Conclusions
This study was initiated in response to requests for information from state officials. There is a substantial interest among educators in many states in promoting statewide professional development programs. However, the state officials confronted by these requests lack a capacity to assess their relative merits. This paper has suggested a preliminary framework for reshaping these linkages, but there are a number of unanswered questions. Indeed, as part of our conclusion, we have suggested a set of questions that can be used to guide conversations in states that might lead to the development of well-designed statewide professional development programs.
