focused observation of teaching practices, and collaborative reflection with feedback. Unlike traditional PD workshops that end once training is over, PBC provides continuous support in the classroom, ensuring that teachers receive feedback and can refine their practice in real time (Office of Head Start, 2020).

In many ways, PBC can serve as the engine that keeps PBPD moving forward. Shared goal-setting and observation cycles help teachers stay accountable, while reflection and feedback encourage growth and problem-solving. Research from the Office of Head Start and others shows that PBC strengthens teacher implementation and positively impacts student outcomes when applied consistently. For schools looking to integrate SRSD or other writing frameworks, embedding PBC into PBPD ensures that teachers learn strategies and sustain them with confidence and fidelity over time.

Applying PBPD in Middle School Writing: Strategies & Suggestions

Given what the research shows, here are practical tips for middle school (grades 6–8) teachers or instructional leaders looking to implement PBPD, especially to improve writing outcomes:

1. Diagnose Teachers’ and Students’ Needs: Collect baseline writing samples and analyze areas of strength/weakness. Align PD goals to real student needs (Learning Policy Institute, 2017).

2. Select PD Content: Focus on genres and self-regulation strategies (e.g., SRSD).

3. Plan PD with Active Learning & Modeling: Use authentic materials and exemplars.

4. Provide Ongoing Coaching / Observation / Feedback: Coaching cycles are essential (Sims et al., 2022).

5. Encourage Teacher Collaboration – Build collective expertise through grade teams.

6. Use Frequent Reflection & Adjustment – Analyze student work as evidence of impact.

7. Sustain PD – Duration, Follow-through, Scaling – Effective PD requires time and institutional support (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017).

How PBPD Aligns with SRSD (for Middle School Writing)

• Recursion of SRSD stages as PD itself – Teachers mirror the same learn → observe → model → support → independent practice cycle.

• Genre focus – Argumentative, explanatory, and narrative genres can be emphasized through PBPD.

• Self-regulation for teachers and students – Goal-setting, monitoring, and reflection benefit both.

• Social validity & teacher beliefs – Teachers must believe in the value and feasibility of the strategies (Harris et al., 2012).

Key Metrics to Know It’s Working

• Teacher implementation fidelity

• Teacher attitudes and beliefs about PD

• Student writing quality, coherence, and use of strategies

• Student confidence and ownership in writing

• Sustainability over time

Why This Matters: Impacts on Students & Equity

PBPD goes beyond skills training. Research suggests it:

• Improves student agency and ownership through self-regulation strategies.

• Helps close achievement gaps, especially for struggling students or multilingual learners (Harris et al., 2012).

• Builds teacher efficacy, confidence, and retention (Learning Forward).

• Promotes long-term skill transfer across writing and learning contexts.

References

• Borko, H. (2004). Professional development and teacher learning: Mapping the terrain. Educational Researcher, 33(8), 3–15. Link

• Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M. E., & Gardner, M. (2017). Effective Teacher Professional Development. Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute. Link

• Desimone, L. M. (2009). Improving impact studies of teachers’ professional development: Toward better conceptualizations and measures. Educational Researcher, 38(3), 181–199. Link

• Harris, K. R., Lane, K. L., Graham, S., Brindle, M., Sandmel, K., Driscoll, S., & Schatschneider, C. (2012). Practice-Based Professional Development for Self-Regulated Strategies Development in Writing: A Randomized Controlled Study. Journal of Teacher Education, 63(2), 103–119.

• Learning Forward. (n.d.). Standards for Professional Learning. Link

• Office of Head Start. (2020). Practice-Based Coaching (PBC). Link

• Sims, S., Fletcher-Wood, H., & O’Mara-Eves, A. (2022). Effective Teacher Professional Development: New Theory and a Meta-Analytic Test. UCL Centre for Education Policy & Equalising Opportunities (CEPEO). Link

• Ventista, O. (2023). What makes teacher professional development effective? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Teaching and Teacher Education, 122, 103951.