Running head: SCHOOL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ANALYSIS 1

School Professional Development Analysis

Daniel D. Ramos

Grand Canyon University

EAD 523: Developing Professional Capacity

Dr. Marianne Lescher

August 10, 2021

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School Professional Development Analysis

Increasing Staff Capacity

In evaluating the professional development plan of my school, I was able to understand

and participate in the beginning of the school year professional development trainings that

happen before a student’s arrive on campus. This experience was particularly useful as my new

mentor principal is new to our school and how she, along with the administration team, were able

to provide these trainings would set the precedence of how the remainder of the school year’s

professional trainings would be mapped out. As the professional development program began on

each respective day, there were learning objectives as part of the beginning slides that were able

to build relevance to how the program would tie into the school mission and vision. Each

training was focused around how to improve the current school climate according to the data

received from the previous year and evaluated and presented with the staff so that they were

made aware of the “why” of each training.

Roles and Actions

As these professional development programs were the first interactions many teachers

have been able to have with my mentor principal, her actions and roles set forth in these training

days will set the expectation of how trainings will proceed in the coming months, as well as

model the high expectations my mentor is setting for each teacher. While the role of the principal

is perceived to be one of authority, my mentor principal was able to delegate parts of the

trainings to other staff members so that she could step back and be more of a facilitator of the

learning happening in the program. On the first day of the professional development series, my

mentor principal was able to model how to build an environment and community among the staff
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members in attendance. This was done through having the staff members remember their “why”

for why they chose to come into teaching. The trainings were also built to differentiate and

accommodate different learners in attendance and provide options for assessment using

technology so that it was not always a google form but a variety of resources. As the principal, it

is your role to create these opportunities for educators to see different resources and strategies

that are modeled for them so that they may incorporate them into their instructional abilities.

While many teachers may take the resources or leave it in the training room, the fact that you are

modeling these environments and instructional abilities will set the precedence of how teachers

will apply their learning into their classrooms.

As educators in an ever-changing learning atmosphere, it is imperative that teachers come

to professional developments with a growth mindset that is willing to learn and grow to do what

is best for students. While most, if not all, professional developments happen after school, the

role of providing the best effort and providing specific feedback on these professional

development programs assist the administration and leadership teams be able to assess the

effectiveness of the trainings and understand the needs of the school. If teachers are not

adequately fulfilling this role, then the future trainings provided during professional development

times will be less effective, and then decrease the investment from the staff.

Continuous Improvement Plan Alignment

The Continuous Improvement Plan, or CIP, is something that has been in the works from the

previous year. Our elementary school does have a SIAC and then produce a SIAP that influences

professional development topics and budget expenditures. The professional development series

was expertly aligned to the SIAP to address issues and concerns based off of the previous year’s

data. One of the main concerns addressed was that of the awareness of how and why these
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professional development topics are selected. In the previous year, there was a lack of feedback

on the inquiry, which made it difficult to understand what the staff and students needed to be

successful. In the first day’s training, the process was outlined so that staff members were made

aware of the process and what they can do to have professional development programs that are

more specific to their needs.

Research-based Instructional/Best Practices

While evaluating the professional development program, I was pleased to see several research-

based practices to enhance the presentation and participation in the meeting. One of the main

examples was the use of the ARCS Model of Motivational Design Theory to promote learning.

Specifically, I saw the use of attention variability, which was used to, “… better reinforce

materials and account for individual differences in learning styles, use a variety of methods in

presenting material (e.g. use of videos, short lectures, mini-discussion groups)” (Theories of

Motivation, 2016). The presentations were designed with videos and ample opportunities for

discussion among groups. Another way that research-based instructional practices were

exemplified during the school’s professional development program were how the leaders

exemplified the role of being a learning leader. Fullan describes a learning leader as, ““…one

who models learning, but also shapes the conditions for all to learn on a continuous basis”

(Fullan, 2014). This was apparent in the preparation and modification of the professional

development as the leaders were able to determine if staff members were not effectively

receiving information and were able to adjust their plans to ensure that staff members can have

meaningful learning experiences.

PD Program Evaluation

When looking at how research-based best practices are used to evaluate the efficacy of the
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professional development program, I was able to connect it to the PSEL standards, specifically

standard 10C, which states that effective leaders, “Engage others in an ongoing process of

evidence-based inquiry, learning, strategic goal setting, planning, implementation, and evaluation

for continuous school and classroom improvement” (National Policy Board for Educational

Administration, 2015). As educational leaders, this process of providing high quality

professional development and evaluating the results thereof is dependent on the ability of the

leader to set goals and focus on the mission and vision in place. Likewise, it is the leader’s

responsibility allow staff to see the “why” of each training and make connections to the mission

and vision as well as their instructional practices.

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References

Fullan, M. (2014). The Principal: Three Keys to Maximizing Impact. BibliU.

https://bibliu.com/app/#/view/books/9781118582459/epub/OPS/cover.html#page_1.

National Policy Board for Educational Administration (2015). Professional Standards for

Educational Leaders 2015. Reston, VA: Author.

Theories of Motivation. (2016, August 10). Retrieved July 8, 2021, from

https://www.learning-theories.com/kellers-arcs-model-of-motivational-design.html