"(T)here were no policies, new or old, state or local, that identified student learning and achievement as the central focus of staff development."

"Both administrators and teachers complained about the timing of training provided to implement curricular initiatives. For example, some elementary teachers were in the process of implementing integrated curriculum units, but had not yet received formal training to support that effort."

"Although the district had budgeted $1.6 million in staff development funds for 1995-96, there was no meaningful assessment of the program, beyond feedback from those participating in workshops and similar activities. Everyone interviewed agreed that there was no valid, reliable mechanism in place or in use to measure the impact of staff development activities on student learning and achievement."