The Center on Great Teachers and Leaders, part of the American Institutes for Research, periodically produces professional learning modules to support the education profession. Following are some gems released in October:
Understanding Teaching Conditions (Professional Learning Module). Improving teaching conditions is essential for states and districts to address equitable access to effective teaching. When teachers work in schools with better teaching conditions, they are more likely to remain at their current school and more likely to perform effectively, ultimately improving student learning. Regional technical assistance providers and state and district leaders can use this module to:
- Learn how teaching conditions at the state, district, and school level can create a more positive teaching and learning environment.
- Understand how to use multiple sources of teaching conditions data to improve educator effectiveness.
- Explore resources that support effective school improvement planning using teaching conditions data
The module was developed in collaboration with the New Teacher Center (NTC), a national non-profit organization dedicated to improving student learning by accelerating the effectiveness of new teachers and school leaders. The module provides five hours of material, including hands-on activities, which can be adapted and customized to your state or district’s context and needs.
Preparing Educators for Evaluation and Feedback: Planning for Professional Learning (Professional Learning Module). Educators need more than “evaluation training” to successfully participate in performance evaluation; they need integrated, ongoing professional learning opportunities. In this new module, regional centers and states will find information and activities on high quality professional learning approaches that prepare evaluators, educators, and district leaders for implementing evaluation systems. Modify or adapt these materials to:
- Identify professional learning approaches that support evaluators in developing more accurate and reliable evaluation skills
- Use collaborative activities and exercises to help evaluators develop stronger coaching and feedback skills
- Develop a comprehensive plan for preparing all educators for implementing evaluation, including district leaders and educators who are being evaluated.
The module provides eight hours of material, including hands-on activities, which can be adapted and customized to your state or district’s context and needs.
Evaluating Early Childhood Educators: Prekindergarten Through Third Grade (Practical Guide Supplement). How can states and districts develop performance evaluation systems that are tuned to the work of early childhood educators? Designed as an extension to the GTL Center’s resource, Practical Guide to Designing Comprehensive Teacher Evaluation Systems, this supplemental guide helps state and district teams to problem-solve and make design decisions to differentiate evaluation systems for early childhood teachers.
The supplemental guide is organized into four sections that cover regulatory requirements, differentiating evaluation measures, and professional learning considerations for both evaluators and teachers. Each section includes state-level examples and a series of questions you can use to facilitate an evaluation design process that better accounts for the early childhood classroom context.
For more information, please visit: http://www.gtlcenter.org/
