Posted by:
Dennis Sparks
K-12 Classroom teacher
Ann Arbor, MI

Topic:
Measurable Goals are the Key

Message:

Staff development works if the effort is successful in achieving its goals. That requires, of course, that those goals be stipulated in the initial stages of the initiative, that they are measurable, and that the program be tightly focused on achieving those purposes. Many staff development efforts do not meet those criteria.

When the goal is improved student performance in a particular discipline or on a particular skill, evidence of effectiveness can be found in a "causal chain" that leads up to and is a prerequisite to the improvements in student learning. Critical links in the chain typically include changes in teachers' knowledge, skill, and classroom practice.

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