School Spending for Professional Development: A Cross-Case Analysis of Seven Schools in One Urban District

Abstract

This article provides a cross-case analysis of professional development spending in a sample of 7 elementary schools in the Cincinnati Public School District. I collected district- and school-level data on professional development spending by employing an intensive data-gathering method that included a detailed examination of district budget and planning documents and extensive interviews with district and school administrators. Expenditures relating to professional development were then classified according to a new professional development cost structure for comparing expenditures across schools. The data suggested that the schools spent a significant amount on professional development activities, averaging more than 7,700 per teacher. However, expenditures varied greatly among schools, ranging from 2,900 to more than $16,000 per teacher. Professional development spending varied according to school performance, the availability of discretionary school funds, and the preferences of school staffs. More than half of the spending was funded through the schools' own discretionary funds, with the remainder provided by the district's central office on behalf of the schools' staffs.