Planning Professional Learning

University of Kentucky UKnowledge Educational, School, and Counseling Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications Psychology 5-2014 Planning Professional Learning Thomas R. Guskey University of Kentucky, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/edp_facpub Part of the Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, and the Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Repository Citation Guskey, Thomas R., "Planning Professional Learning" (2014). Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications. 15. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/edp_facpub/15 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Planning Professional Learning Notes/Citation Information Published in Educational Leadership, v. 71, issue 8, p. 10-16. Copyright © 2014 Thomas R. Guskey The copyright holder has granted the permission for posting the article here. This article is available at UKnowledge: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/edp_facpub/15 Gusky.indd 10 4/7/14 3:17 AM Planning Professional Learning With backward planning, schools can ensure that they choose professional development activities aligned with their most important goals. Thomas R. Guskey ne of my favorite films is The Emperor’s Club, starring Kevin Kline as Mr. Hundert, the Western Civilization teacher at St. Benedict’s Academy. In the film’s opening scene, the headmaster of the school stands before the assembled student Obody explaining the meaning of the school motto, Finis Origine Pendet: The End Depends Upon the Beginning. “What you accomplish in life and the significance of your contribution,” he counsels, “will depend largely on what you do here. How you begin determines what you will achieve.” As the film unfolds, we see this poignant message revealed in the lives of the students. What they do at the school and the relationships they develop powerfully affect the kind of persons they become and the nature of the lives they even- tually lead. In the end, we realize that Finis Origine Pendet is the film’s central message. ©ANDREW BAKER / IKON IMAGES A S C D / WWW . ascd . ORG 11 Gusky.indd 11 4/7/14 3:17 AM The same is true of professional consultants and adept entrepreneurs The Activity Trap learning for educators. What it accom- more concerned with what sells than When planning their lessons, many plishes and the significance of its with what works to improve student teachers become ensnared in a familiar contribution depend largely on how learning. Seduced by dynamic presen- trap: They concentrate on planning it begins. This holds true not only tations and jazzy technology, desperate what they are going to do and what for traditional forms of professional school leaders jump onto education resources they will need. Their plans learning—seminars, study groups, bandwagons, committing scarce focus on activities, such as differ- workshops, conferences, mentoring, resources to strategies and programs entiated instruction, project-based coaching, and so on—but also for based more on wishes and promises learning, creative applications of tech- “new” forms that include face-to- than on solid evidence of effectiveness. nology, and hands-on strategies. The face or online professional learning Others counter that education resources they think about include communities, teacher exchanges, researchers are at least partially to materials, time, classroom arrange- bug-in-the-ear coaching, data teams, blame. They argue that the research ments, and technology requirements. individualized improvement plans, community has failed to offer useful Those who plan professional and unconferences. The effectiveness guidelines for “best practice” that learning experiences often do exactly of any professional learning activity, would help improve the quality and the same thing. They plan for pro- regardless of its content, structure, or effectiveness of professional learning cesses, not for results. They ensure that format, depends mainly on how well it is planned. A Mixed History For decades, schools have Unlike many fields that have a history of steady improvement built on a con- implemented professional tinually expanding knowledge base, professional learning for educators has a mixed history at best. Sure, we learning not knowing exactly have occasional success stories based on anecdotal evidence. Case studies what they hoped to accomplish. here and there depict experiences that participants considered “effective” because these experiences offered activities. Even rigorous studies of the activities in which participating useful ideas or were relevant to their programs designed to include the ele- teachers will engage are job-embedded, on-the-job responsibilities. What we ments researchers have identified as contextually relevant, and perhaps do not have, however, is strong and essential to effectiveness—including based on results from the most recent convincing evidence from activities inquiry-oriented learning approaches, teacher-needs survey. What’s lacking is and programs implemented in diverse a strong content focus, collaborative a clear notion of the purpose of those contexts that resulted in better practice leadership, and coherence with school activities. Why are we doing this? and improved student learning (see curriculum and policies—have yielded What do we hope to accomplish? Hill, Beisiegel, & Jacob, 2013; Yoon, disappointing results (see Garet, Planning in this way is like choosing Duncan, Lee, Scarloss, & Shapley, Porter, Desimone, Birman, & Yoon, the route for a journey before deciding 2007). 2001; Penuel, Fishman, Yamaguchi, & on the destination. The route is Some critics argue that this lack of Gallagher, 2007). As a consequence, important, of course, and numerous strong evidence stems from a general practitioners flounder in their efforts factors come into play when making absence of purpose (Frechtling, Sharp, to develop high-quality professional that choice. You must decide, for Carey, & Baden-Kierman, 1995; learning activities. example, what means of travel will be Guskey, 2003). For decades, schools One thing on which all groups most efficient or enjoyable, how much have implemented professional agree is that professional learning time is available, and what to see along learning not knowing exactly what experiences, whether group-oriented the way. But if your goal is to reach a they hoped to accomplish. Without a or individually structured, are rarely particular destination, decisions about specific purpose to guide their experi- well planned. Consequently, they lack the route must come after identifying ences, they often fall prey to clever purpose, cohesiveness, and direction. that destination. 12 E DUCATIONAL L E AD E RSHIP / M AY 2 0 1 4 Gusky.indd 12 4/7/14 3:14 AM The format and content of professional learning activities are vitally important and must be thoughtfully addressed. But just as you must decide a journey’s destination before you can determine the best route, you must clarify the goals you want to achieve in terms of better educator practice and improved student learning before you can judge the value, worth, and appropriate ness of any professional A Backward Planning Case Study learning activity. Teachers in Springfield High School find that some students do not prepare adequately for formative assessments when they know they’ll be offered A Better Approach: a chance to retake the assessments. The teachers believe this lack of Planning Backward preparation leads to students’ poor performance on both the formative In the past, I’ve written about five assessments and subsequent summative examinations. crucial levels of evidence to con- When they discuss the problem in their professional learning community, sider when evaluating professional the teachers discover that none of them has found a satisfactory solution. They develop ment activities: (1) par- pose the problem to a Twitter chat group and an online professional learning ticipants’ reactions to the activities, community and receive differing responses, many of which recommend (2) participants’ learning of new negative consequences for students who perform poorly on the initial knowledge and skills, (3) organiza- assessment (for example, limiting the grade students can attain on the second tional support and change, (4) par- assessment, permitting a second assessment only occasionally and at the ticipants’ use of new knowledge teacher’s discretion, or making the second assessment more demanding). and skills, and (5) student learning Finally, they turn to research on the topic and find strong evidence that offering outcomes (Guskey, 2000, 2002). The rewarding, challenging enrichment activities for students who do well on an levels are ordered from simple to more initial assessment can enhance students’ motivation. complex. Because each level builds on With extra time for planning provided by their administration, the teachers those that came before, success at one explore a variety of resources for viable enrichment activities and find many level is necessary for success at each options among materials prepared for students considered gifted

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