Assessment and evaluation have multiple purposes. First, they support continuous improvement. With data collected in formative and summative evaluations, leaders of professional learning systems have evidence to make improvements.
Second, they generate evidence to determine whether the system is working both to support effective professional learning planning, implementation, and evaluation and to improve educator effectiveness and student success.
In addition, an evaluation can inform resource investments. For a comprehensive professional learning system to work smoothly and to meet its many goals, all components of the system must be finely tuned and coherent.
Recommended steps for the evaluation of a comprehensive professional learning system include:
Included here are two tools, Guide to Evaluation and Professional Learning Organizing Checklist. The first tool summarizes these steps, outlines the questions, and serves as a planning guide for conducting an evaluation of a comprehensive evaluation system.
The second tool offers a guideline for conducting an evaluation of a comprehensive professional learning system. This checklist, which is adapted from Doing What Works, a U.S. Department of Education website devoted to providing research and evidence-supported practices, is a complement to the evaluation of specific professional learning programs contained in short- and long-term professional learning plans, not a replacement for those.
These tools are from Comprehensive Professional Learning System: A Workbook for States and Districts (Killion, 2013), which outlines eight steps for developing a comprehensive professional learning system. The eight steps are:
For more information, visit www.learningforward.org/publications/implementing-common-core.
Learning Forward, 2013
This workbook guides a team in reviewing, revising, or replacing an existing professional learning system. The process outlined and the tools included support the team in conducting all aspects of its work, usually done over several months, with continuous progress monitoring and input from research, experts, and constituents. The workbook is designed to be used by leaders in education agencies, including state departments or ministries of education, local school systems, and other governing agencies or organizations that provide professional learning.
Available to download free at www. learningforward. org/publications/ implementing-common-core.
Killion, J. (2013). Comprehensive professional learning system: A workbook for states and districts. Oxford, OH: Learning Forward.
Learning Forward is the only professional association devoted exclusively to those who work in educator professional development. We help our members plan, implement, and measure high-quality professional learning so they can achieve success with their systems, schools, and students.
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