Menu

Nimble Navigation

A constant cycle of assessment keeps learning on course.

By Terry Johanson
June 2016
Vol. 37 No. 3
The purpose of professional learning is to change what teachers know and can do to better support student learning. Over the last decade, professional learning has changed dramatically in an attempt to be more engaging and productive (Darling-Hammond, Wei, Andree, Richardson, & Orphanos, 2009). What’s missing for many, however, is time or resources to devote to a large-scale evaluation of the professional learning. Districts may track time spent or whether teachers valued the experience (Hirsh, 2013), but this only assesses if the learning was engaging or engaged in, not if it was effective. According to Learning Forward’s Standards for Professional Learning (2011), professional learning needs to start with student, educator, and system data, and that data should be used to assess forward progress. Internal evaluation

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.

Log In
   

Authors

Wendy James and Terry Johanson

Terry Johanson (johansont@stf.sk.ca) is director of the Saskatchewan Professional Development Unit and leads workshops throughout the province. Wendy James (jamesl@spsd.sk.ca) is coordinator of curriculum and instruction for Saskatoon Public Schools and currently on educational leave working on a doctorate.

References

Darling-Hammond, L., Wei, R.C., Andree, A., Richardson, N., & Orphanos, S. (2009). Professional learning in the learning profession: A status report on teacher development in the United States and abroad. Dallas, TX: National Staff Development Council.

Guskey, T.R. (2000). Evaluating professional development. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Hirsh, S. (2013). The impact factor: Why we can’t neglect professional learning evaluation. JSD, 34(5), 10-16.

Johanson, T. (2012). With wonder: Leading a mathematics community [Blog post]. Available at https://iwonderstand.wordpress.com/with-wonder-leading-a-mathematics-community.

Learning Forward. (2011). Standards for Professional Learning. Oxford, OH: Author.


+ posts

Search
The Learning Professional


Published Date

CURRENT ISSUE



  • Recent Issues

    EVALUATING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
    February 2024

    How do you know your professional learning is working? This issue digs...

    TAKING THE NEXT STEP
    December 2023

    Professional learning can open up new roles and challenges and help...

    REACHING ALL LEARNERS
    October 2023

    Both special education and general education teachers need support to help...

    THE TIME DILEMMA
    August 2023

    Prioritizing professional learning time is an investment in educators and...

    Skip to content