Professional Learning
Professional Learning Resources
Rochester City School District Strategic Framework
Providing high-quality professional learning is a priority of the Social Studies Department. In order to create opportunities that are focused on supporting teachers to meet student needs in alignment with District and Department goals, the following considerations are used to frame planning:
RCSD Values
Equity
Relational Capacity
Innovation
Coherence
Accountability
Pillars of the Rochester City School District Strategic Framework
Promote the Well-Being of the Whole Child, Whole-School, Whole Community
Ensure Powerful Learning for Every Student
Build Capacity to Ensure Comprehensive School Improvement
Cultivate Understanding, Collaboration, Partnerships and Advocacy for Equity, Justice, and Achievement for All.
Best Practices in Professional Learning Design
Professional learning activities should be, “sustained, intensive, collaborative, job-embedded, data-driven, and classroom-focused.” Professional learning is “an integral part of school and local educational agency strategies for providing educators … with the knowledge and skills necessary to enable students to succeed in a well-rounded education and to meet the challenging State academic standards.” (A New Vision for Professional Learning – Learning Forward - January 2017) The following design elements are foundational when planning professional learning initiatives:
Sustained & Intensive
Intentional
Significant time-commitment
Collaborative
Teaming for a common goal
Problem-solving together
Shared responsibility
Job-Embedded
Grounded in day-to-day teacher practice
Enhances teacher practice
Aimed at improving student learning
Data-Driven
Uses data to identify learning needs, set goals, plan, and assess learning
Occurs in a cycle of ongoing learning
Classroom Focused
Focused on the curriculum, instructional practices, and assessment that teachers implement and expected student outcomes