School Staff Development
Student: Dr. Freda Doster
This course was designed as a study of professional development and leadership concepts. Participants were expected to develop successful instructional leadership skills including the design and implementation of an effective staff development program. The following is an excerpt from a paper written to satisfy course requirements. Participants were asked to reflect upon the staff development practices of their current work setting.
Introduction
Albert Einstein once said, �Bear in mind that the wonderful things you learn in your schools are the work of many generations. All this is put in your hands as your inheritance in order that you may receive it, honor it, add to it, and one day, faithfully hand it on to your children�. As educators, we are duty bound to �take what is put in our hands� and �add to it�. Recognizing this, we must seek ways in which to improve our skills and abilities, with the ultimate goal being student success and achievement. Roberts and Pruitt (2003) suggest that we ask ourselves the question �What does effective teaching look like for all children in the community?� (p. 10). By reflecting on this question, we are able to gain new knowledge and identify ways to address the instructional needs of all learners. The result is the development of a �learning community� which promotes the development of all stakeholders (Roberts & Pruitt, 2003).
The process of learning about professional development in this course has enabled this writer the opportunity to reflect on the knowledge and skills possessed in relation to an effective and productive learning community. In particular, the �Standards for Staff Development� as established by the National Staff Development Council (http://www.nsdc.org/standards/index.cfm), as well as other on-line resources, provided valuable insight into the relationship between staff development and research-based best practices. Current educational reforms mandate that we, as educators, seek out collaborative relationships which enable us to insure that standards are met which promote student success.
Roberts and Pruitt (2003) discuss the importance of standards-based accountability for educational reform. The �Standards for Staff Development� established by the National Staff Development Council clearly establish guidelines which are geared toward improving the learning of all students. The standards outline staff development goals which address both process and content and stress the importance of developing a learning community which focuses on collaboration, the use of disaggregated student data, the use of research-based instructional strategies, and the development of supportive learning environments.
A reflection of current practices at my own school reveal that efforts are being made to implement standards based guidelines. The research-based best practices model of �Learning Focused Schools� by Max Thompson is currently in its third year of implementation at the school and across the county as a whole. In conjunction with this implementation, an instructional coach has been hired whose responsibility it is to oversee staff development related to this instructional strategy. Weekly staff development meetings are held with the focus of each meeting being a different component of �Learning Focused Schools� and �Georgia Performance Standards�. Perhaps the most significant component of these staff development efforts is that all stakeholders, certified and non-certified, are trained in the instructional strategies and Georgia Performance Standards.
Three Critical Insights Gained
As this writer reflects upon the information gleaned from this course, three critical insights have been gleaned. First, the writer is struck by the critical need for collaboration and effective leadership. In particular, the concept of facilitative leadership is critical for the development of effective professional learning communities. Shared vision, communication, and collaboration assist the learning community in better analyzing its effectiveness in meeting student needs.
Second, trust is the cornerstone of the learning community. Roberts and Pruitt (2003) define trust as �a generalized expectancy that the words, actions and promises of another individual, group or organization can be relied on� (p. 38). Without a doubt, when individuals have trust, they are more willing to build relationships, learn together and ultimately build a learning community founded on a common purpose.
Third, professional development needs to be school-based. Professional development should not be district dominated but rather should reflect the culture of the school. It should address the needs and issues of the current learning environment and should be a part of the job (Roberts & Pruitt, 2003). School improvement should answer the questions of why, how and what and should be based on an analysis of data related to the individual school.
Three Questions that Remain
Three questions which remain for future exploration include:
1) How do you promote group-oriented behaviors over self-oriented behaviors in order to develop the concept of team?
2) How can we more systematically analyze data to identify individual student needs and implement learning strategies to address the needs identified?
3) How do you preserve the layers of culture while promoting improved learning outcomes?
The ultimate goal of the learning community is to �improve the quality of learning and life within the school� (Roberts & Pruitt, 2003, p. 6). Therefore, it can be assumed that the concept of team is critical in order to promote collegial collaboration. However, while group-oriented behaviors such as attention to the task are important, self-oriented behaviors such as an individual�s emotional and social needs can not be ignored. Attention must be given to finding the balance between group and self in order to promote positive dialogue.
While the development of team is one of the first steps in developing a professional learning community, one must be cognizant that the learning community is a reflection of a variety of experiences and levels of individual commitment to the existing community. Symbols, rituals, and traditions which reflect the culture of the learning community must be honored as valued pieces of history.
One means of promoting the culture of the community amongst individuals is to promote interaction among colleagues. This collegial relationship will enable educators to work together to assess the needs of students, thereby �improving the quality of learning and life within the school; and thus we come full circle.
How do we pursue the answers to the questions posed above? Perhaps the answer to this question lies in the work of Roberts and Pruitt (2003). Roberts and Pruitt (2003) outline several professional development strategies which can directly impact student performance. These strategies include:
� �Individual teachers should assess their own professional growth �and make plans for improving their practices� (p. 183). Individual growth plans will be assistive in the identification of key points of the teaching philosophy, thus identifying one�s place in the culture of the community.
� �Professional portfolios should be updated either individually or in small groups to promote collaborative learning among teachers� (p. 183). Opportunities for collaborative learning among teachers help to meet the needs of self while also promoting group oriented behaviors.
� �Special programs of professional development, orientation, and mentoring should be provided�to orientate teachers to the culture and practices of the learning community� (p. 183). The culture of the community must be understood by all members in order to promote an understanding of the values, beliefs, activities and rituals of the organization. In addition, specialized professional development activities are needed to assist teachers in developing specific skills such as analyzing data and implementing accommodations accordingly.
� �Assess the professional development program on an ongoing basis using multiple sources of data� (p. 183). Current educational reforms dictate that instructional strategies must be research-based and data driven. Further, the information gleaned from the data must then be used to implement new strategies.
Conclusion
If the ultimate goal of student achievement is to be met, educators must continually seek ways to improve their teaching and learning strategies so that a truly collaborative relationship results.
Reference
National Staff Development Council �Standards for Staff Development� (http://www.nsdc.org/standards/index.cfm).
Roberts, S. M. and Pruitt, E. Z. (2003). Schools as professional learning communities: Collaborative activities and strategies for professional development. Thousand Oaks California: Corwin Press, Inc.