Student performance can improve in Cincinnati Public Schools if the district does a better job of investing in professional development for teachers, a consultant said Wednesday.

        “Where you invest money, the schools do better,” said Karen Hawley Miles, who prepared a 43-page report on the district's professional development.

        “At the heart of the accountability system is the link between what's going on in schools and what needs to happen right away,” she told Board of Education members.

        There is a structure in place that could lead Cincinnati schools to a powerful system of teacher professional development, Ms. Hawley Miles said.

        Each year, the district spends $10.1 million, or $3,900 per teacher, on individual and schoolwide professional development.

        Yet the district has no mechanisms to measure the effectiveness of that training and the organization of resources used for professional development. Schools receive little guidance in how best to provide teacher training that will impact student performance, Ms. Hawley Miles said.

        She recommended the district:

        • Invest resources in school-based instructional coaching.

        • Create school-level accountability for high quality professional development.

        • Create more time for professional development.

        • Revitalize the district's partnership with the Mayerson Academy. Superintendent Steven Adamowski said despite a partnership with ayerson, the district lacks a comprehensive plan for teacher training.

        He wants to find more time during the school day for teachers to improve themselves.

        “We are not concentrating professional development money in the schools where we probably have the best chance at making improvements,” he said.

        The district rates schools in four categories based on test scores and attendance. Those in the lowest spot get “redesigned.” The best schools are considering “achieving schools.” Those in the middle are either “improvement” schools or “intervention” schools.

        In her analysis, Ms. Hawley Miles found that schools in redesign always improve. Those in the two middle categories show mixed results. And most of those at the top tend to decline from year to year.

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