Professional Learning
Self Assessment

Recognizing that Sustained, Intellectually Rigorous Professional Learning is essential for Everyone Who Affects Students' Learning

A major focus for Fulton's Professional Learning Department is how to facilitate school-based and departmental-based professional learning. Like curricular National and State Standards, Leadership Standards, Technology Standards, etc., the Professional Learning Department urges the use of the revised National Staff Development Council Standards (NSDC) to chart an effective path for assessing, implementing, and monitoring Professional/Staff Learning and Growth opportunities. This is especially important as new, emerging models are based in new arenas and sites.

Use this Self-Assessment Tool with a small group of school leaders to analyze your site-based professional learning. Come to a consensus and select one response in each Standard Category. Choose the response that most aptly describes the professional learning at your school. Then use your responses to chart an effective path for assessing, implementing, and monitoring Professional/Staff learning and growth opportunities. As you take the online survey, you can either keep a paper and pencil tally of your scores in each standard category by downloading the Score Guide, or wait for the Professional Learning Department to email you an Excel spreadsheet with your scores and averages.

Pictured above are A. P. Randolph ES Teachers: Ms Uter, Ms. Kennedy and Ms. Charles. Photo by D. Sullivan

The Self-Assessment instrument can be used by individuals, groups, or entire faculties to improve the quality of their staff learning efforts so that student learning will be increased. The instrument will provide support for site-based plans. Context, process, and content standards are ALL necessary to ensure that staff levelopment improves student learning. If one of the three dimensions is ignored, the intended results are far less likely to be achieved.

The revised standards recognize that staff learning is no longer the exclusive domain of someone who carries the title staff developer, but is a significant responsibility of all educational leaders: Teachers, principals, board of education members, district administrators, support staff, and all who have a role in educating students.

Take advantage of the survey to see if your local plans are UP to STANDARDS. Work with your district professional learning department to assess, plan, reinforce, support, and continue the focused, new learning and growth opportunities for Fulton County employees.

CONTEXT STANDARDS

(address the organizational system and culture for new learning)

Letting the Revised Standards Chart the Path

Learning Communities

Leadership

Resources

PROCESS STANDARDS

(address the "how" of staff learning--the learning processes used in acquiring new knowledge and skills)

Data Driven

Evaluation

Research-Based

Design

Learning

Collaboration

CONTENT STANDARDS

(refer to the "what" of staff learning)

Equity

Quality Teaching

Family Involvement

Recognizing that Sustained, Intellectually Rigorous Professional

Learning is Essential for Everyone Who Affects Students' Learning