Professional Learning in the Learning Profession Effective Practice Increased Student Learning

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Professional Learning in the Learning ProfessionEffective Practice Increased Student Learningwww.learningforward.org

Frederick BrownDirector of Strategy and DevelopmentLearning Forward

March 21, 2014Entering my 43rd year in education1st year: Kdg at Paul Revere Elementary School, Cleveland, OH

1First.Let me offer my apologies!

Im new to GA and dont have a full sense of your context. No outsider could ever fully understand what it means to you.Not going to get through all the slides I haveNot going to talk the whole timeplanning to make you talk at your tablesGoing to be hovering over your tables while you talkGoing to say things that make you uncomfortableI view many of our challenges through the lens of professional learning

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Who? Why?www.learningforward.orgFounded in 1969 as the National Staff Development Council

501 (c) 3 international membership association

10,000+ members comprised predominantly of of central office staff, principals, teacher leaders, and TA providers

Recognized as a national authority on issues related to professional development and school improvement

Singularly focused on the role of professional learning to improve leadership, instruction, and student success

Executive office in Dallas, Texas, and business office in Oxford, Ohio

Affiliates throughout the United States and Canada.

Learning Forward Quick Facts

www.learningforward.orgBelief Statements

Effective professional learning is fundamental to student learning.All educators have an obligation to improve their practice.More students achieve when educators assume collective responsibility for student learning.Successful leaders create and sustain a culture of learning.Improving student learning and professional practice requires ongoing systemic and organizational change.

www.learningforward.orgSchools and districts need professional learning systems that result in scaled and sustained effective educator practice and improved results for students.

District and building leaders need expertise and resources to create favorable conditions for teaching and learning (for both educators and students).

States and provinces need policies and guidelines that support effective professional learning and do not incentivize ineffective practices.

The field needs evidence that links effective professional learning to improved educator effectiveness and results for students.

Issues that concern us:

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Relationship between Professional Learning & Student ResultsRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND STUDENT RESULTS

1.When professional learning is standards-based, it has greater potential to change what educators know, are able to do, and believe.

2.When educators knowledge, skills, and dispositions change, they have a broader repertoire of effective strategies to use to adapt their practices to meet performance expectations and student learning needs.

3.When educator practice improves, students have a greater likelihood of achieving results.

4.When student results improve, the cycle repeats for continuous improvement.

This cycle works two ways: If educators are not achieving the results they want, they determine what changes in practice are needed and then what knowledge, skills, and dispositions are needed to make the desired changes. They then consider how to apply the standards so that they can engage in the learning needed to strengthen their practice.7www.learningforward.orgGetting beyond the surface:

Five Key QuestionsWhat is it we that want our students to know and be able to do? (College and Career Ready Standards)What do we want our teachers to know and be able to do to develop and sustain effective learning environments for students? (Teacher Standards)What do leaders need to know and be able to do to create optimum conditions for teaching and learning? (Leader Standards)What data is needed to determine if students, teachers, and leaders are meeting expectations?In what ways can we ensure teachers and leaders develop the skills they need to be consistently effective? (Professional Learning Standards)

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In my school or district, there is agreement on what students are expected to know and be able to do!14


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Determining the outcomesAligned to:Model teaching standardsDistrict/State standards or key initiative (like a focus on reading complex text)Common Core aligned practicesAn adopted model like Marzano or Danielson16

http://commoncore.americaachieves.org/17In my school or district, there is agreement on what teachers are expected to know and be able to do!

18http://commoncore.americaachieves.org/5th Grade Mathematics Lesson19Analyzing the lesson (considering the Common Core shifts)Rigorous instructional strategies: Challenges and places for improvement:Explore different learning designs20

State Teacher Policy Yearbook(National Council on Teacher Quality)State Teacher Policy Yearbook(National Council on Teacher Quality)

www.nctq.orgThoughts? Reactions?


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What do we mean when we say effective leadership practice?25

The Principal Story Learning Guide

Key Features:Informed by Wallace researchIntegrates best practices in professional learningFREE

www.learningforward.org

28What do we mean when we say effective leadership practice?

depts.washington.edu/ctpmail/www.wallacefoundation.orgReflecting on a learning systemand viewing the FWCS story30

Five Key QuestionsWhat is it we that want our students to know and be able to do? (College and Career Ready Standards)What do we want our teachers to know and be able to do to develop and sustain effective learning environments for students? (Teacher Standards)What do leaders need to know and be able to do to create optimum conditions for teaching and learning? (Leader Standards?What data is needed to determine if students, teachers, and leaders are meeting expectations?In what ways can we ensure teachers and leaders develop the skills they need to be consistently effective? (Professional Learning Standards)

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How is datadefinedin yourschool ordistrict?

CORE ELEMENTS:Analyze student, educator, and system data.Assess progress. Evaluate professional learning.Data

The Cycle of Continuous ImprovementSo what are we evaluating?

When evaluation systems for teachers incorporate performance standards for the instructional practices required to achieve the content standards, and when evaluation systems for leaders are based on leadership performance standards that integrate instructional leadership, shared leadership, and collective responsibility, evaluation systems serve as a lever for advancing implementation of the standards and use assessment data to realize high levels of student learning. Standards-based professional learning is the lynchpin for systems to achieve this goal.

- Professional learning drives Common Core and educator evaluation


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www.learningforward.org

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41Thank you!

Frederick Brown:[email protected]

Well continue this conversation at...


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44Professional Learning?45A learning team at Ford Middle School46 ProtocolActivity: Professional Learning in PracticeView the video segment making note of:AssumptionsAgreements Alignments Aspire to put into practice Discuss conditions necessary to make this form of professional learning the norm

47A tapestry of Standards for Professional Learning

48Thank you!

Frederick Brown:[email protected]

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Professional Learning in the Learning Profession Effective Practice Increased Student Learning