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Posted by:
Shirley Hord
K-12 Classroom teacher
Austin, TX
Topic:
Time and Staff/Student Achievement
Message:
The obstacles very frequently are time (as already noted), but also convincing individuals to focus attention on the issue or problem (student achievement) and their own relationship to the issue. Let me address each of these:
Student Achievement and the Staff's Ownership. Many educators in many schools do not understand that they have the power to influence students' learning, and they do not relate their roles of teaching to students' learning results. Helping teachers and administrators to appreciate this relationship in an explicit way can be a key to increased student gains. A way to initially stimulate the school staff is through the use of data.
Examining data, analyzing and interpreting what it means, followed by identifying areas in need of attention is a place to start. The priority area needing attention is examined thoroughly, and what teachers are currently doing in terms of teaching materials, strategies, curriculum, etc., in this area are held up to intense scrutiny. Alternatives to what is currently being done in classrooms can be fully explored through various avenues, and the staff determines a better approach to the teaching/learning issue. This decision by the staff is linked to their commitment to learn how to do the "better approach" through ongoing staff development.
Time. The problem here is not only time for (1) individuals to participate in staff development, but also for (2) parent and community understanding that staff development for the professionals can be directly tied to their students' gains, and thus they must support the time allocated for staff development.
Some schools have adroitly addressed both of these issues simultaneously. They have restructured the school week so that four days are extended by 20 minutes per day and have dismissed students early on the fifth day. The early dismissal is replaced by the 80 minutes gained, so that students do not lose any instructional time for the week. This is not a trifling matter, for parents must be convinced that this is a wise move (for it upsets their own schedules); transportation schedules must be resolved; teachers' organizations must be informed or satisfied; and the staff must be solidly behind the idea.
To help parents to understand the need for staff development, some schools use a medical metaphor: there is medical research ongoing with new findings made available to doctors -- not many of us would subject our children to a doctor who did not stay current (through continuing education/professional development) on the latest advances in medical procedures, technology, medication, etc. We should be no less concerned about putting our children in the classrooms of teachers who do not stay abreast of the latest teaching and learning strategies, and other results from educational research. We want our children to have teachers who learn to use new findings wisely through staff development in order to increase their own effectiveness, as it leads to students' gains. Parents who understand this have called on other parents individually and in groups to help them in understanding the vital importance of staff development to their children's achievement.
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