1. A Roadmap for Professional Development Planning
Astrid Liden, Minnesota Department of Education
Kirsten Fuglseth, Northwest Service Cooperative

2. Session Objectives: Reflect on your current process for PD planning
Follow a data-driven process for PD planning
Use templates provided to develop PD plans
Identify features of effective PD and choose PD opportunities based on identified needs
Review completed PD plans and provide constructive feedback for improvement

3. What is your current approach?
What is your current approach to professional development (PD) planning for your consortium?
How is this working for you? What do you see as the benefits and drawbacks of your current process?
Large group debrief: What challenges brought you to this session?

4. Cafeteria approach
“We always go to that conference.” “That sounds like a fun workshop.” “My friend is going to that session, so I’m going to tag along.” “The only trainings we participate in are regionals because that’s all we can afford.”
Many have typically approached PD without a plan. With the cafeteria approach, they pick and choose randomly based on what looks good in line, without a clearly thought-through plan made in advance.

5. What is data-driven PD planning?
PD needs are identified and prioritized based on data
SMART objectives are developed based on those needs
PD activities align with identified needs & objectives

6. Why is it important?
Improved understanding of staff and learners’ needs and characteristics
Meaningful decisions about training offerings
Alignment of perceived needs with expected outcomes
Selection of effective activities & materials to support training goals
Effective use of limited resources
Impact of professional development is maximized

7. PD planning process Assemble PD planning team
Collect & analyze data to identify PD needs
Identify and prioritize PD needs using a variety of data
Develop PD objectives
Identify and/or develop PD activities to meet objectives
Carry out/participate in PD activities
Reflect on & maximize impact of PD activities
Evaluate whether objectives have been met
Share MDE-ABE Consortium PD Planning Template. We’ve made some changes from last year to try to make it more user-friendly and to address some of issues we’ve seen in PD plans that have been submitted. This is just a draft; will be finalized this fall before the Narrative Writer’s Workshop in October.

8. Assemble the PD planning team
Include a mix of roles & perspectives
Leadership support and involvement

9. Establish a sustainable process for PD planning
Who is/will be part of your PD planning team?
When do/will you meet? What is/will be your planning cycle?
What resources do/will you need?
May need to build in some time at staff meetings or set extra meetings for this; make sure to allocate resources

10. Collect & analyze data to identify PD needs
Look at the PD planning template & discuss with a small group:
What data do you currently use to inform PD planning?
What data could you use in the future?
What other data would you include on this list?
Emphasize importance of reviewing a variety of data, not just NRS.
Role of individual PD plans – it’s a cyclical, not linear process; individual plans should inform program PD plan, program PD plan should inform individual plans
Report back on “other data” you added.

11. Identify & prioritize PD needs
Which needs are supported by the greatest amount and diversity of data?
Which needs reflect local and state priorities & initiatives that need to take precedence?
Which needs are possible to address in the upcoming program year?
Which needs can be met with available personnel, resources, and technology capabilities?
Any other guiding principles people want to share?

12. Developing PD objectives
SMART objectives are:
Specific – What? Why? How?
Measurable – How will I measure progress & know when I’ve achieved my goal?
Action-oriented – Can I take actions to accomplish this objective?
Realistic – Is this challenging but still possible to achieve?
Time-bound – What is my timeframe for this goal?

13. SMART objective
Example: Improve reading instruction → SMARTer objective: By June 2013, basic skills teachers will be able to administer diagnostic assessments for the 4 components of reading & use the results to identify their students’ areas of reading strength and weakness.

14. Develop measurable PD objectives
___________ will be able to __________ by ________. Example: By June 2013, basic skills teachers will be able to administer diagnostic assessments for the 4 components of reading & use the results to identify their students’ areas of reading strength and weakness.

15. Features of effective PD15

16. Matching PD objectives to PD activities
Traditional PD Conferences/Workshops
How do you make these more meaningful?
Choose sessions based on your identified needs
Focus your efforts-participate in a strand of sessions
Complete action CEU assignment
Share information with peers
Note that you may not know about all of the activities will meet your objective when you are writing your plan; you should revisit the plan regularly and add activities as you become aware of them or develop them – this is a living document!

17. Matching PD objectives to PD activities
Online courses
Study Circles
Professional working groups
Site visits
Peer observation/mentoring
Program & product development

18. Identify or develop appropriate PD activities & resources
Discuss with your partner:
What PD activities would help achieve the objective you identified?
What resources (presenters, materials, etc.) would you need to carry out this activity?
Go back to objectives on flip chart sheets

19. Reflect on and maximize impact of PD activities
Reflective practice license renewal requirement
Activity log
Teacher journal
Staff meetings
Professional learning communities
Meeting with supervisor or colleague
Action CEU
???

20. Action CEU’s: Put your learning into action!
Get new ideas off the shelf and into your classroom
Complete the Action CEU reflection assignment and submit it to ATLAS within 6 weeks of an ABE-sponsored professional development event focused on classroom instruction
Earn 5 CEUs
For more info:
(under CEUs & Graduate Credit)

21. Evaluating PD (adapted from Guskey, 2002)
Level 5: Student learning outcomes
Assessing student learning
Level 4: Participants’ use of new knowledge and skills
Assessing degree and quality of implementation
Level 3: Organization support and change
Assessing organizational advocacy, support, accommodation, facilitation, recognition
Level 2: Participants’ learning
Assessing new knowledge and skills
Level 1: Participants’ reactions
Assessing initial satisfaction with experience 21

22. PD plan review
Are the PD objectives SMART? Could they be made SMARTer?
Will the activities help the program achieve the objectives? What other activities should they consider?
What are the strengths of the plan?
Other suggestions for improvement?
Small groups review a completed PD plan using these guiding questions

23. Planning for next steps
Using the PEP in your program booklet, reflect on your next steps for PD planning.
Share with a partner.

24. Questions? Feedback?
Astrid Liden: Kirsten Fuglseth: Updated PD templates will be available at