Specific Professional Development Guidelines

Here is the definition of professional development that appears in the School Improvement Fund program from the U.S. Department of Education.

B-6. What is job-embedded professional development?

Job-embedded professional development is professional learning that occurs at a school as educators engage in their daily work activities. It is closely connected to what teachers are asked to do in the classroom so that the skills and knowledge gained from such learning can be immediately transferred to classroom instructional practices. Job-embedded professional development is usually characterized by the following:

• It occurs on a regular basis (e.g. daily or weekly);
• It is aligned with academic standards, school curricula, and school improvement goals;
• It involves educators working together collaboratively and is often facilitated by school instructional leaders or school-based professional development coaches or mentors;
• It requires active engagement rather than passive learning by participants; and
• It focuses on understanding what and how students are learning and on how to address students’ learning needs, including reviewing student work and achievement data and collaboratively planning, testing, and adjusting instructional strategies, formative assessments, and materials based on such data.

Job-embedded professional development can take many forms, including, but not limited to, classroom coaching, structured common planning time, meetings with mentors, consultation with outside experts, and observations of classroom practice.

When implemented as part of a turnaround model, job-embedded professional development must be designed with school staff.

Source: U.S. Department of Education. (2010, June 29). Guidance on School Improvement Grants under section 1003(g) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Washington, DC: Author.