How can you use data to select the best professional development opportunities for teachers?

1 Identify your goals

The first step is to identify your goals for PD. What are the areas of improvement, growth, or innovation that you want to focus on? How do they align with your school or district vision, mission, and standards? How do they address the needs and interests of your teachers and students? You can use data from various sources, such as student achievement, teacher evaluations, surveys, and feedback, to identify your goals and priorities.

2 Research the options

The next step is to research the options for PD that match your goals. You can use data from online databases, reviews, ratings, and testimonials to compare and contrast different PD providers, formats, and content. You can also use data from your own network, such as referrals, recommendations, and collaborations, to find out what other schools or districts have experienced with PD. You can also use data from your own budget, resources, and schedule to narrow down your options.

3 Evaluate the quality

The third step is to evaluate the quality of the PD opportunities that you have selected. You can use data from research-based criteria, such as relevance, coherence, duration, active learning, collaboration, feedback, and follow-up, to assess how well the PD meets the standards of effective PD. You can also use data from your own expectations, such as learning objectives, outcomes, and indicators, to measure how well the PD aligns with your goals.

4 Solicit the input

The fourth step is to solicit the input of your teachers and other stakeholders. You can use data from surveys, polls, focus groups, and interviews to gather their opinions, preferences, and suggestions for PD. You can also use data from their profiles, backgrounds, and experiences to tailor the PD to their needs and interests. You can also use data from their participation, engagement, and feedback to monitor and adjust the PD as needed.

5 Implement the plan

The fifth step is to implement the plan for PD. You can use data from your action plan, timeline, and budget to execute the PD activities and tasks. You can also use data from your communication plan, support system, and incentives to promote the PD and motivate the teachers. You can also use data from your evaluation plan, tools, and methods to collect and analyze the data on the PD impact and outcomes.

6 Reflect on the results

The sixth step is to reflect on the results of the PD. You can use data from your evaluation data, reports, and findings to examine the strengths and weaknesses of the PD. You can also use data from your feedback data, comments, and testimonials to understand the satisfaction and challenges of the teachers. You can also use data from your improvement plan, recommendations, and actions to plan for the next steps and future PD.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?