Design, align, measure:
How professional learning drives
instructional change

Professional development (PD) is the process of continuing education practitioners use to develop new skills. Depending on the field, these experiences may be required to maintain licensure, or simply encouraged to stay aware of emerging trends and research. For practicing educators, itā€™s often a combination, with teachers, coaches, and administrators taking part in professional development to learn new strategies for improving outcomes in the classroom.

While continuing education is by and large required across the profession, not all experiences and resources are created equal. Some are narrow in scope, focusing solely on a specific solution or product; some are designed by trainers with limited experience in a school or classroom; and some lack the relevant strategies participants can implement right away to improve outcomes. Teacher time is too valuable, and studentsā€”particularly early learnersā€”canā€™t afford for their teachers to waste time and energy on PD that doesnā€™t meet their needs.

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