How to build summer PD that K-12 teachers value

Teachers value summer professional development when they choose it, do it with colleagues, and leave with work they will use in the fall. Build around those three things, and settle dates, pay, and purchasing before you book a room.

I learned this the hard way. I love summer, and in August 2017 I planned what I thought would be the perfect summer event: two days of Google for Education training at a resort hotel in Palm Springs, with special events, great meals, and a working team of educators led by an industry-leading professor. I was shooting for 50 people, minimum. We had capacity for 300. Fifteen teachers and administrators came.

Those 15 gave us all 5s and 6s out of 6. "I had very limited knowledge, so I learned a lot!" one wrote. The teaching worked and the event did not. So I asked where I went wrong. Was it too late in the summer? Was Palm Springs in August, at more than 100 degrees, a hard sell? Was $450 to $650 for two days too high? Did credit card enrollment miss how schools actually spend PD money? Should there have been levels? Those questions became this guide.

What research says about professional development that works

The best current summary comes from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Its March 2026 report reviewed five meta-analyses and five Department of Education randomized trials. All five meta-analyses found PD is generally associated with higher student test scores, and one put the effect at roughly one month of additional student progress.

The details are humbling. Of the five randomized trials, three found no effects on test scores, one found a delayed effect only for PD lasting at least two years, and one found positive effects but was less generalizable. None of the four meta-analyses that reviewed duration found an association between length and effect sizes. Two of three that reviewed coaching found no association, while the third found coaching generally associated with higher scores.

The Learning Policy Institute's 2017 review of 35 studies gives the features most leaders know: content focus, active learning, collaboration, models of effective practice, coaching and expert support, feedback and reflection, and sustained duration. Treat that list as a sensible design guide, not a guarantee. Any provider who promises results from a format, us included, is claiming more than the evidence shows.

What teachers say they value

When the test score evidence is mixed, listen to the people in the room. In a RAND survey for 2022-23 reported by GAO, about 67% of K-12 public school teachers said collaborative learning improved their teaching or their students' learning to a moderate or large extent. About 44% said the same of coaching, and about 43% of workshops.

Share of teachers who said this improved their teaching or student learning

Gallup's 2025 study for the Walton Family Foundation points the same way, and it shows how much room there is to improve. It also shows that who runs the session and who picks the topic both matter.

Why teachers do not sign up, and what summer fixes

In TALIS 2024, half of U.S. lower secondary teachers (50%) said their recent professional learning had a positive impact on their teaching, below the OECD average of 55%. Their top barriers were time, schedule, and incentives.

What keeps U.S. teachers from professional learning

Summer solves the schedule conflict and little else. Teachers have families, second jobs, and a real need to rest, so a summer session still competes for time and still has to answer "what is in it for me?" My Palm Springs event asked teachers to pay, travel, and give up days in August. That is a lot to ask.

The best two days of training in the world are worth nothing if your teachers cannot get to them.Ernie Delgado, BeyondK12

Eight decisions that shape summer PD

How to plan summer PD, from January to October

1. January: ask. Survey teachers on what they need for next year's units, and check that against student data. Offer a short menu rather than an open box.
2. February: settle dates and money. Ask teachers which weeks work. Learn your purchasing rules and deadlines, because school PD money often has its own spending rules. Congress appropriated about $2.2 billion a year in Title II-A grants for fiscal years 2022 to 2024, and GAO reports districts spent an estimated 57% of their funds on professional development. See how schools pay for this work.
3. April: design around real units. Pick the fall units teachers will bring. Recruit teacher leaders to run the sessions, and plan separate tracks for different starting points.
4. Summer: run it as team time. Keep lecture short. Give teams long blocks to build, try lessons on each other, and get feedback. Everyone leaves with something finished.
5. September and October: follow up. Protect planning time, arrange for teachers to observe each other teach the new unit, and ask what changed for students.

Where to start this week

Send a three-question survey to your staff: what do you need for next year, which summer weeks can you give, and what would make it worth your time? Asking first is the step I would change. If you want help, our professional development is taught on your units, on campus or online, and scheduled around your calendar, including summer.

If AI is on your survey results, find out where your school stands before you pick a topic. The free AI Readiness Assessment takes five minutes and scores you across Policy, People, Curriculum, Guardrails, and Funding, with the three fixes that matter most.

Related reading: Professional development for educators in the era of human and AI collaboration: what works in 2025-2026 and Top 3 markers to audit your school's AI readiness in one hour.

Questions school leaders ask

What makes summer professional development effective?+

No single feature guarantees results. GAO's 2026 review found PD is generally associated with higher student test scores, but evidence is mixed on which elements matter. A sensible design follows what teachers report: choice of topic, time with colleagues, and work tied to the units they will teach in the fall.

How long should summer PD last?+

Long enough to produce something usable, with follow-up during the year. GAO reports that none of the four meta-analyses that reviewed duration found an association between length and effect sizes on test scores. Do not add days for their own sake.

Should we pay teachers to attend summer PD?+

If you can, yes. In the OECD's TALIS 2024 survey, 54% of U.S. lower secondary teachers named lack of incentives as a barrier to professional learning. Pay, stipends, or credit toward salary steps all answer that barrier, so decide what you can offer before you announce the dates.

Can Title II-A pay for summer professional development?+

Professional development is a common use of Title II-A. GAO reports that districts spent an estimated 57% of their Title II-A funds on professional development for teachers, principals, and other school leaders. Check your district's plan, and see our funding guide for how schools pay for this work.

Is online summer PD as good as in person?+

The research GAO reviewed does not settle that question. Choose by purpose: in person suits team planning and peer observation, and online suits short topic sessions that teachers pick for themselves. A mix lets teachers take part without giving up the summer.

Sources

1. Gallup and Walton Family Foundation, Teaching for Tomorrow: How supporting teachers today shapes classrooms tomorrow (2025) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
2. U.S. Government Accountability Office, K-12 Education: research on effectiveness of professional development is mixed, GAO-26-107874 (March 2026) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
3. OECD, Results from TALIS 2024 country note: United States (October 2025) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
4. Learning Policy Institute, Effective Teacher Professional Development (June 2017) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
5. BeyondK12, Help build the perfect summer PD for K-12 educators (original post with the 2017 event figures) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)

EDErnie DelgadoFounder and CEO of BeyondK12. 35 years in education technology, founder of Beyond Technology Education in 2001, host of the BeyondK12 podcast.About BeyondK12