THE ROLE OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS IN A STANDARDS-BASED SYSTEM Dr. Evelyn Higgins Beaulieu Director Center for Adult Learning and Literacy, University of Maine

2 Two Key Definitions Standard - An education standard can be described as the specification of a desired level of content mastery and performance (Tuijnman & Postlethwaite, 1994, p.2). Professional development - The processes and activities designed to enhance and/or change the professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes of educators so that they might, in turn, improve the learning of students (Kutner, Sherman, Tibbetts, & Condelli, 1997, p. 1).

3 Act 1: Are there professional development standards out there? What do professional development standards look like?

4 Nationally Recognized Standards National Staff Development Council (NSDC) Standards for Staff Development can be used as a guide for adult education professional development systems.

5 (NSDC) Standards for Staff Development Context Standards: Learning Communities Leadership Resources Content Standards: Equity Quality teaching Family Involvement Process Standards: Data-driven Evaluation Research-based Design Learning Collaboration

6 NSDC Standards

7 Act 2: What would professional development standards do for your professional development system?

8 Roadmap & Direction Staff development standards provide direction for designing a professional development experience that ensures educators acquire the necessary knowledge and skills. Staff development must be results-driven, standards-based, and job-embedded.

9 Is your state’s professional development - “Happiness Quotient” OR Results Driven?

10 Act 3 How do you engage the field -- and who do you engage -- in revising them to fit your state and pilot testing them to make sure they fit?

11 Outline of Steps Outline of ten steps for states to plan, implement, and evaluate standards- based AEPD Organized outline Steps Description of each step Resources available to assist in each step

12 Steps for States DescriptionResource(s) 1.Become familiar with the current research available on standards-based AEPD. 2.Advocate for written policy to guide states on the purpose for their AEPD system design. 3.Convene a within-state or cross-state stakeholders group to outline a plan for adult education to transition to standards-based AEPD. a)Review current Adult Education Professional Development (AEPD) Standards research b)Workforce Investment Act: Title II: Adult Education and Family Literacy Act; state policy c)Contact state AEPD directors via or personal contact to meet at a national meeting. d)Convene statewide group of stakeholders.

13 Steps for States DescriptionResource(s) 4. Define the components of a standards-based system to impact student outcomes and identify resources to guide each system component. 5. Agree to common definitions for standard, system, and professional development. a)“ Management Competencies and Sample Indicators for the Improvement of Adult Education Programs ” (Sherman, Tibbetts, Dobbins, & Weidler, 2001) b)“ Instructor Competencies and Performance Indicators for the Improvement of Adult Education Programs ” (Sherman, Tibbetts, Woodruff, & Wiedler, 1999) c)State content standards documents d)“ Systems for Change in Literacy Education ” (Lyons & Pinnell, 2001)

14 Steps for States DescriptionResource(s) 6.Plan standards-based AEPD. 7.Identify in writing the professional development standards chosen to guide AEPD. 6. “ Professional Development: Learning from the Best ” (Hassel, 1999) 7. “ National Staff Development Council Standards for Staff Development ” (NSDC, 2001) State professional development standards documents

15 Steps for States DescriptionResource(s) 8. Implement standards- based AEPD. 9. Evaluate standards-based AEPD. 10. Review student outcome data on a regular basis to ensure that standards- based AEPD demonstrates its intended outcomes and to make program design adjustments as necessary. a)Professional Development: Learning from the Best” (Hassel, 1999) b)“Professional Development: Learning from the Best” (Hassel, 1999) c)“Evaluating Professional Development”(Guskey, 2000) d)“Does it Make a Difference? Evaluating Professional Development” (Guskey, 2002)

16 Act 4 How do you use PD standards to guide your PD system?

17 Evaluating Professional Development Know your target for PD in the beginning Resource: Guskey’s 5 Levels of PD Evaluation

18 Guskey’s 5 Levels of PD Evaluation

19 Guskey’s 5 Levels of PD Evaluation

20 Guiding Quote “ Since we can ’ t know what knowledge will be most needed in the future, it is senseless to try to teach it in advance. Instead, we should try to turn out people who love learning so much and learn so well that they will be able to learn whatever needs to be learned ” (Guskey, 2000, p. 226).

21 Thank you My heartfelt thanks go to NAEPDC and my professional development colleagues for the invitation to share information on standards-based Adult Education Professional Development. Evelyn