IredellStatesville Schools: Key Findings of the APQC K12 Benchmark Study on Professional Development

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Iredell-Statesville Schools Key Findings of the
APQC K-12 Benchmark Study on Professional
Development

• BOE Work Session January 29, 2007
• Presenters
• Dr. Bryan Setser, Chief Quality Officer
  Executive Director of High School Reform
• Mrs. Dreisa Sherrill, Director of Recruitment
  Retention

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What is the K-12 Benchmarking Study?

• Sponsored by APQC, National Staff Development
  Council, and IBM
• Featured in January 17, 2007 Education Week as a
  national best practice
• 30 school systems from 18 states
• 5 were identified as national best practice sites
• This report shows how we compare in I-SS in
  regards to professional development both with the
  best practice sites and with the study
  participants in (15) key finding areas

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APQC Study Overview

• The study scope focused on three key areas
• Alignment of professional development with
  district, teacher, and student needs
• Designing and delivering effective professional
  development systems
• Measurement and evaluation of professional
  development results

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Overall Key Finding

• One of the most powerful components of effective
  learning is self-reflection. Reading, listening,
  watching, sharing ideas with peers, learning from
  the best, and then applying that learning to your
  own context are the steps needed to improve
  change.

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The 15 Key Findingsbold/yellow indicates the
five best practice districts

• 98 of professional development (PD) aligned to
  goals/requirements
• PD just to meet certification does not always
  mean staff are learning
• No predominate or best structure to manage PD
  throughout the districts.
• 77 of study participants indicate district or
  state standards for PD
• Staff/ student needs assessments creates PD
  aligned to goals/requirements
• 49 of PD in best practice districts involves
  whole staff design
• Evaluation of PD can help ensure alignment and
  fidelity
• Evaluating cost of PD difficult due to lack of
  cross-functional designs
• Technology systems primarily used for course
  registration processes
• Job embedded, collaborative, and team oriented
  learning helps change work practices and student
  outcomes

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The 15 Key Findings continuedbold/yellow
indicates the five best practice districts

• 11. Structured, course based offerings being
  replaced by on-demand learning
• 12. Districts with electronic management systems
  more efficient for PD
• 13. Best practices districts involve staff in 64
  of the PD follow-up process
• 14. Job-embedded follow-up support occurs less
  than 50 percent of the time
• 15. Continuous improvement requires both in and
  post process evaluations of PD

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So how did I-SS stack up?

• 20 of I-SS study indicators were above
  participant /best practice sites
• 60 of I-SS study indicators were above
  participant sites
• 20 of I-SS study indicators were below
  participant/ best practice sites

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But really how do we compare?

• Indicators above participant and best practice
  sites
• 100 of professional development meets CEU
  requirements
• 93 of professional development expenditures
  support school based instruction
• Logistical processes on average, took less time
  to complete
• Evaluation methods are used to determine
  professional development 100 of the time
• Indicators below participant and best practice
  sites
• Design of professional development by school
  staff
• Only 30 of time is spent on professional
  development-related activities by leadership

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I-SS Connections to the Five Fab

• The Triangle Montgomery County Schools (
  Maryland)
• Lead Teachers Gwinnett County Public Schools
  (Georgia)
• Professional Learning Communities All five best
  practice districts
• Instructional Guides and Assessments All five
  best practice districts
• Online Professional Development (SEA System/True
  North Logic) - All five best practice districts
• Online Learning (Teachscape/Marzanno) All five
  best practice districts

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I-SS Key Notes

• Strong emphasis on succession planning evident at
  best practice sites
• Professional development is a key area for
  classified (support) personnel at all levels
  not just the certified staff
• Professional development is closely aligned with
  site-based needs assessment (tight/loose model)
• Job-embedded, continuous learning rather than
  workshops have greater impact on student outcomes
  and work practices
• More hours invested in professional development
  does not equate to quality learning
• Best practice sites have a greater amount of
  teacher involvement in the follow-up process of
  professional development

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I-SS Next Steps

• Cabinet and BOE Report
• Team reviews preliminary report for quality
  assurance
• Professional Development PDSA revisions
• I-SS Staff Development Plan
• Quality Plan revisions (Spring and Summer 2007)
• Staff development focus and deployment steps
  (2007-2008)
• 7. Quality team evaluation for comparative data
  sources/systems
• 8. Future participation in APQC studies

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