HASD Professional Development Beliefs

High Quality Professional Development should . . .

  • Focus on learning, both student and adult 
  • Be continuous
  • Be job-embedded
  • Be timely and efficient
  • Be cost-effective 
  • Be grounded by an examination of student work and performance outcomes 
  • Be driven by multiple forms and sources of data  
  • Be goal-driven with an evaluative component, both formative and summative 
  • Offer multiple opportunities or choices for learning
  • Account for different career stages and staff readiness  
  • Acknowledge staff expertise and utilize and reward it through leadership and recognition
  • Be responsive to the shifting needs and context of the school

National Institute for School Leadership (NISL) Principles of Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum

  • Learning Concepts 
      • Effort produces achievement
      • Learning is about making connections
      • We learn with and through others 
      • Learning takes time
      • Motivation matters 
  • Teaching
      • The teacher matters
      • Focused teaching promotes accelerated learning
      • Clear expectations and continuous feedback activate learning
      • Good teaching builds on students’ strengths and respects individuals’ differences
      • Good teaching involves modeling what students should learn
  • Curriculum
    • The curriculum should focus on powerful knowledge
    • All students should experience a thinking curriculum
    • The best results come from having an aligned instructional system