School Improvement - Louisiana Department of Education

EFFECTIVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Understanding the Components of Effective Professional Development
The Louisiana Components of Effective Professional Development provide the
framework for enhancing teacher quality and student achievement.
As a leader, your role is to create a continuous learning environment at your school. But getting from
point A to point B is another matter. The Louisiana Department of Education’s Office of Educator
Support has made teacher quality and professional development a priority, with new programs,
services, and resources designed to assist you and your faculty in achieving this goal.
One of the first steps is to become a proponent of professional development. As a principal, you must
believe and model for your teachers how a professional development plan can effect change. The first
steps call for the identification and creation of what is needed by your school, your students, your
faculty, and yourself. To begin, you must understand the six components of professional development
and strive to educate your faculty on how they can enhance curriculum, instruction and assessment
practices.
To determine if you are offering, supporting and encouraging professional development in your school, take a
minute to reflect on these questions:
1. Is the current professional development process linked to your school improvement plan (SIP) and
based on identified needs?
❒ Yes ❒ Somewhat ❒ No
2. Does professional development result in improved classroom instruction based on the curriculum?
❒ Yes ❒ Somewhat ❒ No
3. Are all of your teachers participating in study groups?
❒ Yes ❒ Somewhat ❒ No
4. Is your professional development addressing adult learning needs?
❒ Yes ❒ Somewhat ❒ No
5. Was your last professional development activity a success?
❒ Yes ❒ Somewhat ❒ No
6. Do your planning and evaluation processes for professional development include data analysis that
exposes gaps in student achievement?
❒ Yes ❒ Somewhat ❒ No
Six Components of Effective Professional Development
Component 1: Needs‐Driven Response
Produces ownership, not compliance; adapts to change, is not static. Needs‐driven
professional development addresses specific needs of the educators, the school, and the students.
Professional development is shaped by analysis of student and teacher data, school‐improvement plans,
self‐reflection, professional growth plans, and individual professional goals. Priorities are set based on
current adult learning needs and gaps in student achievement.
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