Concerns for evaluating professional learning
Educators at every level have a stake in understanding if professional learning is effective. When educators take responsibility for making the connection between their learning and the results they seek, they help schools and school systems understand the value of continuous improvement in helping all students learn at higher levels. Below are several cautions for educators to keep in mind as they identify the links between educator and student learning
Focus on outcomes
Gathering data about attendance, educator satisfaction, and facilitator skill is relatively simple. However, those data don\'t help educators know if the professional learning contributed to educator or student learning goals.
Examine data frequently
Multiple sources of data, formal and informal, can help educators understand the progress they are making towards goals. If they don't take frequent opportunities to discuss the data they have, they may miss valuable information about how their practices are changing and what impact that has on learning.
Acknowledge educators\' vulnerability
Any evaluation process puts learners on the spot in some ways. As educators examine what is and isn\'t working through this process, a focus on practices vs. people can help to keep blame at bay.
Be prepared to revise practices
The purpose of constant monitoring of the learning process is to make improvements when necessary, which means the educators involved will need to be prepared to try new strategies when the time is right.