Changing Teacher Practice through Effective Professional Development
Did you know?
The ultimate goal of any staff-development effort is the transfer of the new learning to the professional educator’s active repertoire (Knight, 2007; Joyce & Showers, 2002).
America’s schools have implemented school-based staff-development programs, many reassigning proficient master teachers, counselors, and administrators to serve as in-house coaches (Barkley & Bianco, 2005; Killion, 2007).
The most outstanding schools are those in which teachers, administrators, and other professionals help one another learn about how to become more effective in their work (Taylor, Pressley, & Pearson, 2000).
The training design of the staff development is what counts. Poor design of training—not lack of motivation—is more likely the reason education professionals do not implement new skills and procedures (Joyce, 1993).
Education professionals are more likely to implement new practices when staff development includes collaborative and supportive discussions among their peers (Knight, 2007; McLaughlin & Talbert, 1993).
Educators believe engaging in action research helps them develop personally and professionally and ultimately enhances curriculum and instruction (Johnson, 2005; Sagor, 2005).
"NEVER DOUBT THAT A SMALL GROUP OF THOUGHTFUL, COMMITTED PEOPLE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD, INDEED, IT IS THE ONLY THING THAT EVER HAS! "
–Margaret Meade
As schools throughout the nation assess their professional development needs for the upcoming school year, school personnel ask the question: How do we provide effective professional development that will change teacher practice and affect student achievement?
Professional development that strives for a change in teacher practice varies from the traditional “one-shot, drive-by” workshop model. Research shows that the most powerful and effective professional development occurs in learning communities that meet regularly for the purpose of exploring best practices, collaborating, and conducting action research .
This has led to the concept of job-embedded professional development utilizing in-district personnel to train and support the various aspects of specific school initiatives. This type of professional development incorporates professional learning teams, study groups, action research , and peer coaching to improve teacher effectiveness and student performance.
Administrators and staff development coordinators have a responsibility to seek out data-driven, research-based professional development that mirrors expected instructional methods and increases student achievement. This includes creating a job-embedded professional development structure for continuous learning, implementation, on-going evaluation, coaching, and follow-up. Educators have a responsibility to seek out quality, research-based professional development and continually deepen their understanding, up-date, and add to their repertoire of instructional strategies and new practices.
Recent PLS Professional Development endeavors:
Training technology coaches through the Classrooms for the Future Program (CFF) and TIMS (Technology Integration Mentors) in Pennsylvania.
Training over 500 teachers and administrators in a series of comprehensive Differentiated Instruction and Literacy workshops in Cicero, Illinois (sponsored by SREB).
Training Instructional Coaches in New York City and several Oregon districts. The Salem-Keiser School District in Oregon now has 5 trained coaches who will be trainers for future new coaching cadres.
Consulting through on-going site visits and conference calls regarding the implementation of assessment strategies to increase state exam scores for grades 3 and 8 in Harmony Grove, Arkansas.
Training trainers in Istanbul, Turkey, in classroom management and communication and verbal skills.
Training over 500 Career and Technical educators in Arkansas to use student learning profiles to enhance performance and build on student strengths using the PLS Kaleidoscope Profile®. Over 2,000 Career and Technical students have taken the Kaleidoscope Learning Styles profile.
Training trainers in the New York State Union of Teachers (NYSUT) in the Response to Intervention model.
Training administrators in how to monitor and coach implementation of new instructional practices into the Career and Technical Classrooms in Arkansas.
Training elementary students, grades 3-5 in Twin Lakes, Florida, to create workshops on “effort” to present to other students.
Training educators and administrators in Arizona in Structured English Immersion.
Training educators in a series of comprehensive workshops on Designing and Implementing Reading across the Career and Technical Classrooms in Syracuse, Norwich, and Albany, New York.
Training Literacy Coaches in Tennessee, Texas, and Florida in reading and coaching strategies.
Presenting keynote topics and conference workshops on a local, national, and international level, such as national and state Reading First Conferences.
Consulting to raise test scores, training trainers, establishing professional learning teams, conducting strategic planning, and addressing grant and federal funding initiatives.
Providing online and onsite Master’s degree and professional development course work through university partners.
For more information contact Barry Zvolenski at bzvolenski@plsweb.com
or visit our website at www.plsweb.com
to view our professional development cadre.
Barkley, S. G., & Bianco, T. (2005). Quality teaching in a culture of coaching. Lanham, MD: ScarecrowEducation.
Johnson, A. P. (2005). A short guide to action research. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.
Joyce, B. (1993). Four responses to Orlich and others. Journal of Staff Development, 14(3), 10–17.
Joyce, B., & Showers, B. (2002). Student achievement through staff development (3rd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development.
Killion, J. (2007). Web of support strengthens the effectiveness of school-based coaches. Journal of Staff Development, 28(1), 10–12.
Knight, J. (2007). Instructional coaching: A partnership approach to improving instruction. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
McLaughlin, M. W., & Talbert, J. E. (1993). Contexts that matter for teaching and learning. Stanford, CA: Stanford University.
Sagor, R. (2005). The action research guidebook: A four-step process for educators and school teams. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Taylor, B. M., Pressley, M., & Pearson, P. D. (2000). Effective teachers and schools: Trends across recent studies. Ann Arbor, MI: Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED450353).
Source: The above information are recent PLS Professional Development endeavors.
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