Professional Learning is the means by which teachers, administrators, and other staff acquire, enhance, and refine the knowledge, skills, practices, and dispositions necessary to create and support high levels of learning for all students.
The Division of School and District Effectiveness will host the professional learning opportunities below pending State Board of Education approval.
Virtual Professional Learning Opportunities
Teacher Clarity: Transparency for Learning
GaDOE School Improvement 's Teacher Clarity series will equip teachers and leaders with a deeper understanding of learning intentions and success criteria. Teacher Clarity is an evidence-based teaching strategy with an effect size that nearly doubles the rate of student learning when implemented with fidelity.
Participants will engage in a step-by-step process to move students toward demonstrating mastery. Participants will learn how to better articulate:
- WHAT their students need to learn
- WHY they are learning it
- HOW they will know they have learned it
Teacher Clarity: Transparency for Learning, Part 1
Teacher Clarity: Transparency for Learning, Part 2
Monitoring Teacher Clarity Implementation, Part 3
Support School Improvement
Utilizing Georgia’s Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS) and the School Improvement (SI) Dashboard
The School Improvement (SI) Dashboard feature in SLDS provides an insight of different data variables reflected at a school, district and state level. This professional development gives a brief overview of how to navigate the platform, and explores possible uses of the trend data housed in the platform as schools engage in data-driven school improvement planning.
Georgia's Tiered System of Supports for Students (MTSS)
Formative Instructional Practices (FIP) Professional Learning Series
for Federally Identified Schools
Session 1: How Federally Designated Schools Can Improve
This introductory session for leaders provides an overview of the revised Formative Instructional Practices (FIP) Online Professional Learning platform. FIP offers 25 courses that focus on four major Tier 1 evidence-based practice areas that lead to greater student achievement when used well:
- Creating and Using Clear Learning Targets
- Collecting, Analyzing and Using Evidence of Student Learning
- Understanding and Using Effective Feedback with Students
- Facilitating Student Ownership of Learning.
Session 1 Resources:
Session 2: Using GA FIP Web Page Resources to Support Improvement PlanningThis session acquaints school leaders with the resources that are available on the FIP webpage to support a plan for implementing Formative Instructional Practices Online Professional Learning in a school or district. Highlights include a ready-to-use introductory presentation, support resources for districts and teachers on first steps for FIP, the alignment of FIP Foundations Courses to TAPS and LAPS, and sample professional growth plans for leaders and teachers that use FIP courses.
Session 2 Resources:
Session 3: Using FIP Courses to Design Better
Classroom-based Formative Assessments
Session 3 previews key content
that is available in the Designing Sound Assessment series of FIP courses.
Information with direct course examples are shared to help leaders see how
targeted and efficient teaching, learning and lesson-based assessments can
become when the right kinds of formative practices are used to accurately to
document evidence of student learning. Three areas are highlighted: (1)
Clarifying Teaching and Assessment Expectations (2) Mastering Methods of
Assessment, and (3) Putting the Pieces Together: Designing and Critiquing Sound
Assessments.
Session 4: Creating Optimal Opportunities to Lead FIP Professional Learning
This session will share key points from the book, Leadership for Teacher Learning
by Dylan William. Discussion topics will be applied to FIP so leaders can
consider a plan for using FIP in ways most supportive for teachers.
A resource on how to use instructional rounds to support use of new practices
will be provided.
Session 5: Leading Teachers to Help Students Revise Their Thinking Using Formative AssessmentThe primary purpose of classroom-based formative assessment is to use the results to help students revise their thinking. This webinar will provide leaders with considerations to reflect upon during Instructional Awareness Walks (IAW) when students exhibit misconceptions in their understanding. Key and actionable suggestions will be provided to support teachers in assisting students revise their thinking and work more accurately toward mastery.
Session 6: Organizing to Help Teachers Facilitate Student Ownership of LearningHelping students develop ownership for their learning is one of the four pillars of FIP. Often, teachers need assistance to think about foundational skills that need to be taught before grouping students to work as peers to support their own and others' learning. This webinar will identify several foundational skills leaders can use to support teacher capacity to plan for student ownership of learning.
