Policies that Support Professional Development in an Era of Reform

Author: Darling-Hammond, L., McLaughlin, M.W.
Publisher: Phi Delta Kappa
Publication Date: 1995
Journal: Phi Delta Kappan
Journal Volume: 77(8)
Full text available online at: http://www.middleweb.com/PDPolicy.html

Abstract (written by WestEd)

According to the authors, "Beginning with preservice education and continuing throughout a teacher's career, teacher development must focus on deepening teachers' understanding of the processes of teaching and learning, and of the students they teach. Effective professional development involves teachers both as learners and as teachers and allows them to struggle with the uncertainties that accompany each role." Policies and practices must emphasize "a learner-centered view of teaching and a career-long conception of teachers' learning."

"Because teaching for understanding relies on teachers' abilities to see complex matter from the perspectives of diverse students, the know-how necessary to make this vision of practice a reality cannot be prepackaged or conveyed by means of traditional top-down 'teacher training' strategies. The policy problem for professional development in this era of reform extends beyond mere support for teachers' acquisition of new skills or knowledge. Professional development today also means providing occasions for teachers to reflect critically on their practice and to fashion new knowledge and beliefs about content, pedagogy, and learners."

Effective professional development has the following characteristics:

1. It engages teachers in concrete tasks of teaching, assessment, observation, and reflection that illuminate the processes of learning and development.
   
2. It is grounded in inquiry, reflection, and experimentation by teachers.
   
3. It is collaborative among educators and focuses on team learning.
   
4. It is connected to and derived from teachers' work with their students.
   
5. It is sustained, ongoing, intensive, and supported by modeling, coaching, and collective problem solving about specific practices.
   

New forms of teacher evaluation that focus on their deep understanding of and decisions about selecting, adjusting, and creating strategies to fit diverse students are necessary. Administrators can no longer make quick observations and measure against teachers' adherence to prescribed routines. As leaders of learning, administrators must understand what concepts of effective teaching and learning look like in classrooms, and how these visions relate to teachers' opportunities to learn.