Kerry Griffith's "Professional Development Is the Key to School Improvement"

Professional development is the key to school improvement. By improving the quality of teaching through focused, systematic, and sustained professional development, principals and teachers can bring about school improvement. Continuous student learning is dependent on continuous adult learning. Teachers need to be highly educated to be effective in the classroom. This education of teachers should be an ongoing process. Meaningful staff development has some very important components which must have goals with a clear purpose.

A main goal is to educate principals to take the leadership role and become advocates for staff development. Principals are the most important actors on the stage of a school system. Professional development should not be one of the things that management does, it is management. The principals must undergo professional development themselves so they can learn to guide their schools toward needed improvements. They are the most important factor because the principals must focus the school and lead the way. Principals must provide instructional leadership for teachers so teachers can grow professionally and learn how to improve their own teaching methods.

Principals need to establish a school culture that supports professional staff development. Parents, students, teachers, and school support staff need to work together for the common goals of the school. Professional development for all employees is a goal in itself.

It is important for principals to become educated in the best instructional methods that show proven results and then focus on these for their own staff development. Many principals have no idea what is being taught in their own classrooms or what teaching methods are being used. Principals need to know what is being taught and the best methods for teaching it. They need to be on the look out for new methods that show results. Principals must investigate teaching methods as an ongoing assignment. They should know what gives the best results and what needs to be changed in their own school.

Schools need to hold principals accountable for their leadership. The principal sets the stage and must continuously be educated in the best methods of leadership. Principals should be required to undergo a yearly evaluation by the teachers, parents, and school board to see if his/her performance meets their goals. (use evaluation form)

Setting aside professional development days for principals is another important factor. Principals are responsible for providing excellent leadership, and for educating themselves about the most successful teaching methods. Allowing principals time to investigate proven methods and to gain the leadership skills they need to successfully lead their staff, is of prime importance. Leaders must be informed and focused!

Once principals have gained good leadership skills, they share their leadership with teachers trained to lead. Teacher leaders can help facilitate the training of other teachers. Principals delegate leadership roles to those trained teachers who can lead and educate other staff members.

Another key component is principal networking. Principals establish study groups with other principals where they consider problems and work toward solutions. They share their methods with each other and discuss what works for them or what they need help with. Principals schedule regular visits with networking schools to view first hand the teaching practices and school programs that work.

School boards must adopt professional development policies that target upgrading the leadership capabilities of principals and teachers. These policies are written into the school plan to ensure that professional development really does happen and is ongoing.

Another important goal is to educate teachers about teaching. Teachers need to have a broad repertoire of ways to teach children the things they need to know. This involves an ongoing investigation to discover strategies that work and the ways to implement them. Teachers, with principals as advocates, investigate proven programs and network with other teachers to find successful methods of teaching. Peer coaching is another very important and worthwhile strategy that allows teachers to work together to help each other improve their teaching practices.

Whole staff inservicing is another necessary component. When schools choose a focus for example, reading improvement, it is quite beneficial to inservice the whole teaching staff on staff development days. This allows everyone to work together, to focus on common goals.

Authentic assessment is an integral part of all of this. Teachers continually assess and reassess in order to determine the school's needs and discover what works and what doesn't work. These assessments provide the data that is used by the teachers to find ways to drive their instruction. In other words, assessment lets teachers know what they need to teach and what they might need to reteach.

Professional development is expensive. Enlisting the school board's help and support is highly recommended. Funding for professional development must be written right into the school plan. Schools decide what percentage of their budget needs to be earmarked for their professional development and then write it into the school plan.

Parents, as a support group, are an important factor. As advocates, parents can help create the school atmosphere where everyone works together for common goals. To build parent support, parents are educated by the district about the chosen methods of improvement. Parents are allowed involvement in the process of setting district goals.

Districts seriously considering establishing goals for professional development can take the Professional Development IQ Test. This allows them to analyze the attitudes and needs of their district.

Schools may want to use the National Staff Development Council Standards as a guide. These standards are useful in the initial planning stages. Once a school has taken this IQ test, it can determine what its professional development needs are.

* * * * *

Studies of effective urban schools (Mendez-Morse, 1992) found that a key factor in the success of schools is the presence of a skilled principal who creates the sense of a shared mission about improving teaching and learning, and delegates authority to educators who can get the job done. Research further shows that schools that have raised student achievement in spite of students' socioeconomic backgrounds do so with the guidance of an effective leader (Keller, 1998). In a study of elementary school leadership in Chicago, Penny Sebring and Anthony Byrk (2000) found three common elements among principals of productive schools: leadership style, leadership strategies, and the issues on which principals focus. A skilled principal, the result of professional development, is truly the key to school improvement. Administrators need to have an understanding of what can be improved and the skill to get it done. "Principals must make their own instructional knowledge a priority, identify what they need to learn, and seek their own development."

Debbie Backus
Principal of Montview
Elementary School in Aurora,
Colorado and a 1998
USDOE Model Professional
Development Program
Award Recipient.

Anthony Alvarado, former superintendent of New York City's District 2, and a successful reformer of NYC schools, who is now deputy chancellor of instruction of San Diego Unified District, in his efforts to improve student achievement, focused heavily on teacher and administrator professional development. This has been noted in a recent report by the National Staff Development Council. The report further states that Alvarado proposed study groups for principals to consider problems and figure out what to do about them. Principals network with other principals who serve as "critical friends." "One thing we need is massive inter-visitation to go places, to see practice that is actually the kind of practice that we want to implement."

Anthony Alvarado,
San Diego, Calif. Unified
School District

Improving the quality of America's school leaders is the most feasible way to bring significant change to our schools. Administrators must learn to develop the capacities of their schools. They must light the way to improvement. Teachers must do their part also. They can become leaders, peer coaches, and mentors. Teachers and principals should be viewed as collaborators and facilitators who work together as a team. Established goals need the support of the school board and the parents who must become educated about the need for professional development and become advocates for it. A school culture must be developed where administrators, teachers, parents, board members, and students share the same vision and goals.

The main goal of the NSDC is: "All teachers in all schools will experience high quality professional learning as part of their daily work by 2007." Professional development is actually the key to school improvement. Principals trained to lead can lead highly educated teachers in the use of the best teaching practices to better educate our students.



Professional Development IQ Test

The 2003 August/September issue of Tools for Schools offers more information about this test and suggestions for how to use the questions with groups.

1. According to the public, what is the most important characteristic for teachers to possess?

a. Ability to communicate with parents
b. Thoroughly educated in subject area
c. Understanding how people learn
d. Well-trained and knowledgeable about how to teach effectively

2. Which strategy does the public believe has the greatest potential for improving schools?

a. Reducing class size
b. Recruiting and retaining better teachers
c. Requiring standardized tests for promotion
d. Giving greater control to the local level

3. What percentage of the public supports school-financed professional development opportunities as a means of attracting and retaining public school teachers?

a. 90%
b. 85%
c. 70%
d. 55%

4. According to research, what school investment yields the greatest increase in student achievement?

a. Lowering class size
b. Increasing teacher salaries
c. Increasing teacher experience
d. Increasing teacher education

5. According to the National Credibility Index, which of the following people is the most believable when speaking out on public issues?

a. Member of the Armed Forces
b. Teacher
c. Community activist
d. National expert

6. According to research by Ron Ferguson, which factor constitutes 44% of the impact on student learning?

a. Class size
b. Qualifications of teacher
c. Family involvement and support
d. Socio-economic status of family

7. What percentage of the public believes we should increase funding for programs to keep teachers up to date?

a. 35%
b. 50%
c. 66%
d. 70%

8. What percentage of teachers believe that professional development programs "generally waste their time?"

a. 10.5%
b. 27.4%
c. 41.7%
d. 64.7%

9. Which of the following strategies did superintendents and principals identify as the most effective for improving teacher quality?

a. Reducing class size
b. Increasing teacher salaries
c. Increasing professional development opportunities for teachers
d. Requiring secondary level teachers to major in the subjects they are teaching

10. According to the September 2000 Gallup Poll, what percentage of the public feels that the strategy with the most promise for improving achievement is ensuring that there is a qualified and competent teacher in every classroom?

a. 10%
b. 17%
c. 39%
d. 52%

11. Of the following, which aspect of teaching is most important to students?

a. Caring about students
b. Believing all children can learn
c. Knowing the subject areas
d. Maintaining discipline in the classroom

12. According to teachers, what is the number one reason for professional growth?

a. To improve student achievement
b. To improve teaching skills
c. To network
d. To advance one's career

13. What percentage of teachers believe weekly scheduled collaboration with other teachers improves their classroom teaching?

a. 62%
b. 72%
c. 82%
d. 92%

14. What do principals believe is the most important role of a principal?

a. Maintaining discipline and safety
b. Creating a supportive environment for teaching and learning
c. Supporting parents' involvement in their children's education
d. Managing the school's budget and obtaining additional funds

15. Which strategy do principals believe is most effective for recruiting and retaining teachers?

a. Providing financial incentives
b. Providing mentoring and on-going support for new teachers
c. Involving teachers in the creation of policies that they will be implementing
d. Providing career growth opportunities

16. Which professional development activity do most teachers feel improves their teaching?

a. New methods of teaching
b. Integration of education technology in their grade or subject
c. In-depth study in the subject area of their main teaching assignment
d. Student performance assessment

17. Which of the following professional development activities did the most teachers participate in during the last 12 months?

a. Regularly scheduled collaboration with other teachers
b. Networking with teachers outside their school
c. Individual or collaborative research
d. Common planning period for team teachers

18. What percentage of public school teachers believe that being mentored formally by another teacher at least once a week improves their classroom teaching moderately or better?

a. 58%
b. 68%
c. 78%
d. 88%

19. According to the 2001 National Board of Certified Teachers Leadership Survey, what percentage agree that they are satisfied with the quantity and quality of on-going professional development opportunities in their schools?

a. 70%
b. 60%
c. 50%
d. 40%

20. According to the Educational Testing Service's 2000 Report, How Teaching Matters, all of the following increase student outcomes in science except:

a. Major/minor in science/science education
b. Professional development in laboratory skills
c. Professional development in classroom management
d. Using frequent tests
e. Hands-on learning



Bibliography
NSDS RESEARCH AND INFORMATION ON STAFF DEVELOPMENT WEB SITE 2005 - 2006
NSDS ARTICLES AND STANDARDS WEB SITE 2006
NSDS IQ TEST WEB SITE 2006

Sandra Lunt Hill's "Updating My Professional Portfolio"

From an elementary teacher in a multi-grade classroom to a teacher of high school students (in grades 9-12) at a highly regarded charter school, Northcoast Preparatory and Performing Arts Academy (NPA), my career in the past five years has gone through significant change. However, as my professional portfolio shows, the face behind the curriculum has not changed drastically (even if there are just a few extra wrinkles of wisdom on it). I am still a teacher dedicated to lifelong learning—my own as well as my students. What I have gained in the way of professional growth has come through a variety of experiences, ranging from my work with professional organizations to my involvement with my school’s international exchange program. This introduction to my portfolio explains how I utilize a teaching philosophy focused on learning from different perspectives to create a dynamic environment for my students.

The Face Behind The Curriculum

My professional strengths come from my love of creative teaching and my willingness to incorporate effective methods. From history we know that one reason for its prosperity at its ascendancy was the Roman Empire’s adoption of ideas from other civilizations. They looked around, saw what worked, and then used the new technologies and practices to build a successful system. Theories about the positive potential of globalization are also based on integrating best practices. Comparatively, good teachers thrive on collaboration with other teachers.

My involvement with professional groups, such as the Redwood Writing Project and Reading Institutes for Academic Preparation (RIAP), has given me access to innovative teaching approaches; but even more important to my professional growth was the opportunity to learn from the experiences of teachers who successfully used these methods. Regular meetings with other professionals found me benefiting as both recipient and contributor in a wealthy exchange of ideas.

Networking also plays a key role in my life as a member of NPA’s school community. With the recent implementation of a new curriculum, the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, we (the faculty and administration at NPA) have found it especially necessary to communicate regularly with parents and students about academic goals. As we have discovered, it is important to have the support of parents and students when creating meaningful educational experiences within the context of an academically-challenging program.

As an IB teacher I routinely utilize my counseling and coaching skills. When in the thick of it, as students and parents vocalized their struggles with the demands of the program, we found it helpful to dialogue frequently about educational philosophy and the purpose of the curriculum. In one particularly memorable conversation, a parent and I coined the term extreme academics when resolving an issue concerning her student’s heavy-duty homework schedule. Through our new definition, the parent realized that her student actually enjoyed the thrill of pushing against previously-perceived limitations to realize the extent of her greater potential. This same student wound up receiving much academic recognition this year, which included a Questbridge scholarship that will fund her undergraduate work at a prestigious four-year college.

Best Practices

Through my work with RIAP and the Redwood Writing Project I also found techniques that helped students stay motivated in the classroom. Employing active-learning methods that encouraged student inquiry helped debunk the myth that pushing oneself academically means hours of tedious book work. In my freshmen world history class we adopted a new learning format based on methods I learned from my involvement in RIAP (which I modified for the particular needs of my students). I began with an outline of study for the unit at hand, which they read and developed academic questions. The journey through the unit was then steered by their interests. We also made the most of drama activities, such as staging scenes of government in process—from elections in ancient Athens to the tribal-consensus system we learned about in our studies of ancient Africa. Since students were engaged in the process, we had more time for creative expression than we would have had I been battling apathy with old-fashioned teaching methods based on the erroneous belief that students are empty vessels who need to be filled with knowledge by an expert source.

In my work at NPA I have also developed skills in the area of facilitating purposeful group discussions. In world history this happens by leading with student questions or other activities that make use of students’ prior knowledge. In my writing classes this occurs through teaching respect for individual styles and diverse perspectives. An example of the latter involves a sequence of lessons designed to help students appreciate works of other writers. I begin with their work (another way of incorporating prior knowledge) through writing-workshop activities that promote skills in constructive evaluation. As they critique their own writing and work by their peers, they learn key concepts, such as purpose, intent and audience—that any writer must be aware of when producing polished compositions. Later, I bring in pieces from writers outside our classroom (from classical authors to journalists) to encourage discussions on different styles. Exposure to a variety of literature from different genres is critical to the development of student writers. They benefit greatly from the realizations they gain of the many possible directions they can explore through their own work and develop a better understanding of literature in general through an appreciation of the various roads taken by other writers.

Further Expansion of Ideas

Utilizing community volunteers further widens the knowledge base of my classroom. Even though we learn a great deal from each other, my students and I still have room for many other points-of-view. The more I collaborate with other people in my teaching practice the more I realize how much can be added to the mix, resulting in creating an even more fertile soil for our educational ground. The writers, professors and other professionals who have come to our classroom with their experience and scholarship add important dimensions of understanding to the subject at hand. My portfolio features samples of student work that provide evidence of how students benefit from such interactions with accomplished individuals from the local community.

International Experience: Expanding Far Beyond the Redwood Curtain

Even before NPA adopted the IB program, the school was known for its emphasis on international involvement through exchange programs. This year I involved myself with our international program by helping to facilitate an exchange with a school in Rennes, France. My travel with students for a three-week stay at our sister-school in Rennes furthered my awareness of important educational opportunities that can be achieved through first-hand experience with different cultures. I also had the opportunity to see how my students cope with new and exciting challenges as they became world travelers. I enjoyed getting to know my students better as individuals after spending numerous hours with them in a number of settings. In my portfolio a pictorial representation of our adventures—from our treks through the streets of Paris to historical tours of medieval towns in Brittany—tells the story of what we learned together from new encounters. It emphasizes the connectedness we gained by participating in an exchange involving staying with families and becoming familiar with the lives of people who previously would have been described as foreign.
Therefore, through my direct involvement, I found out why international programs are crucial to authentic education. The entire process caused my students to broaden their views of a different culture beyond the abstract or superficial levels in order to develop a genuine understanding of what it means to be a human being anywhere in the world.

My recent professional development in some ways reflects the lessons I learned from participating in the international exchange program. Through collaboration with people in my school community, professional peers, people from both the local community and distant environments, I have traveled well beyond the scope of my former perspective and become more involved in a larger arena of intellectual opportunities. As I continue on, guided by my own investigations and the queries posed by my students, I realize that being an educated person is not about reaching a certain plateau of expertise but is an ongoing movement directed by a desire to be an active, conscious member of the vast human landscape of a global society.

Robyn Roberson's Teaching Portfolio Cover Letter

July 1, 2006

To Whom It May Concern:

Please consider my enclosed curriculum vitae, this letter and my professional teaching portfolio in application for the position of English teacher. I have completed all requirements for the position by obtaining my MATW degree in English at Humboldt State University, with a minor in American Indian Education. I have taught college English for the past two years, as well as an online American Indian Education class. I have a Multiple Subject credential and have completed all coursework and applied for my Single Subject credential in February 2006. I am awaiting test results for my CLAD certificate.

After successfully instructing middle school in Napa and Vallejo, where I enjoyed teaching Ancient History, English, Yearbook, and a SDAI class for English Language Learners, I decided to return to school to obtain a master’s degree in English in order to improve my teaching expertise. Just from my teaching experience alone, I have gained considerable experience teaching a diverse student population. For the past two years I have taught composition at Humboldt State University and College of the Redwoods, both the Eureka campus and the Hoopa Valley Reservation campus.

I also taught an online class entitled “Native Americans in Higher Education” where I facilitated and assessed students. I enjoyed this student-teacher communication very much and am comfortable using technology in the classroom. I also used Blackboard as a supplement to my teaching in English.

I have included several lesson plans and samples of student work in order for you to view the variety of ways in which I engage my students in writing. As you can see, my lessons appeal to adults and young students alike, as well as to students from diverse populations.

Although I love teaching adults, I miss being in the presence of young minds eager to learn! I am applying for this position because I want to maintain contact with younger students. Having completed the Redwood Writing Project summer institute last year, I have many exciting lesson ideas for writing across the curriculum.

As you can see from my experience, I feel that I would be a positive addition to your faculty. I appreciate your consideration for this position.

Sincerely,

Robyn Roberson

Elizabeth Who's Teaching Portfolio Cover Letter

Dear Hiring Committee,

Welcome to my portfolio. Inside you will find evidence of my classroom teaching experience, my philosophy of education, and documentation of my university degrees and credentialing.

This year, I completed three professional development activities. I finished the National Writing Project’s Summer Institute, I presented a small group workshop on writing for a staff development activity, and I educated myself about teaching English Learners while preparing to pass the CTEL exam.

Table of Contents

Cover: My co-teacher and Me with First Grade Class 2003-04

Use of Technology Statement

Professional Clear Mulitple Subjects Credential (exp. July, 2008)

California HOUSSE Certification

CTEL Certification

M.A. Education from University of Colorado, Boulder, CO

B.A. American Studies from Stanford University, Stanford, CA

My Philosophy of Education

Artifacts from a 4^th-Grade Unit on Humboldt County History

A Newsletter Written by my 4^th-Grade Class 2000-2001

Photos: (clockwise from upper left)

• In the Garden With a Student
• First Graders Writing in Their Nature Journals
• First Graders Studying Counting by Ones
• Me as Compost Woman (see banana peels on helmet)

Program from Our Class Play – First Grade, January, 2005

Thank You Note from the Staff