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How can professional development be maximized to met individual needs of educators?

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Stacy Soldana                          As educators, we are all different and we are all experts in different areas, how is teacher input used when developing a professional learning plan?   

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Stacy Soldana                          As educators, we are all different and we are all experts in different areas, how is teacher input used when developing a professional learning plan?   

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Some schools don't have coaches, how do we ensure that all schools are getting what they need?

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The meaning behind professional development has elevated my expectations pertaining to policy, history, research, and practice.

Exposure of effective PD includes: aligned with school goals, state and district standards and assessments, focus on core content and models teaching strategies, inclusion for opportunities for active learning of new teaching strategies, opportunities for collaboration, and follow-up and feedback.

Professional development has been viewed in a negative way and a mind shift needs to take place in order to experience this effective learning experience.

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In what ways does teaching practice change as a result of participation in a PLC and what aspects of the PLC support these changes?

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It is clearly outlined in the research what constitutes effective professional development; if it is well-documented, why do we continue to follow an old model that is ineffective?

What support is given to understand the adult learner?

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High quality PD creates space for teachers to share ideas and collaborate in their learning.

Professional development provides coaching and expertise about content and evidence-based practices, focused directly on teachers’ individual needs.

Professional development can be a source of efficacy for teachers that result in student growth and successes.

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How much do party politics and their differing educational policies impact the professional development vs. professional learning approach districts take?

In both reports, they specifically mention basing their information on experimental or quasi-experimental studies that have some type of control, but what is the role of qualitative studies in reports and practice?

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Money alone can't create change in practice, but resources of all kinds (materials, time, personnel) are important to help teacher implement practices that learn through high quality professional learning.

High quality professional learning is teacher-driven through inquiry.

High quality professional learning needs content focused and sustained over a period of at least 6 months.

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How can peer observations prior to co-teaching impact the implementation of a co-teaching model and student engagement and achievement?

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A one time professional learning opportunity is not as effective as a sustained learning opportunity for teachers.

A high quality professional learning opportunity involves active learning, collaboration, and continuous feedback.

We know that these professional learning opportunities are expensive. It is important to allocate funds effectively and a possibility would be through federal funds in order to reach these learning objectives.

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I notice that most of the time teachers don't get what they need out of professional learning offered in their districts.  I wonder who chooses, plans, and provides these opportunities for teachers.  Is there a way to review the effectiveness of them before they are brought to district?

We've reflected upon our "best PD" experiences. How can we take that and use it for the benefit of others? Opportunities and experiences like these truly contribute to the teaching and learning of EC teachers and students.

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How can EC programs continually utilize professional learning opportunities so that EC educators can maximize this new knowledge?

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Professional learning should allow opportunities for sustained learning with feedback in a collaborative setting, and align to school and curricular goals.

Schools need to find effective ways to allocate money for professional learning, including resources, collaboration with experts, and staffing solutions.

Short-term measures (ie standardized testing scores) have been replacing long-term professional development goals (ie teachers simply wanting to improve their practice).

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What is the most effective way that teachers can help shift administrators' mindset regarding professional learning?

How can the effects of professional development be measured most accurately and effectively?

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What effect do individualized professional learning opportunities have on the overall culture and climate within a school?

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Professional learning needs to be sustained over long periods of time with constant and continuous feedback.
The government has be troubled with determining how to allocate funds for prolonged professional development, they want their hands in it but don't know how to structure it.
Standardized testing has been a way for states and districts to determine schools and teachers need for professional development and not the teachers themselves.

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How has the teaching career been allowed to be determined successful based on students achievements on standardized tests?
Since there are criteria for effective professional development, why do districts and admins not follow the criteria when creating mandatory professional learning experiences for the teachers?

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If a prolonged professional learning opportunity that hits the majority of the effective criteria would that then impact the climate of the staff and students in a school?

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1. "The education systems is almost always in a state of change."  (Long, 2014)  Numerous governmental policies have been generated (and iterations of some), resulting in "dosage" toward making a difference in student achievement.
2.  National Reading Panel results were an impetus for NCLB and common standards.  ESSA seems to be the policy of the day, a kinder version.
3. Sustained educator learning, as opposed to short-term conferences correlate to "highly qualified" teachers who ultimately have greater effect on student achievement.

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1.  Are any of these policy makers experienced as long-term educators?  If not, can there be true understanding to the effects of  current accountability measures on the practice? Is attention being paid to "the complexity of the act of teaching?" (Kragler, p. 483)
2. How do we consider individualizing embedded follow-up that is minimally invasive?

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1. How can we support "highly qualified" teachers in their sense-making in a way that limits stress, maintains positivism, and sustains them in this profession?

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1. In order for PD to be effective it needs to have certain characteristics but most importantly pertain to what the teacher is doing right now.
2. To  help with cost and time we should utilize the expertise of teachers within our buildings and allow others to see them at work.
3. PD is important for all teachers no matter how long they have been teaching and PD needs to be meet teachers in their areas if weakness/needs.

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1. How are districts deciding what PD is offered to their teachers?
2. How much time is given, if any, for teachers to collaborate on a weekly or even daily basis?

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For those districts that are fortunate to have Instructional Coaches, how effective are they in making a difference in what happens in the classroom?

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I think it would be important to share the following with leadership around high quality professional learning:
1. There is a clearly research based definition of high quality professional development: Professional learning that results in changes in teacher practice and results in improvement in students learning outcomes. This definition should guide our work.
2. Research shows the need for longer term, sustainable professional learning with a range for 30-100 hours. Our professional learning models should reflect this research.
3. Modeling and coaching  opportunities provided during professional learning are key in creating high quality experiences for educators that will result in changes in teacher practice and improvements in student learning.

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If we have a clear definition and necessary characteristics to have high quality professional learning, what are we not applying these systemically?

Is the new structure of PERA,  whereby teacher and principal evaluations are based on both  student performance and teacher/principal rating of practice, impacting professional learning either positively or negatively?

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In what ways do individual schools and/or school districts utilize a shared leadership model to determine the professional learning plan for a school and/or district?