Learning Forward's Definition of Professional Development

(formerly known at the National Staff Development Council)

Working with our allies and advocates, Learning Forward has created this formal definition of professional development for use in the reauthorized version of NCLB.

Learning Forward Proposed Amendments to Section 9101 (34) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as reauthorized by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

(34) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT— The term “professional development” means a comprehensive, substantiated, and intensive approach to improving teachers’ and principals’ effectiveness in raising student achievement –

(A) Professional development fosters collective responsibility for improved student performance and must be comprised of professional learning that:

(1) is aligned with rigorous state student academic achievement standards as well as related local educational agency and school improvement goals;

(2) is conducted among educators at the school and facilitated by well-prepared school principals and/or school-based professional development coaches, mentors, master teachers, or other teacher leaders;

(3) primarily occurs several times per week among established teams of teachers, principals, and other instructional staff members where the teams of educators engage in a continuous cycle of improvement that —

(i) evaluates student, teacher, and school learning needs through a thorough review of data on teacher and student performance;

(ii) defines a clear set of educator learning goals based on the rigorous analysis of the data;

(iii) achieves the educator learning goals identified in subsection (A)(4)(ii) by implementing coherent, sustained, and evidenced-based learning strategies, such as lesson study and the development of formative assessments, that improve instructional effectiveness and student achievement;

(iv) provides job-embedded coaching or other forms of
assistance to support the transfer of new knowledge and skills to the classroom;

(v) regularly assesses the effectiveness of the professional development in achieving identified learning goals, improving teaching, and assisting all students in meeting challenging state academic achievement standards;

(vi) informs ongoing improvements in teaching and student
learning; and

(vii) that may be supported by external assistance.              

(B) The process outlined in (A) may be supported by activities such as courses, workshops, institutes, networks, and conferences that:

(1) must address the learning goals and objectives established for professional development by educators at the school level;

(2) advance the ongoing school-based professional development; and

(3) are provided by for-profit and nonprofit entities outside the school such as universities, education service agencies, technical assistance providers, networks of content-area specialists, and other education organizations and associations.

Comparison of Job Embedded Professional Learning

 

 

Pre-Internship/Internship	Assistant Principal	Principal
MISD Staff Development	MISD Staff Development	MISD Staff Development
Mesquite Leadership Academy Leadership Book Studies Teacher Instructional Leadership Training - TILT Love and Logic Behavior/Discipline Management Classes Microsoft Word Microsoft PowerPoint Excel Appreciating Diversity Customer Connection Conflict Management A Framework for Understanding Poverty by Ruby Payne Beginning Spanish	New Assistant Principal Staff Development Professional Development and Appraisal System - PDAS Instructional Leadership Development – ILD Leadership Book Studies Keys To Effective Communication Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Beginning Spanish Designing and Delivering Effective Staff Development Data Analysis Training Classroom Walkthrough Training Language Acquisition for English Language Learners	New Principal Staff Development Documentation Written Communication Instructional Focus Days District Initiatives Region 10 Administrative Leadership Training Aspiring Principal Academy through Region 10
Job Embedded Staff Development	Job Embedded Staff Development	Job Embedded Staff Development
Campus Improvement Plan Development Mentoring New Teachers Supervising New Teachers Sponsoring a club/activity/event on campus or district level Attend/Support Student Extracurricular Activities	Campus Improvement Plan Development Chancery System – attendance; discipline coding Developing and Facilitating Staff Development Principal Observation on Other Campuses Campus Study Groups/ Action Research	Collaboration with assigned mentor and other principals Developing and Facilitating Staff Development Principal Observation on Other Campuses Campus Study Groups/Action Research New Principals Coaching
Independent Study	Independent Study	Independent Study
Professional Reading Active Membership in Local/State Education Associations/Organizations	Professional Reading Active Membership in Local/State Education Associations/Organizations	Professional Reading Active Membership in Local/State Education Associations/Organizations

 

Scenario:

As a principal, I try very hard to send a team of teachers to workshops, conferences, and other staff development opportunities that I think will benefit them and our students. They always come back saying they have learned a lot, but I see little evidence that they’ve actually implemented much of what they tell me they learned. I’m beginning to think that I shouldn’t spend the money on such things anymore.

Helping teachers find opportunities to stretch and grow is part of every instructional leaders responsibilities. Sending teachers to professional growth opportunities is important, but just as important is finding ways to hold teachers accountable for implementation of their new knowledge and skills. Before the next team goes, ask them how they will share and apply what they will learn. This simple question signals your expectations. Be prepared to brainstorm some ideas with them. Here are some ideas you might share:

• Share with one other teacher in the same grade level or department.
• Make a presentation to the staff at the next faculty meeting regarding what they learned.
• Prepare a set of lesson plans for all teachers to use.
• Model a lesson based on what they learned and invite all interested teachers in their building to observe.
• Prepare a videotape of a model lesson that could be shared with teachers in their building and in the district.
• Write about what they learned for the school, staff, or district newsletter.
• Create an ongoing study group on the topic that was the subject of the conference or workshop.

These ideas will convey to your staff that staff development is not a day away from school, but a valuable opportunity that comes with a commitment to share with others and to transfer that learning into practice.

Unique to Mesquite ISD, the ETIP program is the first of its kind created to recruit, retain, differentiate and reward the most talented and dedicated classroom teachers. Faced with a nationwide teacher shortage, MISD developed the ETIP program to develop teachers’ expertise through targeted, specified professional development that adds value to the district. Through ETIP, these master teachers can substantially improve their financial future while staying in the classroom. (In the past, an educator's only option to achieve a significant income increase was to move out of the classroom into administration.)

The ETIP program allows a classroom teacher to increase his/her earning potential up to $12,000 annually if all three tiers are completed.

Click here for more details about the Excellence in Teaching Incentive Program.

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