PD Colleagues,

I'd like to recognize and thank our fellow colleagues for their
volunteer work over this past year in drafting the AALPD Professional
Development Standards and Indicators that are specific to adult
literacy:

 

Evelyn Beaulieu, Center for Adult Literacy and Learning

Andy Nash, World Education

David Rosen, Newsome Associates

Kirsten Schaetzel, Center for Applied Linguistics

Renee Sherman, American Institutes for Research

Beverly Wilson, Arizona Department of Education

 

As chair of AALPD, what else could I possibly ask for than a dedicated
group of volunteers to create a tool designed to advance the field of
adult literacy professional development?

 

There is at least one thing. Your feedback.

 

Two years ago, AALPD members voted PD standards to be one of three key
priorities (http://www.aalpd.org/priorities.htm) for AALPD to focus its
volunteer work. Now it's time to examine this work. Not only will your
feedback help improve the tool, it is the beginning -- an opportunity
for us to envision what we want for PD and use our resourcefulness to
take us there.

 

The purpose of the AALPD Professional Development Standards (below) is
to help state, regional or local adult literacy professional development
efforts become high quality systems by defining the characteristics of
professional development that will result in highly effective adult
educators -- and ultimately -- in high quality adult learning. 

 

The proposed standards, intended to work in conjunction with the AALPD
Professional Development Policy Recommendations, can be used by
professional developers to create a vision for a professional
development system and in designing and delivering activities. They can
be used by practitioners to judge the quality and effectiveness of the
professional development services in which they participate. 

 

Who will be the first to respond? Let's hear from someone in every state
and PD Center.

 

1.      Are the proposed standards (below) too general? Which ones? All
of them?

2.      Are they too specific, too prescriptive? Which ones?

3.      The question of whether or not to have professional development
standards is still open. Are there good reasons not to have them? Are
there good reasons to have them? Do you think some or all of the
proposed standards would advance the field, help to improve teaching and
learning? If so, which standards would advance the field?

 

Appreciatively ~ Jackie Taylor, jataylor at utk.edu 

 

DRAFT AALPD PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS

AND INDICATORS

 

 

STANDARDS

 

Professional development that improves the instruction and learning for
all adult learners:   

INDICATORS

1. Deepens practitioners' knowledge of content areas, instructional
strategies, and assessment strategies based on research and professional
wisdom to help learners meet their goals.  

 

(a)    Helps students meet rigorous academic standards/supports
standards-based education

(b)   Uses various types of classroom assessment appropriate to learners


(c)    Provides opportunities for reflective practice

(d)   Prepares instructors to address new content through varied
teaching strategies, including a problem-solving approach to learning

(e)    Uses instructional and professional materials that reflect
research and professional wisdom and offer evidenced-based content
instruction

2. Prepares practitioners to appreciate and respond to the needs of all
students, create supportive environments, and hold high expectations for
all learners. 

 

(a)    PD planning takes into account the principles of universal design

(b)   PD providers are trained in the principles of universal design

(c)    PD providers use differentiated instruction to meet the needs of
all learners 

3. Uses data from multiple sources (e.g., needs assessment of
practitioners, programs, teachers, and funders; student data) to
determine adult learning priorities, monitor progress, and help sustain
continuous improvement for programs and learners. 

 

(a)    Identification of practitioner needs takes into account the
perspectives of teachers and program leaders, state and program data,
developments in research

(b)   Needs are identified through a variety of needs assessments
methods (needs surveys, PD evaluations, program data, etc.)

(c)    The system uses teacher data to plan appropriate offerings

(d)   Individuals have PD plans that are related to program improvement
plans (which are linked to state priorities and requirements) 

4. Uses multiple evaluation strategies to guide improvement and
demonstrate its impact. 

(a)    The state and local systems have formative evaluation processes
to gauge how well the professional development is reaching and serving
all practitioners

(b)   Evaluative information is collected at different levels (e.g.,
participant satisfaction, participant learning, participant change in
thinking or practices, and organizational impact) as identified in
research (e.g., Evaluating Professional Development {Guskey, 2000})

(c)    As resources and conditions permit, the impact of the
professional development on student learning is evaluated

 

5. Enhances practitioners' abilities to evaluate and apply current
research, theory, evidence-based practices, and professional wisdom.

(a)    The research base related to PD is made explicit

(b)   There are specific learning activities designed to help
practitioners understand how to find and use research

(c)    Practitioners are encouraged to examine research critically

(d)   Practitioners are given opportunities to apply research to their
own practice 

(e)    Practitioners are given opportunities to research their practice

6. Is well designed in that it takes place over time, uses teaching and
learning strategies appropriate to the intended goals, and employs a
variety of delivery approaches and methods. 

 

 

(a)    Activities have clear goals and objectives

(b)   Practitioner learning/instruction takes place over weeks or months

(c)    The PD includes opportunities for application of new learning

(d)   PD is available in varied formats such as: face-to-face and online
workshops, courses, study groups, sharing groups, university-based
classes, self-study, technical assistance, program-based work, etc.

(e)    The system offers a variety of activities designed to build the
technological comfort and competence of practitioners

(f)     PD offerings support standards-based education

(g)    PD offerings are aligned with students' programs and state
education agency's goals 

 

7. Models theories of adult learning and development

(a)    PD activities have theory and application components

(b)   PD activities build on participants' prior knowledge

(c)    PD activities foster motivation and build confidence of
participants

(d)   PD activities promote active learning, a spirit of inquiry, and
reflection

(e)    There are specific learning activities designed to introduce
adult education theory

 

 

8. Fosters program, community, and state level collaboration. 

(a)    PD activities address questions such as how to build and sustain
community collaborations of service providers and other stakeholders

(b)   PD activities include training in community planning processes and
team-building

9. Builds learning communities that foster collaboration and peer
learning among practitioners.

(a)    The professional development (PD) system includes opportunities
for ongoing learning through participating in online discussions,
webinars and courses, adding to PD wiki areas, contributing work to
on-line collections, presenting to peers, writing for newsletters and
journals etc. 

(b)   PD offerings provide opportunities to build the capacity of
program teams to work collaboratively on program improvement (e.g.,
curriculum development projects, program evaluation projects, content
standards development)

10. Requires leadership at the state and local levels that promotes
effective professional development and fosters continuous instructional
improvement. 

 

(a)    Leadership positions such as lead teacher, program director,
professional development provider, state director of adult education and
other leadership positions are identified and individuals who are
interested in pursuing, or who are in those positions, are provided with
the training they need to fill those positions

(b)   Leaders solicit input from practitioners regarding PD priorities

(c)    Leaders make as a priority coordinating efforts and facilitating
communication across national, state, and local levels

(d)   Leaders guide the alignment of student, program, and state goals

(e)    Leadership strengths and needs are identified with a variety of
tools (e.g., "Management Competencies and Sample Indicators for the
Improvement of Adult Education Programs" (Sherman, Tibbetts, Dobbins, &
Weidler, 2001); "Instructor Competencies and Performance Indicators for
the Improvement of Adult Education Programs (Sherman, Tibbetts,
Woodruff, & Weidler, 1999); "Professional Development Coordinator
Competencies" (Sherman, Dobbins, Tibbetts, Crocker, & Dlott, 2002)

11. Is based on a set of policies that support practitioners' access to
quality professional development.

 

(a)    Staff are supported by the following:

                                 i.      paid professional development
time

                               ii.      paid substitutes to allow for
participation

                              iii.      paid planning time for
instruction 

                             iv.      at least monthly staff meetings to
share their voice in decisions for their program

                               v.      time for practitioners to develop
a professional development plan with access to professional development
that supports the plan and supportive monitoring by supervisors of staff
professional development plans

 

 

References

 

Guskey, T.R. (2000). Evaluating professional development. Published:
Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin Press. 

Sherman, R., Dobbins, D., Tibbetts, J., Crocker, J., & Dlott, M. (2002).
Professional development coordinator competencies and sample indicators
for the improvement of adult education programs. Washington, DC:
Building Professional Development Partnership Project (Pro0Net) American
Institutes for Research. Available:
http://www.calpro-online.org/pubs/pdccsiiaep_73.pdf 

Sherman, R., Tibbetts, J., Dobbins, D., & Weidler, D. (2001). Management
competencies and sample indicators for the improvement of adult
education programs. Washington, DC: Building Professional Development
Partnerships for Adult Educators Project (Pro-Net) Pelavin Research
Institute. Available:
http://www.calpro-online.org/pubs/mgmt_comp_samp_ind_63.pdf 

Sherman, R., Tibbetts, J., Wooodruff, D., & Weidler, D. (1999).
Instructor competencies and performance indicators for the improvement
of adult education programs. Washington, DC:  Building Professional
Development Partnerships for Adult Educators Project (Pro-Net) Pelavin
Research Institute. Available:
http://www.calpro-online.org/pubs/Instructor%20competencies%20and%20indi
cators%20(C.pdf 

 

 

 

 

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