State PD Discussion Summary
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Week One Summary
Professional Development Systems
Several Guest Participants shared rich descriptions of their professional development systems, including descriptions of purpose, funding, leadership, structure, and professional development activities. These descriptions were integrated into a PD Systems Matrix for comparison across systems. Additional aspects such as teacher credentialing and professional development policy have yet to be added to the Systems Matrix. South Dakota generously shared a description of their system, and we hope other states will also contribute descriptions, thus helping all of us to gain a better “snapshot” of professional development across the country.
Modes of Delivery
Several states shared information about their states’ modes of delivery for professional development (See below for Table 1: Matrix of Methods – Examples from States) . Modes included PD offered in four broad-ranging and overlapping categories: program or site-based professional development, face-to-face professional development, online or hybrid models, and support for individualized learning including technical assistance. Several states provide workshops and courses (online and in-person), but offered more detail regarding ongoing activities and initiatives that differed from these modes. See the PD Systems Matrix for details about state offerings: PD Systems Matrix. See the "AALPD Matrix of Methods for Professional Development" (http://aalpd.org/documents/MatrixOfMethodsForPD.doc) for a broad overview of the types of methods, various approaches, and research that supports each.
Regional Trainers
Participants discussed four questions pertaining to regional trainers. SABES responded to share Massachusetts approaches: Regional Trainers, Recruitment, Training, Compensation, Retention
Processes for Creating Plans for Product Development/Deliverables
One participant inquired about states processes for assigning a specific numbers of hours to product development/deliverables, how to establish a plan with trainers/developers to create a product, and other special considerations. Strategies shared included identifying and listing key questions, identifying number of training contact hours, and breaking projects down into process steps for timelines, wages, cost estimates, etc. For details, visit: Assigning Hours To Product Development
Balance of Teacher-Driven and State-Driven Professional Development
Participants discussed "What per cent of your PD work is driven by requests from practitioners and what per cent is driven by your funders?"
Answers varied, but included discussion of both the needs of the funder and the needs of the practitioner. In New York, Ira Yankwitt noted that "The SED allows up to 20% of the RAEN's activities to be based on local needs identified by the advisory board that fall outside the SED-identified priority areas…[for example] The NYC RAEN is using this provision to support a citywide student leadership initiative."
California considerations also include both state and locally identified needs. Guest Participant Wendi Maxwell noted that “"tate needs are generally regulatory items or topics that will generate systemic change. Local needs are generally more developmental, improving on the existing skills or practices of the teachers in the local agency…California tries to combine state and local priorities." Efforts include:
- An annual online PD needs assessment for teachers and administrators
- Looking at emerging trends and national priorities
- Gathering needs-based information from dozens of site visits to local agencies
- Meetings with a PD advisory board
- Local needs assessments from each PDC
In Massachusetts each year, SABES negotiates a detailed workplan with the Massachusetts Department of Education. The professional development activities detailed in the workplan for any given year are a result of practitioner needs assessment, federal and state initiatives and the collective perspective of the SABES staff.
Access to Professional Development
Participants touched on access issues, in light of the diverse array and types of PD offerings. One point raised was that in some states, teachers in remote areas do not have access to broadband Internet access. So making paper copies in some states is a necessity to bridge the distance. It was noted that some teachers may choose to preserve professional development materials of activities that they find memorable or may be beneficial for later creating portfolios, so distributing paper copies is a pertinent practice even if teachers have reliable and realistic access to the Internet.
Teacher Change
Participants addressed the question, "What kind(s) of professional development, from your experience, results in the most change in teacher practice? And why do you think so?"
Participants shared from their experience what they believe contributes to lasting changes in practice, including situations where teachers have opportunities to rethink how they frame their teaching approaches. Approaches conducive to facilitating change may include a long-term commitment of time, a focus on a real issue (and patience!). Examples include:
- study circles
- practitioner research, and
- project-based professional development.
These approaches may:
- support teachers in developing a philosophy of teaching
- offer more opportunities for ownership of change - they are more democratic and/or conducted from the ground up
- grow in a culture that values learning and respects practitioners as people who both know *and* learn, and
- create an opportunity for dialogue and reflection.
One participant noted it was difficult to know answers to these types of questions without the resources to do on-going, intensive follow-up with teachers. But research and experience tells us certain aspects of professional development lend itself to being more effective, including when the professional development:
- is conducted in a on-going way, over a period of time;
- is offered at the program level, with the support of program colleagues and administration;
- allows for both practical application and reflection; and
- meets the particular needs of program staff.
Participants shared examples about their own experiences of transformation, and Guest Participant Silja Kallenbach shared examples of NELRC-related projects that facilitated teacher transformation. These included the Multiple Intelligences action research project, which was developed in collaboration between Harvard's Project Zero and the NELRC at World Education, under the guidance of the National Center for Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (Research Brief: http://www.ncsall.net/fileadmin/resources/research/brief21.pdf Research Report: http://www.ncsall.net/fileadmin/resources/research/report21.pdf).
One question addressed how to make systemic, transformative change. Guest participant Wendi Maxwell asked, "How do we create transformative experiences for hundreds or thousands of teachers -some of whom may need to see their practice with new eyes, but who may not be interested in participating in any PD beyond traditional workshops?" Responses include:
- providing opportunities for transformative experiences for large numbers of practitioners, and
- transforming schools and programs into learning communities.
Additional Topics
Additional issues that participants started to discuss include areas such as professional development policies. In particular, Guest Participant Jeff Fantine shared that Ohio teachers are compensated for their time participating in PD based upon the number of hours they work per week. Paid ABLE staff can receive 1 or 2 stipends for their attendance at PD activities, depending on the number of hours they work, or they can receive either a conference reimbursement or tuition reimbursement. For details, visit: PD Policies - Paid PD.
Subscriber Alisa Belzer shared PD Systems Resources which others may find valuable in understanding professional development systems in relation to this discussion.
Table 1: Matrix of Methods – Examples from States (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)
| PD Approach | Face-to-Face Across Programs (1) | On-line or Hybrid PD
also referred to as a "Blended PD" approach | Program-based (3) | Supported Individual Learning also referred to as (supported) "self study" (4) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Examples that fit these approaches (A) | California
Long-Term
|
Study Circles
| Publications:
| |
| Massachusetts examples that fit these approaches (b) | Long-Term Regions may also sponsor various sharing groups or study circles that are intended for certain groups of staff, such as counselors or volunteer coordinators, or that provide an opportunity for practitioners to discuss with colleagues certain topics, such as promoting attendance and retention in ABE and GED programs. | Add examples of hybrid approaches here | Offers a "program-based" approach, where SABES works in an intensive way over time on a certain topic (such as teaching writing) with the staff of a small number of individual programs. | |
| New York examples that fit these approaches | Long-Term Meets monthly with the RAEN to facilitate meaningful sharing on best practices and to arrange regional training opportunities via the Regional Adult Education Network: Study circles, teacher sharings, online courses, curriculum projects | Add examples of hybrid approaches here | New York offers study circles and teacher sharings. | Web sites: maintains extensive information on two sites:
|
