PROFESSIONAL LEARNING STANDARDS

The following is a brief overview of the 7 Professional Learning Standards and how we can help your school with this process.  A deeper discussion of the big ideas and specifics of each standard can be found by clicking the button above - Review of Standards - (document from Learning Forward), by clicking on the button below - PL Fact Sheet, Talking Points, and FAQ (document by Learning Forward Kansas), or by reviewing the resources listed at the bottom of this page.  


All 7 of the PL Standards are critical components of quality professional learning that are designed to work together to produce meaningful, systemic change.  If you fail to include even one standard, you have allowed a weak link in your system to sabotage the desired outcomes for both educators and students.

WHAT THEY ARE

Collectively working together to improve educator effectiveness and student achievement; using a cycle of continuous improvement that includes inquiry, research, planning, implementation, reflection and evaluation.

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PL STANDARDS

Learning Communities

HOW WE CAN HELP

  • Provide instruction and modeling on effective learning community processes; 
  • Work with learning communities on specific topics or strategies; 
  • Assist with data analysis and evaluation of implementation.


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Skillful individuals who have the ability to  develop  capacity, advocate for, and create support systems for effective professional learning. This involves articulating goals, setting expectations, providing resources and time to ensure quality implementation. 
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Leadership
  • Mentor or coach principals and teacher leaders on how to develop capacity, advocate and create support systems
  • Suggest resources and strategies to create time and allocate resources; 
  • Assist with professional learning planning.


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The human, fiscal, material, technology and time elements needed to achieve student learning goals.  These must be allocated, protected, and prioritized for effectiveness. The most challenging of these is often TIME. Revising daily or weekly schedules, yearly calendars, or providing summer work time requires a clear focus on the goals, understanding of the importance of collaboration, creativity, and the ability to communicate the changes with all stakeholders.   
 
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Resources
  • Assist with identifying needs  and support the needs assessment process.
  • Assist with linking resources to professional learning and student achievement goals.
  • Provide training for effective professional learning needs.
  • Facilitate planning & prioritizing of resources based on professional learning goals.
  • Provide ideas for creating time
  • Facilitate professional learning or collaborative sessions to keep PL sessions focused and improve productivity.
  • Provide instructional and/or coaching support.

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Analyze multiple sources of student, educator, and system data to determine effectiveness of professional learning. These should include both quantitative and qualitative data.  Examples of data to include:  summative and formative assessments; student samples, observations; portfolios; walk throughs; and self-reports.

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Data
  • Identify & analyze student performance data
  • Collect & analyze data that focuses on the use and frequency of targeted instructional strategies
  • Assist in using data to determine professional learning and  instructional needs.
  • Facilitate discussions around data in collaborative settings.


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The design of professional learning determines its quality and effectiveness. Integrating theories, research, and models of human learning into the professional learning contributes to its effectiveness.  

Other factors to consider are the learning goals, characteristics of the learners, comfort level of the learners, and the magnitude of the expected change, learning environment and availability of resources and support for implementation.
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Learning Designs
  • Help determine professional learning needs based on data and knowledge and skills of staff.
  • Assist in planning of professional learning for the school year or individual sessions.
  • Provide new learning or follow-up to previous learning.
  • Facilitate collaborative or small group discussions centered around improving teaching and learning.
  • Provide support for implementation.


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The goal of professional learning is to apply what is learned to change educator practice and improve student achievement.  This requires learning over time, support, resources, constructive feedback, and reflection to effectively implement and sustain the desired changes.

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Implementation
  • Provide professional learning on identified topics, strategies, or behaviors.
  • Support implementation through instructional coaching of individuals and facilitated collaborative discussions.
  • Assist with identifying resources to support implementation.
  • Analyze student data to determine impact of professional learning on student achievement.
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Educators and professional learning must be held to high expectations in order to improve student learning.  Effective professional learning addresses the expectations of the system for both students and educators.  The content of professional learning aligns educator performance with student curriculum standards.  Teachers must possess the knowledge and skills to effectively plan, deliver, impact, and evaluate student performance.



Outcomes
  • Assist in identifying educator performance outcomes and student curricular expectations.
  • Assist in planning educator and student goals.
  • Assist in planning effective professional learning opportunities.
  • Provide effective professional learning opportunities to meet educator performance outcomes and student curricular expectations.
  • Support implementation of professional learning into classroom practice.
  • Assess the effectiveness of professional learning on student achievement.

Professional Learning Standards Resources

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The following articles and websites may increase your understanding of the importance of creating an effective professional learning environment for your school or district. They are intended for use as resources and may reflect different opinions and strategies for your consideration.  Making quality professional learning a priority will increase the likelihood of implementing desired changes that impact classroom performance and sustaining those changes over time.
Websites:
Learning Forward - the professional learning association (formerly known as the National Staff Development Council).  Many resources on professional learning, strategies to implement quality professional learning, and much, much more.

Learning Forward Kansas - the state affiliate for Learning Forward.  Find links to regional and state workshops and conferences; the Direct Connection; resources, and much more.

Sticky Standards - Dayna Richardson's website dedicated to the Professional Learning Standards.  This website includes podcasts and other resources which may enhance your understanding of professional learning.


Articles:
The Why, How, and What of Professional Learning - Article by Lois Easton Brown appeared in Tools for Learning Schools, spring 2012 uses the business model by Simon Sinek (2009) on how to effectively plan and implement professional learning that positively impacts and sustains change initiatives.

The Missing Link in School Reform - An article by Carrie Leana in the Stanford Social Innovation Review that focuses on the benefits of collaboration in education and how this has been overlooked as an effective and necessary tool to improve teaching and learning.

Big Picture Look at Professional Learning Communities - a brief summary of the work of Richard DuFour

Collaborative Professional Learning Scenarios - Done as a tool kit for New Jersey educators, this article provides several ways to see what collaborative learning communities "look" like in different parts of the process.  Keep in mind the NSDC Professional Learning Standards referred to in this article are the previous standards, not the ones reviewed above.


Pages on This Website:
Adult Learners - information regarding adult learning needs and characteristics.
Change Models - information about factors affecting change and examples of change models that assist leaders and doers as the implement any change initiative.

The Teaching and Learning Consulting Network, LLC  
Supporting the quest to improve teaching and learning