Criteria for Effective Professional Development

Effective professional development:

• Focuses on a well-articulated mission or purpose anchored in student learning.
• Derives from analysis of student learning of specific content in a specific setting.
• Focuses on specific issues of curriculum and pedagogy.
• Derives from research and exemplary practice.
• Connects with specific issues of instruction and student learning in the context of actual classrooms.
• Embodies a clearly articulated theory or model of adult learning.
• Develops, reinforces, and sustains group work.
• Involves active participation of school leaders and staff.
• Provides sustained focus over time and continuous improvement.
• Provides models of effective practice.
• Utilizes assessment and evaluation.
• Provides timely feedback on teacher learning and practice.

Source: Elmore, 2002.

University Place School District

5 Essential Characteristics of a Professional Learning Community

Shared Mission: The professional learning community demonstrates a high degree of commitment to continuously improve student math achievement, agreement on best practices for math instruction, eagerness to implement best practices, and commitment to collaboratively improve math instruction through the learning community structure.

Learning-focused Collaboration: The professional learning community collaboratively shares ideas and strategies, plans learning and teaching activities, and works together to solve problems.

Collective Inquiry: The professional learning community confidently uses a wide range of methods to investigate learning and teaching, using findings to inform and develop its practice. The community collects, analyzes, and uses data to support this process.

Action Research: The professional learning community seeks to improve instructional practices for teaching mathematics and works collaboratively with others to improve instruction. Effects on student learning are the primary basis for assessing improvement strategies, and members constantly turn their learning and insights into action, rigorously assessing their efforts, demanding evidence in the form of student learning.

Results Orientation: The professional learning community evaluates efforts based on tangible results, and stays hungry for evidence of student learning. Members continuously use this evidence to inform and improve their practice.

Source: Math: Getting It Project web site, www.upsd.wednet.edu/1613101012143043530/site/default.asp