Pamela Harshbarger

Three main areas for professional

development in building for 2013-2014
Reading/Engagement/Instructional Strategies
Standards Referenced Grading
AIW

PBIS

PBIS

Visited other schools to gather information

Team composed of teachers, administrators
and support staff
New for 2013-2014 school year
Training for staff will include small groups
and large groups
Teacher leaders for this committee
Reading studies of schools with high levels of
poverty

Staff divided into three groups

Groups will rotate on building-directed
Wednesdays
Stay late on those Wednesdays
Groups led by Instructional Coach, SILs, AEA staff

Three Areas
Reading/Engagement/Instructional Strategies
Reading Enrichment
Instructional Strategies and Engagement Strategies

Standards Referenced Grading

Unpacking Standards
A Repair Kit for Grading by Ken OConner
District Grading Handbook

AIW
Two-day mandatory training
Increasing rigor in lesson plans

The ultimate goal of implementing

these building initiatives is increased
and improved student achievement.

All of the initiatives have

a connection to student
data. They are based on
the needs of our students

Teachers were not

involved in the analysis
of student data and do
not own it. It is
regarded as a wholeschoolnever broken
down by individual
teacher.

The administrative team

determined the goals.
For PBIS, teachers are
leading the PD and
selecting materials.
For reading, the literacy
coach is determining the
content based on student
data.
The AEA is providing the
AIW training. They are only
here on training days.
There is not an on-going
system for support of this
challenging process.

Data teams will look at formative data.

Administrators plan to revise the
current walk-through form to include
a place for building goals.

The reading program teachers are

observed weekly and strategies are
modeled in their classrooms.
There is not a current plan for observing and
supporting implementation of AIW and SRG.
Content-like teachers have been provided a
collaboration/data team time to support each
other in the implementation of the building goals.

Most Professional
development will happen in
the building twice a month.
Wednesdays will be extended so
we dont have to rush through the
PD materials.

Strengths

Teachers on committees to plan

professional development
Initiatives tied to student
achievement data
Three smaller groups planned for
delivery of some of the content
Reading teachers have support
from literacy coach for
implementation and modeling
Need to increase the knowing to
support the doing
Iowa Assessment/MAP data is
summative assessment for
reading program

Weaknesses

No clear vision or goal (teachers

cant recite it)
One-size-fits-all PD
AIW presented by consultants
from outside buildingno
implementation support
Teachers not involved in
collection or analysis of student
datathey do not own it
Large group lecturing
No plan for supporting turning
the knowing into the doing
No plan for the summative
evaluation of PBIS or AIW

Success = increased
student
achievement.

Building teams analyze

assessment results to
determine areas of
student need. Before
planning PD, building
leaders survey teachers
regarding what they
KNOW about the three
areas.

Formal and informal surveys by

the admin are conducted to
make revisions to plan based on
teacher need.

Building goal:
support teachers in
implementing strategies
to improve student
achievement.

Content selected based on needs of

teachers. Teachers & leaders share
responsibility of teaching the group.

Collaboration with PLC is

supported by admin.
Opportunities for teachers to
help each other are planned.
Learning happens during
collaboration time as well as
building PD days & includes
time for reflection.

PD is differentiated & includes

research, demonstrations, and
opportunities for practice and
application.

IPDM:
Collecting/Analyzing
Student Data

Improvement:
Building teams
analyze assessment
results to determine
areas of student
need.
Before planning PD,
building leaders
survey teachers
regarding what they
KNOW about the
three goal areas.

IPDM:
Goal Setting & Student
Learning

Reeves reminds us that we

need to also look at the
causes of the results. This
will help develop some
ownership in the goals.

Improvement:
The building goal:
support teachers in
the implementation
of strategies to
improve student
achievement.

IPDM:
Selecting Content &
Providers

If we expect teachers and school leaders to

improve professional practices and decision

making, then we must first give them
different knowledge and skills than they
have received in the past.
Pg. 15-Transforming Professional
Development into Student Results

Improvement:
Content selected
based on needs of
teachers.
Teachers & leaders
share responsibility
of teaching the
groups.

IPDM:
Designing Process for
Professional Development

Providing scenarios for teachers to consider

and practice addressing, supports their
application to their own work. People who
practice and have try-outs are more likely
to cross the bridge from knowing to doing.

Improvement:
PD is differentiated
based on needs
PD includes
research/theory,
demonstrations, and
opportunities for
practice and
application.

IPDM:
Training/Learning
Opportunities

Deliberate practice is potentially stressful

and draining, but it is far more productive

than the practice-free environment of
typical seminars.
Pg. 66-Transforming Professional
Development into Student Results

Improvement:
Learning happens
during collaboration
time as well as
building PD days &
includes time for
reflection.
Incorporation of
small group, oneon-one, medium
groups, etc. is
essential to support
implementation.

IPDM:
Collaboration and
Implementation

Knowing comes from doing and teaching

others how. & Youre committed because
you are teaching it, and youre coaching
people in the implementation.
Pgs. 248-249 The Knowing-Doing Gap

Improvement:
Collaboration with
PLC is supported by
administration.
Opportunities for
teachers to observe
and help each other
are planned.
Small group
collaboration.

IPDM:
Ongoing Data Collection
(Formative Evaluation)

Feedback that is consistent and purposeful

will improve performance.

Improvement:
Formal and informal
surveys by the
building leaders are
conducted and used
to make revisions to
plan based on needs
of the teachers and
students.

IPDM:
Program Evaluation
(Summative Evaluation)

When the assessments of teachers, leaders,

and learning teams are all aligned to
support student learning, great things
happen.
Pg. 98-Transforming Professional
Development into Student Results

Improvement:
Success =
increased student
achievement.
Survey of teachers

Success = increased
student
achievement.

Building teams analyze

assessment results to
determine areas of
student need. Before
planning PD, building
leaders survey teachers
regarding what they
KNOW about the three
areas.

Formal and informal surveys by

the admin are conducted to
make revisions to plan based on
teacher need.

Building goal:
support teachers in
implementing strategies
to improve student
achievement.

Content selected based on needs of

teachers. Teachers & leaders share
responsibility of teaching the group.

Collaboration with PLC is

supported by admin.
Opportunities for teachers to
help each other are planned.
Learning happens during
collaboration time as well as
building PD days & includes
time for reflection.

PD is differentiated & includes

research, demonstrations, and
opportunities for practice and
application.

Change Focus
not a mandate
look how we can help our students

More Action
move knowing to doing

Research & Theory

provide reasons

Collaboration & Shared Responsibilities

teachers active in planning, presenting and sharing

It is important to provide professional

learning opportunities which are based on
the needs of the students and teachers.
The opportunities must be differentiated
and connected to the student achievement
goals. The participants must be active and
have multiple opportunities to implement
and demonstrate for others the new skills.
We must build their knowing in order to
transform that knowledge into doing.