The purpose of professional development in Columbia Public Schools is building capacity for improved student performance.

Columbia Public Schools has long recognized the complexity of teaching and learning and is committed to continuous improvement. We believe in effective professional development:

• can happen both in the workplace and outside of contracted time
• is job-embedded and ongoing
• is relevant to daily work that impacts tomorrow’s learning
• develops leadership capacity
• includes collaboration time during the regular school day
• utilizes meaningful, timely research and student data to inform practice
• is collaborative, data-driven, and results-oriented
• is focused on ongoing improvement and evaluation aligned to district curriculum standards and school improvement goals