FOCUS ON STUDENTS AND CLASSROOM COMMUNITY

Professional development for second-order change is unambiguously aimed at student learning (Danielson, 2006; Glickman, 2002; Sarason, 1996; Taylor et al., 2006) and will continually draw teachers back to the question of students’ varying needs, ways of addressing those needs, and student outcomes. Student-focused staff development will assist educators in developing the knowledge, understanding, and skill to do the following:

  • Own responsibility for the success of each student (Schmoker, 2006; Taylor et al., 2006) through a belief that the primary sources of variance in student achievement are with the control of the teacher and the school (Schlecty, 1997; Schmoker, 2006; Taylor et al., 2006).
  • Develop persistently deepening knowledge about individual learners, including their economic backgrounds, ethnic and racial communities, interests, ways of learning, and readiness levels (Darling-Hammond & Sykes, 1999; Fullan et al., 2006; Goodlad, 1990; Powell & Napoliello, 2005; Safer & Fleischman, 2005).
  • Connect with students in ways that support and motivate learning (Fullan et al., 2006; Sarason, 1996).
  • Build positive climates for learning in which each student feels known and appreciated (Danielson , 2006; Saphier et al., 2006) and where teachers move from accepting students to elevating them (Joyce & Showers, 2002).
  • Develop productive mind-sets about students and their learning, including beliefs that learning is effort based, that quality and craftsmanship in work are more important determiners of success than speed, that every student is worthy of the best educational experiences a school has to offer, and that no student should be written off or overlooked as being in need of teacher support (Saphier et al., 2006; Schlechty, 1997; Schmoker, 2006; Taylor et al., 2006).

A vision for student learning recognizes al students’ intellectual potential and charges the school with setting conditions to reach that potential. (Danielson, 2006)

QUALITY OF CURRICULUM

“In sum, the business of schools is to produce work that engages students, that is so compelling that students persist when they have a sense of accomplishment, of satisfaction – indeed, of delight – when they successfully accomplish the tasks assigned” (Schlechty, 1997.) Professional development with a content focus on curriculum will help educators develop the knowledge, understanding, and skill necessary to do the following:

  • Work from a deepening and authentic knowledge of the content of the curriculum they teach, including content-specific pedagogy (Danielson, 2006; Darling-Hammond & McLaughlin, 1999; Powell & Napoliello, 2005; Sparks & Hirsh, 1997; Sykes, 1999; Wiggins & McTighe, 1998).
  • Develop curriculum that centers on the essential concepts and understandings of content area versus rote learning and exposure to a large amount of information (Danielson, 2006; Wiggins & McTighe, 1998).
  • Develop work that ensures that students learn what they should learn – that is, tasks that align with key goals to ensure student understanding and ownership of content (Sarason, 1996; Schlechty, 1997; Wiggins & McTighe, 1998).
  • Create curriculum that is relevant to students’ lives (Sarason, 1996; Schlechty, 1997).
  • Develop curriculum that actively engages students in doing and producing in order to learn (Sarason, 1996; Schlecty, 1997).
  • Develop curriculum that helps students see the structure of the disciplines, how ideas are related, and how they can use the ideas in varied settings, as well as “evaluating, even challenging, the knowledge claims embedded in the discipline” (Earl, 2003).

The quality of what students learn is a primary factor in student success.

QUALITY OF ASSESSMENT

Assessments let teachers know where students are relative to essential learning goals. Differentiation, suggests Lorna Earl (2003), is making sure the right student gets the right tasks at the right time in order to learn. Assessment as a focus of professional development should help teachers do the following:

  • Know students’ starting points in the various segments of study and know how to know those starting points (Fullan et al., 2006; Sarason, 1996).
  • Determine the instructional focus based on where students are throughout a learning progression and what they need next in order to grow (Danielson, 2006; Earl, 2003; Fuchs & Fuchs, 2002; Fullan et al., 2006).
  • Guide students in understanding sequences of learning, understanding their progress in those sequences, and accepting increasing responsibility for their progress (Danielson, 2006; Earl, 2003).
  • Use multiple sources and forms of assessment to achieve the best possible sense of student knowledge, understanding, and skill (Danielson, 2006; Sykes, 1999).
  • Use classroom assessment data to monitor the impact of the change initiative on student outcomes (Sykes, 1999).

Effective assessment practices help teachers be simultaneouslyengaged in teaching while monitoring learning.

QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION

The quality of teaching is the most important factor that influences student learning. Other components, of course, play a role, from the quality of the curriculum to the policies and programs for students. But it is in the quality of instruction where all the elements come together in an alchemy that students remember for years. Therefore, no matter what else educational leadersdo, they must not neglect the skill of teachers in this core responsibility.

Professional development that focuses on quality instruction provides teachers with the knowledge, understanding, and skill necessary to do the following:

  • See students as individuals (Danielson, 2006; Fullan et al., 2006).
  • Use assessment data to modify instruction in ways that support student growth and success (Danielson, 2006; Earl, 2003; Schmoker, 2006).
  • Teach in response to individual needs (Danielson, 2006; Earl, 2003; Fullan et al., 2006).
  • Communicate clearly with students (Danielson, 2006).
  • Engage students with important content (Danielson, 2006).
  • Develop a broad repertoire of instructional strategies through which they can effectively address individual needs as well as content requirements (Darling-Hammond & McLaughlin, 1999; Fullan et al., 2006; Hawley & Valli, 1999; Joyce & Showers, 1995; Powell & Napoliello, 2005).
  • Create a flexible but orderly learning environment (Danielson, 2006).

As curriculum becomes increasingly ambitious, teachers must develop new and more flexible ways of thinking about and orchestrating their classrooms to ensure active student engagement with essential understandings, knowledge and skills.

REFERENCES

Danielson, C. (2006). Teacher leadership. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Darling-Hammond, L., & Sykes, G. (Eds.). (1999). Teaching as the learning professional: Handbook of policy and practice. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Earl, L. (2003). Assessment as learning: Using classroom assessment to maximize student learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Fullan, M., Hill, P., & Crevole, C. (2006). Breakthrough. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Goodlad, J. (1990). Teachers for our nation’s schools. San Francisoco: Jossey-Bass.

Joyce, B., & Showers, B. (2002). Student achievement through staff development. (3rd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Powell, W., & Napoliello, S. (2005, February). Using observation to improve instruction. Educational Leadership, 62(5), 52-55.

Saphier, J., King, M., & D’Auria, J. (2006). Three strands form strong school leadership. Journal of Staff Development, 27(2), 51-57.

Sarason, S. (1996). Revisiting the culture of the school and the problem of change. New York: Teachers College Press.

Schlechty, P. (1997). Inventing better schools: An action plan for educational reform. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Schmoker, M. (2006). Results now: How we can achieve unprecedented improvements in teaching and learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Sparks, D., & Hirsh, S. (1997). A new vision for staff development. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Skykes, G. (1999). Teacher and student learning: Strengthening their connection. In L. Darling-Hammond & G. Sykes (Eds.). Teaching as the learning professional: Handbook of policy and practice (pp. 151-179). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Taylor, R., Baskerville, S., Bruder, S., Bennett, E., & Schulte, F. (2006). Six challenges are key for high-performing schools that aim to achieve more. Journal for Staff Development, 27(2), 22-27.

Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

The Differentiated School, Tomlinson/Brimijoin/Narvaez (2008)