Teaching and Learning: Support for Teaching and Learning

The Broad Prize Framework for School District Excellence

Support for Teaching and Learning Requirements

The district provides multiple types of ongoing professional development to all educators, differentiated by grade/course level, subject, prior knowledge and/or educator needs.
The content of district professional development is determined by an analysis of achievement-related data and is designed to improve teaching and learning to meet district and school goals.
The district has a system for supporting and evaluating the effectiveness of professional development.

Best Practice Documents: Support for Teaching and Learning

Designing an Aligned and Relevant Professional Development Program – Aldine Independent School District

Through its curriculum and instruction department, Aldine Independent School District offers rigorous training opportunities for its teachers and principals, with some sessions required and others optional. Professional development selection is based on district and school needs and is evaluated through participant feedback. The New Teacher Induction Academy is a particularly important piece, since it allows the district to familiarize new staff with the instructional strategies used throughout the district.

1 – District Professional Growth and Development Plan A document outlining professional development expectations for various district personnel
What to Notice This document provides guidelines for creating professional growth and development targets by specific positions (e.g., principal, teacher, speech pathologist, skills specialist, school nurse). What is unique about the listed activities is the strategic approach to connecting support personnel to the general instructional program. Additionally, the staff development guidelines provide explicit areas to be addressed for professional development, including expectations that selected topics be aligned to goals and objectives at all levels of the system (district, feeder pattern, school).	Questions to Ask Do all staff develop professional growth targets, or is that a term reserved for activities intended to improve poor performance? How are professional growth targets monitored Is school staff development typically held on or off campus? How have professional development expectations for support staff impacted their connection to the general instructional program? To classroom teachers? Who monitors the alignment between campus and district professional development and goals? Who selects staff professional development topics?
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2 – Professional Development Programs Framework One-page graphic organizer depicting the district’s approach to staff development.
What to Notice Aldine uses this graphic organizer to communicate how the professional development program links to specific departments and district strategies and goals. Notice that strategies —including aligning the curriculum and targeting specific high-needs groups— apply across all departments, not just core subjects. All staff development is guided by the district’s goals: helping students to acquire and apply academic skills, as well as demonstrate critical thinking strategies, as evidenced by results on district assessments.	Questions to Ask How has this staff development approach evolved? What were lessons learned that contributed to its development? How were the instructional strategies selected? How is the implementation of the strategies different in the different departments? How do the district goals at the top of the page reflect the district’s mission?
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3 – Staff Development Schedule Two-page document describing professional development programs offered prior to the start of the school year.
What to Notice Aldine uses the two weeks prior to the beginning of the school year to offer rigorous professional development. Notice that a teacher new to the district may receive up to two weeks of professional development, including participation in the three-day New Teacher Induction Academy, campus-based professional development, and district-wide professional development by department. Focus areas for staff development align with the strategies depicted in the graphic framework described above.	Questions to Ask What content is provided in the New Teacher Induction Academy that differs from general district professional development for all teachers and staff? How much discretion do principals have in the development of campus-based professional development? How do principals determine their campus-specific professional development needs? How does the district ensure that campus-based professional development aligns with district-wide professional development efforts?
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4 – Course Catalogue Extract Sample listing of professional development programs offered by the curriculum and instruction department in 2007–2008.
What to Notice This document is a sample listing of courses offered to principals, teachers and other instructional staff. In the first column, the district tracks attendance and registration, which are both measures of the training’s appeal and success. Teachers can access professional development on academic content areas, particular modes of instruction, technology, etc.	Questions to Ask In what form is this information shared with teachers? How easy is the process of registering and signing up for a substitute? How does the curriculum and instruction department determine the right mix of course offerings? How are teachers’ needs assessed to ensure that the training opportunities are well-matched to their needs? How does the curriculum and instruction department measure the success of the trainings through course evaluations, follow-up observations or focus groups?
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5 – Sample In-service Evaluation Results Two examples of district electronic evaluation survey and results
What to Notice These surveys provide an evaluation for professional development training sessions. Participant feedback is important for informing selection and delivery of future training. The electronic form appears to be anonymous and simple to administer and analyze. Notice that the majority of the questions are open-ended, allowing participants to provide honest and unrestricted responses to questions. The form also solicits ideas for future trainings, including the opportunity to volunteer as a trainer.	Questions to Ask Are evaluations provided after every district and school professional development session? Are all evaluations the same format, or can they be tailored? Who analyzes the survey results? Who receives the results? How are those results used to improve professional development? Are the surveys mandatory? Do most sessions receive a high response rate? Do participants provide detailed responses to the open-ended questions, or do they gloss over or skip them? What kind of follow-up does the district conduct to evaluate the effectiveness of the training?
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6 – A narrative describing the professional development plan for a school, and a form outlining the plan for implementation. Two examples of district electronic evaluation survey and results
What to Notice This narrative document illustrates one school’s professional development planning cycle, which includes identifying needs through data analysis and staff feedback, outlining specific targets and goals, and utilizing different resources for addressing the goals. The end results are very clear goals and focus. The professional development planning form is laid out similarly to the district’s other monitoring tools, like action plans and scorecards. In addition to identifying what will be taught, the plan requires identification of benchmark strategies toward the goal, due dates, and methods for evaluating each strategy. Similar to the format used for planning instruction, this structured plan ensures that new learning is well paced, segmented in manageable chunks, and evaluated for success.	Questions to Ask Do all staff develop professional growth targets, or is that a term reserved for activities intended to improve poor performance? How are professional growth targets monitored? Is school staff development typically held on or off campus? Who monitors the alignment between campus and district professional development and goals? Who selects staff professional development topics? How often is progress evaluated?
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Designing an Aligned and Relevant Professional Development Program – Broward County Public Schools

Broward County Public Schools places a special emphasis on professional development as a tool to improve instruction. The human resources development (HRD) department designs a comprehensive professional development system and requires each teacher to design a professional growth plan (PGP).

1 – Professional Development System Overview Comprehensive description of the district’s approach to professional development.
What to Notice Produced by the human resources development (HRD) department, this document provides an overview of the district’s approach to professional development. Notice that the district references relevant state requirements and places the plan in the context of the mission of the HRD department (see page 8). Later, the document articulates specific performance expectations for professional development staff. The Professional Pathways Policy (Appendix C) applies to all district employees and reinforces a culture of continuous improvement at the faculty, school and district levels.	Questions to Ask How does the district use evaluation data? What are some examples of changes made to professional development as a result of evaluation findings? How much does the district spend on professional development and training? How does this compare to similar institutions in K-12 education, other nonprofits or businesses in the private sector?
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2 – School-Level Professional Development Examples of professional development planning documents created by schools.
What to Notice The first document summarizes the concentrated professional development implemented prior to the start of classes each year. School staff can easily review topics and identify who will attend which sessions. The four days represent a combination of training for team leaders, select teachers on pedagogical instruction, and an entire segment of early grade-level teachers. Offering identical topics like parent involvement across different groups allows training to be differentiated by role or skill level if needed. The second document shows the agenda for one of the training sessions targeting teacher leaders. The activities represent a mixture of discussion and hands-on activities, with more time spent on activities. There is concentrated time to work on data analysis, a crucial skill that is often not practiced enough by school personnel.	Questions to Ask Is there a similar chart for other grade levels in the elementary school? How are teachers selected for particular sessions? Is this professional development required for some teachers? How is that determined? How are these topics selected? What type of follow-up support is available after professional development trainings? Who develops the activities for training sessions? Do data sessions involve using real data from the school? Who facilitates these meetings? Does it vary by the type of attendees? In what ways does the district provide support for these site-level professional development sessions?
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3 – Professional Growth Plan PowerPoint presentation to teachers describing how to design a professional growth plan.
What to Notice As a part of state’s professional development system, each teacher in Broward is required to design a professional growth plan (PGP) in collaboration with his or her principal. However, Broward purposefully emphasizes the importance of the PGP not as a compliance exercise, but as a tool for improving student achievement. Notice that the presentation includes several samples of effective PGPs, along with arrows that highlight particularly important parts of the plan. Student data is one large piece of the PGP, and teachers are expected to set specific goals for student achievement. Growth plans are meant to address specific teacher needs, as reflected in the student outcomes data. Note that failure to meet a professional development objective is used as a learning tool to reassess strategies, not as an opportunity to penalize teachers.	Questions to Ask Who tracks teachers’ progress against their professional development goals? Who is responsible for collecting and analyzing the PGPs? What are the best practices of principals in regard to the development of PGPs and the support of teachers? How are highly effective principals involved in the training process for other principals and teachers?
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Designing an Aligned and Relevant Professional Development Program – Long Beach Unified School District

Long Beach Unified School District has developed a professional development (PD) plan that aims to attract and nurture strong instructional leaders. The district prides itself on developing leaders from within, and its professional development programs reflect careful thinking about what is needed to support up-and-coming leaders.

1 – PD Programs – Organization and Alignment Depicts how the district thinks about the different components of professional development.
What to Notice The first graphic shows how PD programs are organized, focusing on which set of employees are targeted. Notice that someone starting as a teacher can begin with teacher leadership training, go on to PD for aspiring principals, and then receive significant PD as an administrator. The second graphic depicts how different elements of PD relate to the district’s mission of producing “responsible, productive citizens.” Notice that everything starts with communicating a vision to employees that is consistent with the mission and values of the district.	Questions to Ask How were these graphics developed? Who was responsible for creating them? How has the district’s thinking evolved over the years? How are these visual aides distributed? In what context are they shared with prospective leaders? What kind of organization is required to effectively deliver this type of program? How many coaches and other PD staff does the district employ?
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2 – PD Plan - Description of Components Describes objectives and design of different PD components.
What to Notice This two-page document describes the major components of the district’s PD plan and places them in the context of the district’s desire to develop strong instructional leaders from within. Notice that the district thinks about PD offerings over the life cycle of an administrator—from aspiring to retirement—and that inservice training is directed at all administrators throughout the district, not just at a subset. For new principals, the district offers a three-year program of PD and on-site support.	Questions to Ask How are aspiring principals identified from the teacher ranks? Who is responsible for this crucial function, and what criteria do they use? How many teachers are in this pool? How are PD programs evaluated? How are results analyzed and used to improve effectiveness? How does the district track its success in developing strong leaders from within?
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Evaluating Professional Development Plans – Broward County Public Schools

In Broward, the research development and assessment department plays an integral role in evaluating the success of professional development initiatives. Following a board decision to offer additional professional study days (PSD) to high school teachers as part of its commitment to high school reform, the research department evaluated the fidelity of implementation to the initiative’s purpose and the preliminary impact of the initiative on student achievement. Each school determines how it will utilize these additional PSDs – the administration and faculty at South Broward High School used their additional days to redesign professional development around “professional learning communities.”

1 – Professional Study Days (PSD) Initiative Evaluation Three studies examining the implementation of PSDs and impact on student achievement.
What to Notice In the early phases of the PSD initiative, the research development department focused its evaluation on the fidelity of implementation —understanding if and how schools were utilizing the extra days and whether teachers found PSDs effective as a tool to implement high school reform. Subsequent reports have built on these early evaluations to examine improvements to the program based on earlier recommendations and changing perceptions of the initiative’s value. Most importantly, the latest evaluation of the initiative incorporates student achievement data as a measure for its success.	Questions to Ask How did the district decide what kinds of quantitative and qualitative evaluation approaches to include? What kinds of resources (data, systems, personnel) are necessary to conduct a robust examination of the initiative’s impact on student achievement? What obstacles did the district face in conducting this analysis, and how did it overcome those obstacles? How does the district ensure that recommendations for improvement will be addressed? What has been the impact of those recommendations on student achievement?
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2 – Professional Learning Communities at South Broward High School Survey Results Description of professional learning communities initiative and teacher feedback.
What to Notice This report describes the results of the school’s transition to professional learning communities (PLCs) in response to the district’s professional study days (PSD) initiative. Empowering educators is at the core of this program and reflects the original purpose of the PSD initiative. Survey data from teachers indicate that the program has been well-received (at the time of the report, an analysis of the impact on test scores had not yet been completed). These PLCs are created by faculty members with a particular interest in one aspect of the school’s program of curriculum and instruction and originated from the board’s decision to grant additional professional study days to high school teachers.	Questions to Ask How are aspiring principals identified from the teacher ranks? Who is responsible for this crucial function, and what criteria do they use? How many teachers are in this pool? How are PD programs evaluated? How are results analyzed and used to improve effectiveness? How does the district track its success in developing strong leaders from within?
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Evaluating Professional Development Plans – Long Beach Unified School District

Long Beach Unified School District has developed interactive professional development sessions that train teachers how to use effective instructional strategies. For example, the attached PowerPoint offers content-specific suggestions for how to encourage active participation by secondary math students, and the district’s guide to differentiated instruction walks teachers through the why and the how of effective differentiated instruction.

1 – Differentiated Instruction Training Materials Session guide and materials for interactive module on differentiated instruction.
What to Notice Similar to an effective lesson plan, this training session encourages active learning by the participants. Worksheets offer the participants the chance to write down key learnings, and a rubric (on page 5) gives them the opportunity to conduct a self assessment. Notice that the session also includes a discussion of “practical tips” (page 11) for implementation of differentiated instruction (DI).	Questions to Ask How did the district decide to focus on differentiated instruction (DI)? What does the research say about the effectiveness of DI strategies? How does the district follow-up with participants to ensure that they are applying DI strategies in the classroom? How are principals and coaches trained to look for these strategies in regular classroom walkthroughs? How does the district measure the success of the training? What is the impact on the test scores of students whose teachers receive the DI training?
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2 – Active Participation Techniques in the Secondary Math Classroom-PowerPoint Presentation Overview of strategies available to high school math teachers to engage students effectively in the learning process. Due to student privacy regulations, the embedded movies are not accessible to the public.
What to Notice This presentation provides an introduction to several different strategies that secondary math teachers can use to keep students engaged and encourage active participation. In particular, videos depict teachers and students in the district demonstrating each strategy. This approach not only provides valuable examples of the strategies in action, it also provides field validity for the strategies and promotes best practice sharing within the district.	Questions to Ask How did the district identify these strategies as best practices? How does the district measure the impact of the training on teacher practices? Do principals and/or coaches follow-up with the participants? What support do teachers receive in the implementation of these strategies? How does the district measure the success of the training? For example, are there evaluations that allow participants to rate the session? Does the district track student test scores of the teachers who attend?
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Implementing a Long-Term Professional Development Plan – Northside Independent School District

Northside Independent School District approaches professional development (PD) as a long-term improvement cycle that continuously identifies areas for growth and development. In the case of district-wide programs, such as their differentiated instruction initiative, the district rolls out waves of PD sessions over a multi-year period, designed to reach all relevant stakeholders. District executives help principals develop specific PD plans for their own personal development, targeting potential growth areas.

1 – PD Plan for the Differentiated Instruction Initiative Lays out a detailed, multi-year implementation plan for the district’s differentiated instruction initiative.
What to Notice This document illustrates how Northside thoughtfully and carefully implemented a three-year plan to introduce differentiated instruction (DI) into district schools. Notice that the process starts with all principals in the district participating in a reading group focused on critical DI texts. Page 47 shows the different phases of the implementation plan, including book study, formation of a “leadership cadre,” and further roll-out via professional development. The initiative culminates in an Academy for Differentiated Instruction offered to all principals and selected teachers. Note that the invitation to this conference indicates that inclusion in the academy is a privilege and honor.	Questions to Ask How did the district decide to focus on differentiated instruction? Who was involved in that process? What measurable objectives does the district expect to influence through the implementation of the initiative? Who is tracking these outcomes, and how will the data be analyzed and presented? How successful was the academy? Would most classroom teachers say that they have changed their practices to reflect the district’s focus on differentiated instruction? How does the district ensure fidelity of implementation?
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2 – Excerpt from the Course Catalog for Teachers Describes courses available to teachers, available through the district.
What to Notice This document is the equivalent of a college course catalog. It describes courses available to teachers in the 2005-06 school year. Notice that courses offered range from instructional strategies to behavior management, from grant writing to technology. Notice also that each course is offered at a specific time, allowing teachers to see at a glance whether or not they are available.	Questions to Ask What is the enrollment process? Can teachers sign up online? How do teachers decide what courses to take? Are teachers free to pick courses on their own? Are any courses mandated by the district? How much PD does a typical teacher receive in a typical year? How are substitutes handled?
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3 – Personalized PD Plan for School Administrator Outlines PD plan for one principal in one year, based on growth opportunities identified by the principal and district staff.
What to Notice Northside develops this professional development plan for each principal, at the beginning of each year. Starting with specific objectives that are relevant to the administrator’s growth potential, the document lists specific PD sessions that the principal will attend, when he/she will attend them, and what measurable objective the principal will be evaluated on. Notice how the PD plan evolves from year-to-year, building on what came before.	Questions to Ask Who sits down with the principal to create the plan? At what time of the year is the first discussion held? And how often is it revisited throughout the year? How are the principal’s PD objectives determined? Is this linked to the principal’s annual evaluation? What kind of discussion is this? How much input does the principal have into the plan? How does the district ensure that principals perceive their PD plan to be an opportunity for professional growth, rather than an indictment of their past performance?
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Implementing a Principal Evaluation Process – Long Beach Unified School District

The principal evaluation process in the Long Beach Unified School District focuses on student outcomes, instructional leadership and continuous improvement. All schools set ambitious performance goals specifically targeting areas in need of improvement, and the principal must agree to an action plan to address the issue. Performance expectations detail the management behaviors that Long Beach believes will lead to long-term gains in student achievement.

1 – Certificated Administrative Personnel Evaluation Principal evaluation form.
What to Notice The evaluation for principals in Long Beach is extremely simple. The form begins with instructional leadership, which signals how important this element of performance is in Long Beach. Principals are also evaluated on three other dimensions: operational leadership, public leadership, and the “disposition of a leader.” The final page offers the evaluator the opportunity to provide a narrative that explains the evaluation scores.	Questions to Ask How are the performance expectations communicated to principals? What kinds of training does the district offer principals and/or evaluators that addresses the evaluation process? What input does an evaluator consider before filling out the evaluation form? Do principals receive 360-degree feedback, or does the district survey stakeholders about their satisfaction? How many site visits does the evaluator conduct before filling out the evaluation? Has the district studied the relationship between evaluation ratings and student test scores? Do principals with higher ratings on the “instructional leadership” dimension show greater improvement in school-wide test scores? What is the distribution of ratings amongst principals? What are the implications of a “Developing” rating? What are the implications of an “Unsatisfactory” rating?
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2 – Goal Setting Guidelines and Template Two-page form allowing principal to describe action plans for school/leadership improvement.
What to Notice The goal setting template is meant to be used in conjunction with the evaluation form. Based on a principal’s evaluation, the principal must identify areas of focus which correspond with opportunities for improvement. Notice that the second page of the form starts with school issues identified in the school’s data and links these issues to specific action plans and leadership responsibilities.	Questions to Ask How does the principal collaborate with other school stakeholders in setting school goals that are consistent with his or her own development plan? Who is responsible for reviewing worksheets and monitoring the principal’s progress? What happens to a principal who shows an inability to improve performance or change ineffective behaviors? What is the process for removing principals who are unable or unwilling to meet district standards of performance?
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3 – Detailed Administrator Performance Standards Description of actions/behaviors expected of principals in middle or K–8 schools.
What to Notice Building on the expectations described in the principal evaluation form, this document provides even more detailed performance standards for principals of middle schools or K–8 schools. The box at the top of page 1 articulates a very ambitious set of performance goals for these schools. Notice that this form is focused almost exclusively on instruction and the learning environment. There is a focus on data-driven decision making and the Baldrige process throughout.	Questions to Ask How do middle and K–8 goals differ from the goals for elementary or high schools? How were these goals and standards developed? Who was involved? How often are these goals reviewed or revised? How are these goals integrated into the evaluation process for middle/K–8 principals? How and when does the district communicate these goals to principals? What tools does the district use to monitor progress towards these goals?
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