Goals & Key Elements
Goal setting is a hallmark of success with any initiative. Key aspects of high-quality goal setting include: exploring research and evidence-based practices; defining goals and objectives; defining desirable outcomes such as educator knowledge, skills, and abilities, and developing a logic model or theory of change about how professional learning will ultimately meet outcomes. National groups such as Learning Forward, the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) have put forth guidelines to help assure professional learning success. These standards emphasize activities that intertwine practice, research and theory. Briefly summarized below, these guidelines for creating activities include:- Job-embedded learning activities that directly connect practical challenges with tangible, relevant, and feasible solutions. (ISTE, CCSSO)
- Rooted in sound pedagogy that is based on relevant research and grounded in learning theory. (Learning Forward; ISTE, CCSSO)
- Aligned with learning goals and curriculum to provide focus for professional learning activities. (Learning Forward, CCSSO)
- Informed by data generated systematically from a variety of sources to establish learning priorities and document progression. (Learning Forward, CCSSO)
- Collaborative with local and distant colleagues to increase sharing of effective practices, reflection on/troubleshoot less successful efforts, and reduce teacher isolation. (Learning Forward, CCSSO)
- Build capacity to improve and/or expand effective practice. (Learning Forward, ISTE, CCSSO)
- Utilize blended learning modalities that can increase the accessibility and applicability of professional learning objectives. (Learning Forward, ISTE)
- Contribute to measurable outcomes among students and teachers. (Learning Forward)
- Tie to career pathways, including developing leadership pipelines. (CCSSO)