TeachersInPIPolicyRecommendations

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The Association of Adult Literacy Professional Developers, a network of professional developers across the country, is engaged in an on-going process of developing a platform of policies related to professional development. This platform would constitute a vision for professional development for which the whole field can advocate. AALPD invites discussion of this platform, in an effort to draft policies that represent the field's view. Please join the discussion by adding your comments in below or by subscribing to NIFL-AALPD. To subscribe, visit:
http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/discussions/nifl-aalpd/subscribe_aalpd.html

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1 Draft Policy: Program Improvement
2 The Policy in Practice
3 Discussing the Pros and Cons
4 Actions and Recommendations
5 Questions Raised

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Draft Policy: Program Improvement

2.0% of each program's budget should be set aside for teachers to participate in program improvement (such as designing a new curriculum, recruiting, designing a new student orientation, etc.), that starts with the students' needs for improving program structures and services.

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The Policy in Practice

Here is one example of how this policy might be put into practice in relation to paid professional development release time and professional development plans.

If:

.5% is allocated for developing a PD plan for each teacher;
2.0% is allocated for teachers to be involved in program improvement; and
2.5% is allocated for each teacher to participate in professional development;

then...

For full-time teachers, who teach 40 weeks a year at 40 hours a week (1600 hours a year) this would be about 80 hours a year: 40 hours in their own PD, 8 hours a year to develop their PD plan, and 32 hours to be involved in program improvement. If a teacher teaches for 40 weeks a year, that's 2 hours a week out of her full-time job spent on professional development and program improvement.

For part-time teachers, while all of this is proportional, there should be a minimum:

If a teacher teaches 8 hours a week or less over 40 weeks, then the teacher would be able to participate a minimum of 12 hours of PD for the year, and a minimum of 8 hours to be involved in some type of PI. The full percent would be in place if a teacher teaches over 8 hours per week. For example, if a teacher teaches 15 hours a week or more, then the full % is in play (15 X 40 = 600 hours teaching = 15 hours PD, 3 hours developing a PD plan, and 12 hours participating in program improvement).

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Discussing the Pros and Cons

Add your comments regarding teachers participating in program improvement here!

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Actions and Recommendations

From: djrosen_at_comcast.net
Subject: [NIFL-AALPD:2010] Re: Professional Development Recommendations

I think the most valuable professional development for adult literacy education teachers takes place:

1) within the context of program improvement, and/or

2) as part of a professional certification or graduate degree program, and/or

3) as a systematic effort carried out by a very committed teacher on her own.

I don't mean that every program improvement effort, or every certification or graduate degree program, provides an example of good professional development, but that program development and certification or degree programs often provide a larger, sustained, more highly committed context in which teachers can engage in a meaningful cycle of learning, application, and reflection for professional growth. And, of course, a degree or certificate cannot necessarily be assumed to be evidence of good professional development or of good teaching skills and knowledge. Often, it isn't.

Professional development theory and research is best integrated in one's professional knowledge or repertoire of skills when it takes place alongside a practice context. Teachers engaged in professional development benefit from having students with whom they can try out new skills, knowledge and approaches. (Let's leave aside for now whether or not those students benefit.) The professional growth takes place through an interactive process between teacher and student(s), practice informed by the teacher's learning from theory or research -- including her own research -- and reflection. It is more than an interactive process between the teacher and teacher educator. Both kinds of interaction (teacher and teacher educator, teacher and students) are needed. And the teacher needs enough time, in both interactions, for reflection. This meaningful professional development process takes place best when programs and the state education agency support a professional development environment.

What does a professional development (PD) environment look like at a program level?

1) Administrators, including supervisors, and other colleagues encourage teachers to grow professionally, for example, by providing paid work time for PD, by including PD activities as part of a teacher job description, by putting PD on the agenda at staff meetings, and by setting aside a time (a day a month, for example) for PD work and staff discussion about it.

2) Every teacher has an individual PD plan, with PD goals and activities planned for the year.

3) Examples of substantive PD which are encouraged include: curriculum development (not just lesson planning); adding a major new set of teaching skills; learning a major new area of content to teach; peer evaluation, peer mentoring, and/or systematic supervision; conducting classroom and other kinds of research; writing a journal article; learning to use -- and integrate -- new technology for student learning; or adding a new dimension to the role of teacher such as counselor, public policy advocate, assessment specialist, or LD specialist.

4) Attending workshops, conferences, and short courses is encouraged, but this is regarded as less important than the more significant professional development activities (like those listed in 4 above) which are sustained over time.

5) Professional development evaluation is regarded as important. Teachers are asked to show evidence that they have acquired new skills and knowledge described in the goals of their professional development plans. Programs look at evidence of improved student learning, and evidence of links between teacher professional development and those new learning gains.

6) Creativity, constructivist (project-based) and other unconventional approaches, and teachers' insights about their own and other teachers' professional growth are valued by administrators and teachers.

7) Written program policies address 1-6.

How can State Education Agencies (SEAs) support programs' creation of or maintenance of a program professional development environment?

SEAs can:

1) Build in sufficient paid time for teachers and administrators to engage in 1-5 above

2) Provide tuition reimbursement for PD, as many K-12 public school systems do

3) require teachers to have PD plans, and monitor programs to see that these are real and meaningful to teachers and to the program

4) Ask programs to systematically set and evaluate program improvement goals, and as part of their program improvement plans to describe the role, resources and major activities of PD which will enable teachers to acquire the needed knowledge and skills.

5) Value creativity, constructivist (project-based) and other unconventional approaches, teachers' insights about their own and other teachers' professional growth.

6) Write state-level policies which address 1-5.

David J. Rosen
djrosen_at_comcast.net