5.3 Program Evaluation
Candidates design and implement program evaluations to determine the overall effectiveness of professional learning on deepening teacher content knowledge, improving teacher pedagogical skills and/or increasing student learning. (PSC 5.3/ISTE 4c)
Artifact: GAPSS Current Reality and Current Review:
Reflection:
The GAPSS Current Reality and Review were both assignments for ITEC 7460 Professional Learning and Technology Innovations. To complete these assignments, I examined the school improvement plan, spoke with instructional leaders, and interviewed the principal to learn more about the school’s commitment to and vision of professional learning and technology-related professional learning. The GAPSS Current Reality is a narrative describing the school’s vision for technology, the needs identified, the current state of professional learning, and how professional learning aligns to school improvement goals. Additionally, the report addresses funding and incentives, diversity, collaboration, and evaluation. The GAPSS review examines each of the standards, marks the school’s level of performance based on evidence, and makes recommendations for further action.
The GAPSS assignments demonstrate my ability to design and implement a program evaluation to determine the answers to several questions. After assessing the current reality and collecting evidence from the school improvement plan, the school was evaluated on each standard. Specific recommendations were provided for moving to greater operational status on each of the standards. Suggestions for future implementation included more consistent monitoring of collaborative learning teams, expanding the mentoring program, hiring a full-time instructional technology coach, placing more intentional focus on analyzing student data, evaluating the impact of professional learning, improving follow-up for professional learning, and expanding the expectations for focus teams to initiate school improvement initiatives. Specifically, the GAPSS review determined that professional learning does increase teacher content knowledge and improve teacher pedagogical skills but clearer expectations are needed with regards to implementation of professional development. Certain structures like collaborative planning should remain in place, but teachers should be evaluated on how they are implementing professional learning that promotes school initiatives. Hiring a technology coach may address the need for increased teacher observation. Likewise, expanding data analysis of student achievement results and instituting a formal evaluation process for professional learning will further ensure that professional learning is increasing student learning.
The GAPSS review was challenging to complete because it required I delve into school policies and procedures of which I had been oblivious. I was able to see how an administrator must look at school initiatives and expand my school vision outside of the four walls of the classroom. One addition I would like to make is simply to meet with my principal to share the specific evaluations and recommendations I made. Although some of these suggestions may be too idealistic, I think it is beneficial for leaders to solicit the opinions of others and to understand how others view certain practices so as to not become one-tracked in opinions. While the principal may have one assessment of professional learning, that assessment may differ entirely from the perspective of a teacher so sharing my research-based recommendations with the principal would not only add to his understanding, but would also help me to determine whether some of my suggestions could be suitable for implementation.
Conducting a GAPSS review should directly lead to school improvements. The GAPSS review allows an individual to determine how the school performs on specific standards, just like classroom assessments allow teachers to determine how students perform on specific standards. When school leaders identify weaknesses, deficiencies can be addressed and corrected in order to improve teacher and student learning. Future GAPSS reviews should indicate the school has become more operational in the standards marked “not addressed” or “emergent.”
The GAPSS Current Reality and Review were both assignments for ITEC 7460 Professional Learning and Technology Innovations. To complete these assignments, I examined the school improvement plan, spoke with instructional leaders, and interviewed the principal to learn more about the school’s commitment to and vision of professional learning and technology-related professional learning. The GAPSS Current Reality is a narrative describing the school’s vision for technology, the needs identified, the current state of professional learning, and how professional learning aligns to school improvement goals. Additionally, the report addresses funding and incentives, diversity, collaboration, and evaluation. The GAPSS review examines each of the standards, marks the school’s level of performance based on evidence, and makes recommendations for further action.
The GAPSS assignments demonstrate my ability to design and implement a program evaluation to determine the answers to several questions. After assessing the current reality and collecting evidence from the school improvement plan, the school was evaluated on each standard. Specific recommendations were provided for moving to greater operational status on each of the standards. Suggestions for future implementation included more consistent monitoring of collaborative learning teams, expanding the mentoring program, hiring a full-time instructional technology coach, placing more intentional focus on analyzing student data, evaluating the impact of professional learning, improving follow-up for professional learning, and expanding the expectations for focus teams to initiate school improvement initiatives. Specifically, the GAPSS review determined that professional learning does increase teacher content knowledge and improve teacher pedagogical skills but clearer expectations are needed with regards to implementation of professional development. Certain structures like collaborative planning should remain in place, but teachers should be evaluated on how they are implementing professional learning that promotes school initiatives. Hiring a technology coach may address the need for increased teacher observation. Likewise, expanding data analysis of student achievement results and instituting a formal evaluation process for professional learning will further ensure that professional learning is increasing student learning.
The GAPSS review was challenging to complete because it required I delve into school policies and procedures of which I had been oblivious. I was able to see how an administrator must look at school initiatives and expand my school vision outside of the four walls of the classroom. One addition I would like to make is simply to meet with my principal to share the specific evaluations and recommendations I made. Although some of these suggestions may be too idealistic, I think it is beneficial for leaders to solicit the opinions of others and to understand how others view certain practices so as to not become one-tracked in opinions. While the principal may have one assessment of professional learning, that assessment may differ entirely from the perspective of a teacher so sharing my research-based recommendations with the principal would not only add to his understanding, but would also help me to determine whether some of my suggestions could be suitable for implementation.
Conducting a GAPSS review should directly lead to school improvements. The GAPSS review allows an individual to determine how the school performs on specific standards, just like classroom assessments allow teachers to determine how students perform on specific standards. When school leaders identify weaknesses, deficiencies can be addressed and corrected in order to improve teacher and student learning. Future GAPSS reviews should indicate the school has become more operational in the standards marked “not addressed” or “emergent.”