Coordinator's Corner

That’s Some High-Quality Professional Development!

By Helen Barrier, M.Ed. and Ben Tickle, M.S.

 

Upon arrival at the office, I picked up my phone and began to check my messages.  I discovered a message from Principal Smith from Anytown, High.  After a quick introduction, he swiftly got to the point.  He had called to request a workshop on collaboration on November 7th, Election Day, from 1:00pm to 3:00pm.  Before ending the call, he mentioned that the participants would include the entire faculty and staff, approximately 85 people.   When asked about the possibility of follow up services, Principal Smith replied, “I just don’t have the time or money for any more professional development this year.”  Needless to say, collaboration was not a success at Anytown high that year.  In fact, Principal Smith called in June to let us know that collaboration was just not working and asked what we could do to help.

Sadly, and all too often this happens in the world of professional development (PD).  As Ed Ellis at the University of Alabama says, this “Spray and Pray” approach is just not effective.  In an effort to produce High Quality Professional Development, the VDOE uses ten criteria, set forth by National Staff Development Council, NSDC, and required in NCLB of 2001, as guidelines to planning and evaluating professional development. These criteria should be embedded in PD based on specific objectives and guided by formative and summative assessment measures. This PD should also involve efficient use of time along with engaging teaching methodology. Professional development, as set forth by The Virginia’s High Objective Uniform State Standard of Evaluation (HOUSSE), can include preparation work, homework and follow-up sessions.  

 

High Quality Professional Development Criteria

1. Improve and increase teacher’s knowledge of academic subjects

2. Be sustained, intensive and classroom focused

3. Be based on VA SOL’s

4. Be structured on scientifically based research to improve student outcomes

5. Be sponsored by schools divisions, colleges, universities & associations

6. Be delivered by highly qualified individuals

7. Support the success of all learners

8. Provide teachers with use of technology

9. Promote use of data to improve instruction

10. Be evaluated for meeting intended outcomes

 

* Document available @ http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/nclb/HQPDcriteria4-04.pdf

 

The bottom line, according to Thomas Gutskey (2000) and his extensive work in this field, are identified in five important levels of professional development evaluation which involve more than what we have traditionally done, and that is just looking at how the participants enjoyed the workshop. It involves digging deeper into what was learned, how schools change because of the PD, what knowledge is being used because of the PD and finally, and most importantly, what student learning has taken place as a result. Since every educator is in the business of ensuring all students’ success, this notion of increasing student learning is paramount to any PD.

When participants “Sit and Get” new information in a workshop there may be a 5% increase in classroom application but if this same information is accompanied with modeling, practice, feedback and coaching, we can expect 80-90% application (NSDC, 1995).  (PD can no longer?)No longer can any professional just fill a time and space in a workshop. Time is of the essence and no one, especially teachers, have it to waste.

When requesting professional development from T/TAC you will be asked to respond to a battery of questions that may consist of identifying your goals, how you already are or plan to build capacity in this area, how this effort will be sustained over time and how this PD fits into your SIP. This gathered information is helpful to begin co-constructing a plan that is of high quality and will increase students’ success in the classroom and beyond! Now that’s some high quality professional development!