Connecting High Quality Professional Development and Educator Evaluation

Lessons from Massachusetts Districts: Presentation at 2014 Educator Evaluation Convening

FAQs: Elaborating on the Work Done in Chelmsford Public Schools and Southeastern Regional Vocational School District

Answers to the FAQs were based on interviews with the district professional development leaders from Chelmsford Public Schools and Southeastern Regional Vocational School District.

How do you use the Massachusetts Standards for Professional Development in your district?

How do you connect educator evaluation with professional development in your district?

Chelmsford Public School leaders connect high-quality professional development to educator evaluation by:

• Using patterns among teachers'. SMART goals to select or design district-sponsored professional development offerings.
• Connecting teachers to available professional development opportunities based on their SMART goals.
• Encouraging teachers to develop group-based SMART goals so that they can engage in collaborative professional development learning opportunities.
• Using educator evaluation to identify exemplary teachers and give them opportunities to provide professional development in their areas of strength to their colleagues.

Kristan Rodriguez: "The goal is not to implement educator evaluation or implement the [Massachusetts Professional Development] Standards. The goal is to be the best instructors and ensure our students have the most success, and these are just tools to get us there."

Southeastern Regional Vocational School District leaders connect high-quality professional development to educator evaluation by:

• Using a locally developed online platform where administrators can enter educator evaluation data and evidence, and teachers can enter their SMART goals by using a "SMART Goal Assistant" that walks teachers through the development process. Teachers can also record evidence into the platform of the professional development they take to reach their goals. District leaders can run reports to look at the trends of professional needs across the district to select or design profession development.
• Connecting teachers to available professional development opportunities based on their SMART goals.
• Using educator evaluation to identify exemplary teachers and to give them opportunities to provide professional development in their areas of strength to their colleagues.

Heidi Driscoll: "We don't want unsung heroes anymore; we want them to be leaders in the district."

What factors enable your school's success in making these connections?

How is your Professional Development Committee structured and what does it do?

Which data system(s) do you use to manage professional development data?

How much dedicated time do teachers have to engage in high-quality professional development?

What funding streams support professional development in your district?

Last Updated: June 5, 2020