Paradigm Shifts in Professional Development

Can Teachers Direct Their Professional Development to Enhance Student

Learning ?

by

Kathy Hennellynjexcel

The synergy of collaborative educational exploration can

energize a whole school.

Cinnaminson High School

9-12th grades, 730 students, DFG “FG” 74 teachers, 1 principal, 2 asst. principals, a

School Resource Officer, 3 guidance counselors, 2 dept. supervisors, 5 lead teachers, 14 ESPs

Points of pride: Academic achievement Extensive arts programs Contending sports teams

Points of Academic Pride

Philadelphia Magazine: 22 of top 25 HS 96.4% passed HSPA in LAL (highest in

county) First in state in LAL in FG DFG 10th in passing Math HSPA in tri-county 9th in county in overall SAT scores

Past Professional Development

Delivered from top down

No noteworthy effort to relate to student achievement, or collect data to see if student achievement increased

Opportunity to Improve

State requirement to convene BUILDING-LEVEL PD Committees

Chance to empower teachers to determine what they need as adult learners to help their students increase achievement.

First have to educate the staff that student learning should be the focus of professional development.

New focus for staff:

How do I know they learned?

How do my students learn?

How deeply do they understand?

Can they connect to other learning?

Convened building-level PD Committee Educated selves and brainstormed

ideas on how to get teachers focused on student achievement v. teacher pedagogy

Created a survey to solicit input as well as get staff thinking of student learning as a focus of professional development

Truly collaborative action research

Research Questions:

1. What past professional development did the staff consider beneficial?

2. What was the focus of that beneficial PD – staff needs or student learning needs?

3. How do our teachers define student achievement?

4. How do they measure it? 5. How do they think they can improve it? 6. What skills do teachers need to improve

student achievement? 7. What PD do teachers need that will help

attain these skills?

Research tells us:

Teacher quality – most significant influence on student achievement (Hanushek, 2004)

Incorporating PLCs into ongoing PD is best practice for PD (Wylie, Lyon and Goe, 2009)

Important to monitor PD outcomes in terms of student achievement (Richards, 2009)

But the most important research is – that which we do on our own, about our own students

Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium Standards

Articulate a new vision of what PD can be (Standard 1)

Enhance instructional program in ways conducive to student learning and staff professional growth (Standard 2)

Strategically plan for the most efficient use of scarce resources to promote success of every student (Standard 3)

Collaborate with entire community (Standard 4)

ISLLC Standards continued:

Ensure accountability for every student’s academic and social success, modeling reflective practice (Standard 5)

Influence district and county resource allocation and policies (Standard 6)

Infuse technology throughout (NJ additional standard)

Previous PD was intended to address the needs of staff

5.9%5.9%

42.6%45.6%

Agree Strongly

Agree

Somewhat Agree

Disagree

Previous PD was intended to enhance student learning

29.4%

29.4%

35.3%

5.9%

Agree Strongly

Agree

Somewhat Agree

Disagree

How was student learning enhanced?

Only one mention of HOW they knew

Focus was on TEACHING

Differentiated helped student learning, but no evidence

“I tried X, and noticed the visual learners were more engaged”

Your definition of student achievement?

Be well-rounded

Pass classes

Step outside comfort zone

Higher test scores; more participation

Reach full potential

Able to succeed in globalized world

How to measure student success?

Be willing to challenge themselves

At least 85 average

Take joy in learning

Work with teachers to achieve a common goal

What type of STUDENT BEHAVIORS will enhance their learning? Choose several from list.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Applying whatthey have

learned to reallife situations

Takingresponsibilityfor their own

learning

Askingquestions in

class

Participatingin class

Reading subjmaterial

outside of theclassroom

Taking andstudying notes

Doing theirhomework

What is most needed to assist you to meet the learning needs of students?

37.9%

31.8%

10.6% 10.6%

6.1%3.0%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

40.0%

In-service timeset aside forcollaboration

withcolleagues

Technology inthe classroom

Planninglessons with a

colleague

Workshopsrelated tocontent

Examine anddiscuss

student worksamples

More computeraccess

What type of PD will best address your answers to above questions? Choose several.

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

Examiningnew

technologicalresources tosupplement

lessons

PlanningLessons with

a teachingcolleague

Receivingstudent

feedback frominterviews

Observingother teachers

teach

Observingmodel lessons

Rank in terms of importance for your PD, from most to least important

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

More time forstds alignment

More content-based PD

More time towork with

colleagues oncommon

assessments

Implementingnew technologyinto the current

curriculum

Instruction fromhired PDproviders

More awarenessabout the PD

opportunities thatexist

Nu

mb

er o

f R

esp

on

ses

I believe PD should have student achievement

as a primary objective

1.5%

38.2%

41.2%

19.1%

Agree Strongly

Agree

Somewhat agree

Disagree

Recommendations:

PD in how to identify relevant student data, measure it, and analyze it.

Expand technology access (already unblocked as a result of the data in this survey). Much more to be done.

PD in how to motivate student to challenge themselves, ask more questions, participate more in class, take responsibility for their own learning.

PD can potentially have a significant effect on student success

38.2%

13.2%

48.5%

Agree Strongly

Agree

Somewhat agree

Disagree

Application to Leadership

A paradigm shift needs to occur, to focus more on measurable student achievement.

As a teacher-leader/chair, I can ensure this conversation continues. Will survey again soon.

Administration needs to take advantage of every venue (staff meetings, observations, curriculum reviews, etc.) to continue to frame the questions in terms of student learning and achievement.

The End …and the

Beginning….

Phase II:

What happened?

What still needs to happen?

Building PD Committee created a second survey: Had PLCs answer, not individuals (to avoid

“death by survey”) Emphasized the tie between PD for teachers

and student achievement. Some significant incremental progress The lexicon is changing! But more data collection and training in

analysis is required.

What challenges does your PLC face in obtaining Professional Development?

20%

13.2%

66.8%

Time

Data Collection

Data Analysis

What has student success looked like?

Motivated by OT grades Interested in content area Accountable for own

success quiz/test scores High pass rates compared to

DFG Get into 4-year college Participate in PE Feedback from current &

college students

Choose this field for career Improved writing Improved thought

organization Increased financial literacy Broader use of Office

software Acceptance into honors

ensembles Increased homework

completion

On what did you focus to help students succeed? #6

Proper course placement Pop quizzes and discussions to increase

content area awareness Diversified instruction; targeted instruction Offer variety of activities Hands-on activities Review test-taking skills Debrief student writing samples with staff Use AP assignments in all classes Assign questions and problems requiring synthesis skills

The PLC has clearly defined student data that can be collected to measure fulfillment of PLC

goals and objectives.

13.3%13.3%

26.7%

46.7%

Agree Strongly

Agree

Somewhat Agree

Disagree

Student data has already been collected related to the PLC goals and objectives.

13.3%20.0%

26.7%

40%

Agree Strongly

Agree

Somewhat Agree

Disagree

What types of student data have been collected? Choose all that apply.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

What analysis of data has your PLC accomplished?

9/15 (60%) answered “not yet”

ASK8 analysis, Midterm and Final raw score analysis, EOC score analysis

Examine unit scores, note trends and student reaction to tests, projects and quizzes.

Has your PLC had some positive accomplishments this year?

33.3%

66.7%

Yes

No

Somewhat

Which would be most beneficial for upcoming in-service day?

26.7

26.7

13.2

6.7

26.7

Clarification on whatis expected of a PLC

Time to refocus andmove forward withPLCInstruction on how tocollect and analyzedataTime to analyze data

PLC established, noadditional inservicetime needed

Implications for leadership:

There are excellent teachers doing inspired work, but they need training. (40% still not comfortable with PLC concept, >50% want training and time to conduct data analysis).

Gradual introduction of data collection, then analysis is needed.

The most meaningful data is that which the teachers and PLCs decide is important to their students.

Next challenge is to use the benchmark process to collect meaningful data to drive decisions that will increase student achievement.

Results:

District PD committee did not address the building committee suggestions in their report to the county, but administration did agree that there could be training in data analysis.

April in-service will be on data analysis.

My district project was introducing data collection and analysis.

Benchmarks are a new requirement, which tie in to data-driven decision-making.

My district-based

project fits right in

with the needed next steps!