A Research Report On The Graduate Program

Professional Development measures the degree to which teachers value continuous personal development and school-wide improvement.

Unfortunately, thorough research on the impact of professional development on student achievement is limited because it is challenging, complex and expensive to study. Nonetheless, Hoaglund, Birkenfeld, and Box, (2015), conducted a study that illustrated that learning communities are viable tools for providing professional development to both pre-service teachers and current teachers. Their study showed how a group of pre-service teachers and their supervisors participated in a professional experience learning community for two terms prior to the pre-service teacher’s junior year at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. Questionnaires and interviews were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. The results of the study indicated that all participants valued the experience and consequently were able to gain and identify some benefits of a professional learning community (PLC). Participants specifically reported a greater appreciation of collaboration with more experienced educators as a practical way of solving issues and implementing processes and procedures for increasing student achievement. The activities incorporated within the

The Washington County School District organizational strategies that are in place for teachers has increased academic student growth in my classes. Throughout year, I participate in professional development activities that enhance my teaching skills and increase student learning. During the summer, I collaborate with district data analysis and colleagues to disaggregate student data, correctly identify the lowest benchmarks that students scored based on FSA performance and Washington County School District Progress Monitoring Program (three assessments from the previous year). After which, we develop an "Order of Instruction” for content areas based on data from various student measures that have been assimilated throughout the school year.

The primary purpose of this instrument is to collect data on school-wide teacher instruction. The hope is that this data will be analyzed in multiple forms: weekly to drive the instructional conversation, monthly, to recognize an immediate need for professional development at the district level, and ultimately, to analyze the data to identify differentiated professional development needs for next school year. Training will

In addition to gaining insight on the evolution of the education system in California, I am looking forward to learning about today’s trends in teaching as well as predictions for the direction we are headed for the future. With the help of research, I hope to find the specific factors the state use to determine best practices. Do best practices differ according to the demographics the public school is serving? How big of a role does each factor play in curriculum and teacher training? I also want to focus on the current use of Professional Learning Communities and the requirement of Professional Development. How have these newer practices changed the effectiveness of teaching? In Early Childhood we have always had to fulfill Professional Development requirements in order to maintain or upgrade Early Childhood Credential Permits. How new is the requirement for Professional Development for multi-subject teachers in maintaining their credential?

In addition to gaining insight on the evolution of the education system in California, I am looking forward to learning about today’s trends in teaching as well as predictions for the direction we are headed for the future. With the help of research, I hope to find the specific factors the state use to determine best practices. Do best practices differ according to the demographics the public school is serving? How big of a role does each factor play in curriculum and teacher training? I also want to focus on the current use of Professional Learning Communities and the requirement of Professional Development. How have these newer practices changed the effectiveness of teaching? In Early Childhood we have always had to fulfill Professional Development requirements in order to maintain or upgrade Early Childhood Credential Permits. How new is the requirement for Professional Development for multi-subject teachers in maintaining their credential?

The mind of education has changed in the last few years to get away from teachers working alone in isolation to a new idea of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). In contrast to the traditional paradigm of professional development in which teachers attend off-site workshops and conferences that may or may not inspire them to change their thinking or instruction, the Professional Learning Community (PLC) involves teachers in site-based, ongoing, collaborative professional development (Linder, Post and Calabrese 2012). These new programs have allowed teachers to get away from isolation and start sharing ideas that will help the entire school community, and nowhere is this more important than in new teacher mentor/mentee programs.

Traditionally, teacher development typically occurs through trial and error in the isolated confinements of each teacher’s classroom with some periodic whole-group professional development (Goddard & Goddard, 2007). Within the past few decades, many schools and districts, including ours, have considered and experimented with Professional Learning Communities (PLC) as an alternative framework in guiding a more efficient development program for their teachers. PLCs are focused on enhancing student learning through developing teacher practices. The concept of PLC relies on using structured collaborative sessions amongst teachers within the school to build internal capacity. Through PLCs, teachers critically reflect on current

Within this project the teacher candidate was able to interact with a peer teacher candidate and communicate effectively about personal experiences within the field. The teacher candidate was able to implement the knowledge and skills learned in professional development in the teaching and learning process. The teacher candidate made reflective implications of behavior management strategies and formal pedagogical practices of the professional teacher she observed, and touched on future use in her own classroom.

Professional development is defined as an ongoing trainings, activities workshops, coaching or learnings that help an employee gain skills related to his or her job responsibilities. In education, on-going professional development is a vital step to ensure that teachers are equipped with best practices to prepare students for the future. According to Billingsley (2005), “Professional development goals needs to emerge from the needs of needs of teachers” (p. 96). As such, the use of surveys and interests polls is encouraged to determine the needs of teachers. After identifying staff needs, it is crucial for a leader to plan and execute trainings aligned with Adult Learning Theory to increase engagement, generalization and skill application.

Because of the demand for accountability in public education, schools are seeking avenues to improve instruction and student learning. One such path is professional learning. Schools invest large amounts of time, energy, and money in their teaching staffs for the purpose of impacting student achievement through improved classroom instruction. Large studies have been performed in recent years to determine those principles that most affect teacher practice and impact student achievement (Desimone, Porter, Garet, Yoon, & Birman , 2002; Garet, Porter, Desimone, Birman, & Yoon, 2001; Yoon, Duncan, Lee, Scarloss, and Shapley, 2007). Unfortunately, much of the professional development that teachers experience does not result in a change in teacher

Professional development is provided to educators through formal or informal trainings. Effective professional development is teacher training which is ongoing, intensive, and connected to current teaching practice and school initiatives (Wei, Darling-Hammond, & Adamson, 2010). In regards to professional development, knowledge is power. For example, LETRS professional development training may be provided if a district is wanting to improve reading and writing instruction and student skills. I would consider the AEA to be a great resource for a variety of professional development needs. These experts could be called upon for large or small group trainings ranging from early childhood, ELL, gifted and talented, leadership, literacy,

The widespread adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) brings new ideas about instructional content, teaching and learning, and curriculum sequencing and organization to classrooms across the United States. The standards differ notably from previous state standards, particularly in mathematics (Cobb & Jackson, 2011; Porter, McMaken, Hwang, & Yang, 2011; Schmidt & Houang, 2012). During times of reform, schools and districts often turn to professional development (PD) providers to support teacher learning (Little, 1993). Professional development providers comprise a wide variety of professionals, all focused on offering teachers learning opportunities to improve their professional practice. With adoption of the CCSS, it is likely

A voluntary development survey for teachers was used to gather data. In section one, background information that included information about development process and content were used. This information was used to determine which teachers should be selected for the survey and how they should ask questions to them. In section two, six questions about the teachers' perceptions of professional learning were asked. These six questions included, participant satisfaction, participant learning, organizational support and change, change in teacher knowledge, skills, and instructional pedagogy, teacher perception of student learning, and changes in

The foremost goal is trying to make the students more involved. If we can set up an environment of positivity and influence, formerly, we can set the groundwork for their development in the professional world. The professionalism that we put forth, and setting examples, that if their name is attached to it, that it should be done to the best of their abilities; that there are no excuses not to give all they have towards their goals.