Linking professional development, teacher outcomes, and student achievement: The case of a learner-centered mathematics program for elementary school teachers

•PD led to increases in teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching.•PD led to shifts towards student-centered enacted pedagogies.•Significant relationships were found between teachers’ knowledge and student learning.•Significant relationships were found between teachers’ beliefs and student learning.

Research is needed to examine the link between professional development on both teachers’ instruction and student achievement. This study examined the influence of three year-long cohorts of elementary school teachers’ participating in a learner-centered mathematics professional development program. Data sources include surveys on teachers’ instructional practices and beliefs as well as their students’ performance on curriculum-based assessments. Multi-level analyses indicated that teachers’ content knowledge and changes in teachers’ practices both had statistically significant effects on student achievement. This study advances the knowledge base on the influence of content knowledge and teachers’ beliefs on student achievement.