• IV-B-1: Professional Learning and Growth
    Unsatisfactory
    Needs Improvement
    Proficient
    Exemplary
    Participates in few, if any, professional development and learning opportunities to improve practice and/or applies little new learning to practice. Participates only in required professional development and learning activities and/or inconsistently or inappropriately applies new learning to improve practice. Consistently seeks out and applies, when appropriate, ideas for improving practice from supervisors, colleagues, professional development activities, and other resources to gain expertise and/or assume different instruction and leadership responsibilities. Consistently seeks out professional development and learning opportunities that improve practice and build expertise of self and other educators in instruction and leadership. Is able to model this element.
    Why Proficiency in this Element Matters
    • Through professional learning and growth, educators routinely examine areas of strength and areas of development in their teaching practice, with the objective of understanding their beliefs about teaching and learning, and using new learning to improve their pedagogy, and thus positively impact student outcomes. They adapt a growth mindset - one that is particularly shaped by a disposition that embraces and models continuous learning for themselves, students and colleagues.
    • To routinely commit to professional learning and growth, educators must demonstrate initiative and leadership in pursuing learning opportunities that will not only affirm strength areas, but will challenge them in areas of necessary development.
    • Successful practitioners who are committed to professional learning and growth combine a willingness to think critically about their performance, and a commitment to habits that ensure continuous learning and development.
    Reflection Questions

    These questions may help to assess how effectively common obstacles to consistent/sustained proficiency in this element are addressed.

    For Educators For Evaluators/Coaches
    How can you use your annual self-assessment as a launching pad for building a personalized professional development plan? Each year, consider taking the initiative to build a PD plan that is aligned with your self-assessment and professional practice and student learning goals. According to research, professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and student outcomes considers research on change, and maintains support for professional learning in order to see long-term impacts on teacher practice. What supports are you integrating into your school’s learning community that allows for constructive feedback and reflection to allow educators to grow in their practice? Is an adequate amount of high quality resources (such as the latest readings, in person and on-line PD) being provided for faculty and staff so that learning and growth is consistently encouraged and supported?
    How do you use observation and feedback data to improve your pedagogy? What aspects of such data do you find most impactful? How can you align professional learning opportunities with what you are learning about your teams from self-assessment and goals data, observations, and student outcome data? What might an aligned PD plan look like for educators in your building?
    How do you document your professional learning, and its impact on your How are you observing and documenting, via artifacts, the fruits of professional learning daily practices in your classroom? How are you observing and documenting, via artifacts, the fruits of professional learning in practice? How are you using educator feedback to share your PD offerings?

    Sources:
    What instructional practices should be observed? What student impacts should be expected?
    For TEACHERS this may look like...

    1. Teacher rarely seeks out or attends professional development and learning opportunities or educator fails to document professional learning and growth through artifacts.

    1. Teacher may only occasionally seek out or attend professional development and learning opportunities or educator fails to document professional learning and growth through artifacts.

    1. Teacher demonstrates new approaches to planning, instruction and assessment based on new learnings through latest research and professional development in the field.

    1. Teacher consistently seeks out professional development and learning opportunities, with alignment to self-assessment and goals data, and routinely shares new learning with colleagues.

    1. Teacher rarely takes initiative to develop curricular materials that are used to inform practice and improve student learning.

    1. Teacher may occasionally work with colleagues to develop curricular materials that are used to inform practice and improve student learning.

    1. Teacher consistently takes the lead in co-developing with colleagues highly detailed, engaging, and rigorous curricular materials, including lesson plans, sample texts, and student project ideas to inform practice and improve student learning.

    1. Educator maximizes time with school based and/or district-wide colleagues to contribute meaningfully in designing well-structured lesson and unit plans, modifying approaches to improve student outcomes through examination of student work/performance and planning/implementing effective interventions. Educator models approaches to practice for colleagues. Improved student outcomes are clearly related to these practices.

    1. Teacher rarely collaborates on grade level or content area teams for the purpose of analyzing student work, adapting curricula for student and teacher needs, and building teacher skills.

    1. Teacher may passively participate on grade level or content area teams, rarely contributing substantive material to lessons, units used to improve practice and improve student learning.

    1. Teacher collaborates on grade level or content area teams for the purpose of analyzing student work, adapting curricula for student and teacher needs, and building teacher skills to improve student learning.

    1. Teacher consistently takes the lead in collaborating on grade level or content area teams for the purpose of, analyzing student work, adapting curricula for student and teacher needs, and building teacher skills to improve student learning.

    1. Teacher rarely keeps record of professional development activities and their alignment to and impact on self-assessment, professional practice, student learning goals, and overall student outcomes.

    1. Teacher maintains a limited record of professional development activities that aligns to self-assessment, professional practice and student learning goals, and overall student outcomes.

    1. Teacher maintains a record of professional development activities that aligns to self-assessment, professional practice and student learning goals, and overall student outcomes..

    1. Teacher keeps a thorough, up-to-date record of professional development activities and their alignment to and impact on self-assessment, professional practice and student learning goals. Teacher adjusts professional development opportunities accordingly to reflect goals and outcomes.
    Coming Soon

     

    Coming Soon

     

    Resource Name Description Type
    new! BPS Learns (D2L homepage) Take a course using BPS' eLearning platform. Website
    new! BPS Office of Teaching and Learning Department points of contact, program areas, and curricula. Website
    new! MA DESE Professional Development The Department is dedicated to helping educators improve their practice through participation in High Quality Professional Development (HQPD). Website
    Resource: Sample Professional Learning Plan Log 

    Educator Name: _____________________________________                               Educator School: _______________________________________

    Aligns with:

    Self Assessment Data: 

    • Strength A

    • Strength B

    • Area of Development A

    • Area of Development  B

    Aligns with:

    Goals Data:


    • Student Learning Goal

    • Professional Practice Goal

    Professional Learning Opportunity #1              Aligns with (Mark all that apply):  ____ Self Assessment ____ PPG ____ SLG


    Location: ________________________ PDP Hours: ________        Topic: __________________________________________________________

    Brief Summary: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
    Do you have a resource that you want to recommend for this element? Email us at eval@bostonpublicschools.org with the subject line "Interactive Rubric Resource Recommendation" in the email