In conjunction with the Tennessee Department of Education, Arlington Community Schools recognizes the importance of high-quality professional learning in a continuous improvement process to support positive student outcomes. We seek to reinforce what it means to select, plan, implement and evaluate professional learning opportunities. This goal is accomplished by recognizing high-quality professional learning practices based upon research and supporting leaders and educators to reach those standards (Professional Learning Rubric and Quick Guide, 2017).
ACS plans PD in alignment with the Tennessee Professional Learning Standards as stated in the State Board of Education Policy 5.2. We strive to provide professional learning opportunities that are based upon student, educator, community, and/or district needs.
Tennessee Standards for Professional Learning (Adopted 2012)
The Standards for Professional Learning are the essential elements of professional learning that function in synergy to enable educators to increase their effectiveness and student learning. All elements are essential to realize the full potential of educator professional learning. The Standards for Professional Learning describe the attributes of effective professional learning to guide the decisions and practices of all persons with the responsibility to fund, regulate, manage, conceive, organize, implement, and evaluate professional learning.
Educators’ commitment to students, all students, is the foundation of effective professional learning. Each educator involved in professional learning comes to the experience ready to learn. Because there are disparate experience levels, and use of practice among educators, professional learning can foster collaborative inquiry and learning that enhances individual and collective performance. Like all learners, educators learn in different ways and at different rates.
Tennessee Standards for Professional Learning
LEARNING COMMUNITIES: Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students occurs within learning communities committed to continuous improvement, collective responsibility, and goal alignment.
LEADERSHIP: Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students requires skillful leaders who develop capacity, advocate, and create support systems for professional learning.
RESOURCES: Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students requires prioritizing, monitoring, and coordinating resources for educator learning.
DATA: Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students uses a variety of sources and types of student, educator, and system data to plan, assess, and evaluate professional learning.
LEARNING DESIGNS: Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students integrates theories, research, and models of human learning to achieve its intended outcomes.
IMPLEMENTATION: Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students applies research on change and sustains support for implementation of professional learning for long term change.
OUTCOMES: Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students aligns its outcomes with educator performance and student curriculum standards.
References
Professional Learning Rubric and Quick Guide. (2017, September). Retrieved from here.
Policies. (n.d.). Retrieved from here.