Resources
Read the remaining content with membership access. Join or log in below to continue.
Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.
In their full essay for Reach the Highest Standard in Professional Learning: Resources, authors Karen Hawley Miles, top, and Anna Sommers note that more rigorous instructional requirements combined with tighter budgets challenge school systems to think more deliberately about where and how they invest in teaching effectiveness. They write that forward-thinking school sytems see adoption of a comprehensive, integrated approach to professional learning as necessary — but also fraught with challenges.
In this excerpt, they outline ways in which school systems can repurpose people, time, technology, and money to enhance professional learning and more effectively build and retain a powerful teaching force.
Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students requires prioritizing, monitoring, and coordinating resources for educator learning.
Blase, J. & Blase, J. (2006). Teachers bringing out the best in teachers: A guide to peer consultation for administrators and teachers. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Education Resource Strategies. (2013a). A new vision for teacher professional growth & support. Watertown, MA: Author.
Education Resource Strategies. (2013b). Misfit structures & lost opportunities. Watertown, MA: Author.
Education Resource Strategies. (2013c). Promising practices in professional growth & support: Case study of Agile Mind. Watertown, MA: Author.
Education Resource Strategies. (2013d). Promising practices in professional growth & support: Case study of Teach Plus. Watertown, MA: Author.
Hanushek, E.A. & Rivkin, S.G. (2007). Pay, working conditions, and teacher quality. The future of children, 17(1), 69-86.
Hassel, B. (2011). Seizing opportunity at the top (Policy brief). Chapel Hill, NC: Public Impact.
Killion, J. & Harrison, C. (2006). Taking the lead: New roles for teachers and school-based coaches. Oxford, OH: NSDC.
Larner, M. (2004). Pathways: Charting a course for professional learning. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Leana, C.R. (2011, Fall). The missing link in school reform. Stanford Social Innovation Review, 30-35.
Miles, K.H. (2002). Rethinking district professional development spending to support school improvement: Lessons from comparative spending analysis. Watertown, MA: Education Resource Strategies.
Miles, K.H. & Ferris, K. (2015). Designing schools that work: Organizing resources strategically for student success. Watertown, MA: Education Resource Strategies.
NSDC, NEA, AFT, & CCSSO. (2010). Advancing high-quality professional learning through collective bargaining and state policy. Oxford, OH: NSDC.
Shields, R.A. & Lewis, C. (2012). Rethinking the value proposition to improve teaching effectiveness. Watertown, MA: Education Resource Strategies.
Shields, R.A. & Miles, K.H. (2008). Strategic designs: Lessons from leading edge small urban high schools. Watertown, MA: Education Resource Strategies.
Suescun, M., Romer, T., & MacDonald, E. (2012, December). Buoyed on all sides: A network of support guides teacher leaders in high-needs schools. JSD, 33(6), 32-36.
Travers, J. & Christiansen, B. (2010). Strategic staffing for successful schools: Breaking the cycle of failure in Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools. Watertown, MA: Education Resource Strategies.
von Frank, V. (2008, November). The gift of time. The Learning Principal, 4(3), 1, 6-7.
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.
Sometimes new information and situations call for major change. This issue...
What does professional learning look like around the world? This issue...
Technology is both a topic and a tool for professional learning. This...
How do you know your professional learning is working? This issue digs...