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=**Professional Development and Learning ** = The focus of professional development and collaboration time this year has been the development of Professional Learning Communities in all content areas. This work has included the development of team SMART Goals, the alignment of curriculum to standards, the development of common benchmark assessments, and the development of intervention plans for those students not meeting standards or who are receiving D’s and F’s in their core courses. Each department is at a different stage in this process and the work is ongoing. This work was supported by District provided PLC seminars and outside consultants in Math, English and Science. To increase the level of accountability and monitoring, the administration has made formal and informal classroom observations a priority.  The next step and priority of the Professional Development plan will be the development of common formative benchmark assessments in all of the PLCs which will serve as the foundation for the assessment and monitoring system. The second priority for Professional Development will be the training and implementation of effective instructional strategies to improve student learning and achievement.


 * A Shift in Professional Development:**

1. "From external training (workshops and courses)... to job-embedded learning" 2. "From the expectation that learning occurs infrequently (on the few days devoted to professional develpment)... to an expectation that learning is ongoing and occurs as part of the routine workplace." 3. "From presentations to entire faculties... to team-based action research." 4. "From learning by listening... to learning by doing." 5. "From learning individually through courses and workshops... to learning collectively by working together." 6. "From assessing impact on the basis of teacher satisfaction ("Did you like it?') ...to assessing impact on the basis of evidence of improved student learning." 7. "From short-term exposure to multiple concepts and practices... to sustained commitment to limited, focused initiatives."

DuFour __Learning by Doing__ p. 189

PowerPoints for Professional Development [|pd_literacy.ppt] [|pd_collaboration.ppt] [|pd_team lead-1.ppt] [|pd_team_lead_8_28.ppt] [|graphic organizers and foldables.pdf]