PDS Partnerships part of the Education Reform Network

Professional Development

The Professional Development Network is a catalog of resources assembled by NSDC, the National Staff Development Council in support of the National Standards for Staff Development.

1. Collaboration
   

   Staff development that improves the learning of all students provides educators with the knowledge and skills to collaborate.

   Rationale:

   Organized groups provide the social interaction that often deepens learning and the interpersonal support and synergy necessary for creatively solving the complex problems of teaching and learning. The following links support this standard:

2. Data-Driven
   

   Staff development that improves the learning of all students uses disaggregated student data to determine adult learning priorities, monitor progress, and help sustain continuous improvement.

   Rationale:

   Data from various sources can serve a number of important staff development purposes. The links below support this standard:

3. Design
   

   Staff development that improves the learning of all students uses learning strategies appropriate to the intended goal.

   Rationale:

   Successful staff development requires that planners select learning strategies that are appropriate to the intended outcome and other situational factors. The following links support this standard:

4. Equity
   

   Staff development that improves the learning of all students prepares educators to understand and appreciate all students, create safe, orderly, and supportive learning environments, and hold high expectations for their academic achievement.

   Rationale:

   Effective educators know and demonstrate appreciation for all their students. Through their attitudes and behaviors, they establish classroom learning environments that are emotionally and physically safe and they communicate high expectations for academic achievement and quality interpersonal relationships. The following links support this standard:

5. Evaluation
   

   Staff development that improves the learning of all students uses multiple sources of information to guide improvement and demonstrate its impact.

   Rationale:

   Well-designed staff development evaluation can: (1) improve the quality of current staff development efforts, and (2) determine the effects of staff development in terms of its intended outcomes. The links below support this standard:

6. Family Involvement
   

   Staff development that improves the learning of all students provides educators with knowledge and skills to involve families and other stakeholders appropriately.

   Rationale:

   Educators who wish to strengthen the bonds among individuals and organizations who contribute to the education and welfare of a community's youth must be knowledgeable about various ways in which families and community members can be involved meaningfully in the affairs of the school for the benefit of students. The following links support this standard:

7. Leadership
   

   Staff development that improves the learning of all students requires skillful school and district leaders who guide continuous instructional improvement.

   Rationale:

   Quality teaching in all classrooms necessitates skillful leadership at the community, district, school, and classroom levels. The following links support this standard:

8. Learning
   

   Staff development that improves the learning of all students applies knowledge about human learning and change.

   Rationale:

   No matter the age at which it occurs, human learning is based on a common set of principles. The following links support this standard:

9. Learning Communities
   

   Staff development that improves the learning of all students organizes adults into learning communities whose goals are aligned with those of the school and district.

   Rationale:

   Staff development that has as its goal high levels of learning for all students, teachers, and administrators requires a form of professional learning that is quite different from the workshop-driven approach. The links below support this standard:

10. Quality Teaching
    

    Staff development that improves the learning of all students deepens educators' content knowledge, provides them with research-based instructional strategies to assist students in meeting rigorous academic standards, and prepares them to use various types of classroom assessments appropriately.

    Rationale:

    Successful teachers have a deep understanding of the subjects they teach, use appropriate instructional methods, and apply various classroom assessment strategies. The following links support this standard:

11. Research-Based
    

    Staff development that improves the learning of all students prepares educators to apply research to decision making.

    Rationale:

    It is essential that teachers and administrators become informed consumers of educational research when selecting both the content and professional learning processes of staff development efforts. The following links support this standard:

12. Resources
    Staff development that improves the learning of all students requires resources to support adult learning and collaboration.

    Rationale:

    The National Staff Development Council�s position is that well designed and implemented professional development for school employees is an essential long-term investment in successfully teaching all students to high standards. The following links support this standard:

• David Gibson, Ed.D.
  Dr. David Gibson is the Director of Research and Development at the National Institute for Community Innovations as well as the Vermont Institutes. He concentrates on partnership development and new programs, systems analysis, evaluation, higher education reform and statewide professional development planning. He also works on vision and project development, strategic planning, professional network building, national partners, and telecommunications in learning. His research and publications include work on complex systems analysis and modeling of education and the use of technology to personalize education for the success of all students.