Time to evaluate adult learning and student achievement
By Stephanie Hirsh
Results, April 2004
Copyright, National Staff Development Council, 2004. All rights reserved.
NSDC's vision for high-quality professional learning calls for a focus on results, standards, and the daily work of teaching. These are the fundamentals of effective professional learning. If they are not present, it is highly unlikely that your staff development efforts will have much impact on teachers and on student learning. If such impact is the end you seek, then consider the results of this assessment and the next steps you must take.
RESULTS-DRIVEN
Does staff development planning begin by examining what students are expected to know and be able to do?
| Always | Frequently | Sometimes | Rarely |
Never
|
Does this examination then turn to a determination of student needs according to students' results on classroom, district, and state measures?
| Always | Frequently | Sometimes | Rarely |
Never
|
Does your staff then search for and identify the knowledge and skills associated with successfully teaching the content students have yet to master?
| Always | Frequently | Sometimes | Rarely |
Never
|
Is staff learning focused on this set of knowledge and skills?
| Always | Frequently | Sometimes | Rarely |
Never
|
STANDARDS-BASED
Does the content addressed through professional learning align with standards students are expected to master?
| Always | Frequently | Sometimes | Rarely |
Never
|
Do the content and skills addressed through professional learning align with district or state teaching standards?
| Always | Frequently | Sometimes | Rarely |
Never
|
Do the content and process for principal learning align with standards adopted by your district, state, or the Interstate School Leadership Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) standards?
| Always | Frequently | Sometimes | Rarely |
Never
|
Do the context, process, and content of your professional learning align with your district, state, or NSDC's Standards for Staff Development?
| Always | Frequently | Sometimes | Rarely |
Never
|
JOB-EMBEDDED
Does the entire staff view itself as a learning community with work time set aside and used for professional learning?
| Always | Frequently | Sometimes | Rarely |
Never
|
Are teachers part of consistent learning teams that meet almost daily for professional learning?
| Always | Frequently | Sometimes | Rarely |
Never
|
Do teacher learning teams study the standards students are expected to master?
| Always | Frequently | Sometimes | Rarely |
Never
|
Do teacher learning teams jointly develop lessons that will be used by the team?
| Always | Frequently | Sometimes | Rarely |
Never
|
Do teacher learning teams use their time to develop, pilot, and implement classroom-based assessments and to assess student work?
| Always | Frequently | Sometimes | Rarely |
Never
|
Do teacher learning team members observe and provide feedback on each other's teaching?
| Always | Frequently | Sometimes | Rarely |
Never
|
To what degree do the teachers feel joint responsibility for the success and failure of all students served by the team?
| Always | Frequently | Sometimes | Rarely |
Never
|
|
