Step 4: Complete the evaluation plan.
Why should you evaluate professional development? Your evaluation should address two basic questions: Did the activity, including all of the components, take place as planned? Did the activity achieve the intended outcomes for teachers and for students? Answers to the first question will tell you whether the plan you are developing now was implemented and, if not, where and why implementation fell short. This information can help avoid problems in the future. Answers to the second question will help you learn about the extent to which the activity resulted in the intended changes in teacher knowledge, skills, and performance and in the intended improvements in student learning. These evaluation results can also help pinpoint areas where additional professional development and support may be necessary. In addition, because professional development is a critical component of school improvement, evaluation results can help determine if these efforts are on track or if mid-course corrections are necessary.
Planning Tip 11: Evaluations that focus solely on participant satisfaction and ratings of quality have limited value in assessing the impact of professional development on participants’ knowledge, skills, and performance or the impact on student learning.
Planning Tip 12: Consider seeking help from an evaluator.
Planning Tip 13: Consider using products and artifacts from learning activities and follow up as evaluation data.
Planning Tip 14: Elements of your evaluation plan that focus on outcomes for teachers and for students should explicitly reflect your assumptions about the pace and sequence of change.
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