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    Key Points In Learning Forward’s Definition Of Professional Development

    By Learning Forward
    Categories: Change management, Learning systems/planning
    December 2010
    1. Fosters Collective Responsibility Because teachers have traditionally worked and sought professional development on their own, their learning opportunities have benefited only them and the students assigned to their classes. To achieve ambitious school performance and student learning goals, schools must strive to provide effective teaching schoolwide. Effective professional development fosters collective responsibility for all students rather than individual responsibility for some students. Professional development conducted in teams creates an environmentof shared responsibility. In the corporate world, team-based organizations are largely successful in having all of the people in the firm feel accountable and responsible for the operation and success of the entire enterprise, not just a few people in senior management positions (Farren, 1999; Gregory, 1999). 2. Primarily Occurs Several Times per Week It is the responsibility of professionals to continuously improve their knowledge and practice every

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    Learning Forward is seeking legislative amendments to include this definition in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as reauthorized by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. These amendments will clarify what practices qualify for federal, state, and district funding, while stating that professional development needs to directly impact a teacher’s classroom practices and student achievement.

    (34) Professional Development —

    The term “professional development” means a comprehensive, sustained, and intensive approach to improving teachers’ and principals’ effectiveness in raising student achievement —

    (A) Professional development fosters collective responsibility for improved student performance and must be comprised of professional learning that:

    (1) is aligned with rigorous state student academic achievement standards as well as related local educational agency and school improvement goals;

    (2) is conducted among educators at the school and facilitated by well-prepared school principals and/or school-based professional development coaches, mentors, master teachers, or other teacher leaders;

    (3) primarily occurs several times per week among established teams of teachers, principals, and other instructional staff members where the teams of educators engage in a continuous cycle of improvement that —

    • evaluates student, teacher, and school learning needs through a thorough review of data on teacher and student performance;
    • defines a clear set of educator learning goals based on the rigorous analysis of the data;
    • achieves the educator learning goals identified in subsection (A)(3)(ii) by implementing coherent, sustained, and evidenced-based learning strategies, such as lesson study and the development of formative assessments, that improve instructional effectiveness and student achievement;
    • provides job-embedded coaching or other forms of assistance to support the transfer of new knowledge and skills to the classroom;
    • regularly assesses the effectiveness of the professional development in achieving identified learning goals, improving teaching, and assisting all students in meeting challenging state academic achievement standards;
    • informs ongoing improvements in teaching and student learning; and
    • that may be supported by external assistance.

    (B) The process outlined in (A) may be supported by activities such as courses, workshops, institutes, networks, and conferences that:

    (1) must address the learning goals and objectives established for professional development by educators at the school level;

    (2) advance the ongoing school-based professional development; and

    (3) are provided by for-profit and nonprofit entities outside the school such as universities, education service agencies, technical assistance providers, networks of content-area specialists, and other education organizations and associations.

    References

    Farren, C. (1999). A smart team makes the difference. The Human Resource Professional, (12)1, 12-16.

     

    Gregory, A. (1999). Solving the team-building jigsaw. Works Management, 52, 56-59.

     

    Joyce, B. & Calhoun, E. (1996). Learning experiences in school renewal: An exploration of five successful programs. Eugene, OR: ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management.

     

    Joyce, B. & Showers, B. (2002). Student achievement through professional development. In B. Joyce & B. Showers (Eds.), Designing training and peer coaching: Our need for learning. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

     

    King, M.B. & Newmann, F.M. (2000). Will teacher learning advance school goals? Phi Delta Kappan, 81(8), 576-580.

     

    Leonard, D. & Swap, W. (2004, September). Deep smarts. Harvard Business Review.

     

    Odden, A., Picus, L., Archibald, S., Goetz, M., Mangan, M.T., & Aportela, A. (2007). Moving from good to great in Wisconsin: Funding schools adequately and doubling student performance. Madison, WI: The Wisconsin School Finance Adequacy Initiative, Consortium for Policy Research in Education, Wisconsin Center for Education Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

     

    Rothenberg, R. (2003, Spring). Thought leader. Strategy + Business. Available at www.strategy-business.com/press/16635507/8458.

     

    Taylor, W.C. & LaBarre, P. (2006, January 29). How Pixar adds a new school of thought to Disney. The New York Times. Available at www.nytimes.com/2006/01/29/business/yourmoney/29pixar.html?pagewanted=all.


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    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.


    Categories: Change management, Learning systems/planning

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