School Type: Public	School Setting: Suburban
Level: K-12	School Design: Alternative
Content Presented By:
National Awards Program for Model Professional Development

Summary

The practice: Professional development should incorporate evaluation of multiple sources of information on (a) outcomes for students and (b) the instruction and other processes that are involved in implementing the lessons learned.

• Students are considered medically fragile, severely retarded, or emotionally disturbed
• 18% increase in the number of students participating in general education inclusion
• 80% of students achieving their Individual Education Plan goals
• 30% increase in the number of students placed at community-based work sites
• Percentage of classrooms with computers increased by 80%.
• Number of students who use technology to communicate or augment communication increased by 45%.
• Number of students who utilize adaptations to access computer technology increased by 85%.
• Percentage of student portfolios reflecting technology integrated into the curriculum increased to 98%
• Alternate performance indicators appropriate to students' abilities and needs were developed by 100% of our teachers to measure student achievement.
• Staff members, in conjunction with District 75, have been working with other agencies, systems, and organizations to share information regarding the issue of standards and students with severe disabilities.

Professional development should involve teachers in the identification of what they need to learn and in the development of the learning experiences in which they will be involved.

Hungerford's professional development plan is designed to meet the needs of all staff. Using annual needs assessments, the school establishes goals and the plan to achieve those goals. The needs assessments are one way to ensure that the school is focusing on the needs of all students and not just a particular population of students. They also ensure that all staff members needs are addressed. With so many diverse educational and support staff at Hungerford, the needs assessments provide frequent opportunities for all staff members' needs to be identified and addressed.

Several types of assessments are used to identify needs essential to student success. A professional development needs assessment, a comprehensive school education plan, and a staff self-assessment provide information on the needs identified by staff and parents as priorities. From these data sources, annual school priorities are determined. For example in 1997-98, the school's priority was students' literacy skills. Ongoing assessment of needs has helped Hungerford stay on target toward its mission of increasing its students' academic achievement, social ability, and independent functioning.

This site also exemplifies the following practice(s):

• Professional development should provide learning opportunities that relate to individual needs but are, for the most part, organized around collaborative problem solving.  

  [Top]   [Next]

This resource is developed and maintained by The Education Alliance at Brown University. Seed funding was provided by the U.S. Department of Education. Send comments to: loom@alliance.brown.edu