"Every analysis of the problems of change efforts that we have seen in the last decade of research and practice," write Professors Michael Fullan and Matthew Miles, "has concluded that time is the salient issue." (Michael G. Fullan and Matthew B. Miles, "Getting Reform Right: What Works and What Doesn't," Phi Delta Kappan, June 1992)
Moving all students toward high academic standards is going to mean making more time for teachers: time to share lessons and ideas with other teachers; time for workshops, professional networks, observing other teachers in action; time for figuring out how to make the change toward high-performance teaching and learning in their own classrooms.
Yet today, as researcher Linda Darling-Hammond points out:
"Time is rarely available for planning, for working with other colleagues on changes in the school organization, for meeting individually with students or parents, and for working on the development of curriculum or assessment measures -- activities that are not considered part of the teacher's main job. In contrast, teachers in most countries work with large groups of students only 15 to 20 hours per week and spend the other 20 to 30 hours per week working individually with students and parents, planning and consulting with other teachers, and developing curriculum and assessments." (From "Reframing the School Reform Agenda: Developing Capacity for School Transformation," Phi Delta Kappan, June 1993)
GOALS 2000 encourages states, communities, and schools to create many more high-quality opportunities for teacher learning and professional development. It does so by asking that professional development for teachers and school staff be part of every plan at every level. And it encourages your school, community, and state to use GOALS 2000 funding to strengthen professional development and preservice learning for teachers and other school staff.
Quality learning experiences for all teachers are essential if we're to move all children toward high academic standards. That's why professional development for teachers and other school staff is central not only to GOALS 2000 but to other federal legislation. The new Elementary and Secondary Education Act (reauthorized as part of the Improving America's Schools Act) creates a new Eisenhower Professional Development Program. This program supports teacher learning not only in science and math but in other core subject areas. Under the new Eisenhower program, classroom teachers and school principals will help decide what kinds of professional development these federal funds will support in their own schools.
Staff development "must encourage teachers' conversations about important matters concerning teaching and learning," writes Anne Lewis. "The first question that good staff development leads to is not 'How can I change my students?' but, as one Louisville teacher said, 'How can I change?'"From Middle School Reform
in Progress 1991-1993: Changing the
Odds, 1993, by Ann C. Lewis. Page 114
Other federal programs can support your state, community, and school's efforts. New flexibility for schools is built into GOALS 2000 and the reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This means more latitude for your school to use Title I and other federal resources in ways that make sense for your students. GOALS 2000 and the reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act also provide support for technology. And the School-to-Work Opportunities Act offers resources to help your school and community prepare students for good jobs and career options.
[For information on GOALS 2000 or the reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act, call 1-800-USA-LEARN. For information about the School-to-Work Opportunities Act, call (202) 260-7278.]
In the summer of 1994, Secretary Riley asked Terry Dozier, his Special Advisor on Teaching, to create a Professional Development Team comprised of representatives from program offices across the Department. The team was charged with reviewing and aligning the approximately seventy Department programs supporting the professional development of educators. The team's first step was to hammer out ten principles of high-quality professional development to use as guideposts in designing, implementing and evaluating professional development efforts. These principles have been reviewed favorably by teachers and other, and, once finalized, will be used to revise (as needed) the Department's legislative initiatives, programmatic emphases, and grant and procurement strategies related to professional development.
There is an emerging consensus across the nation that high-quality professional development is essential to successful education reform. Professional development is the bridge between where educators are now and where they will need to be to meet the new challenges of guiding all students in achieving higher standards of learning.
It is our firm belief that high quality professional development strategies must incorporate ALL of the principles stated below. Inadequately addressing any of the principles creates a weak link in the connections that must be made to fully realize the potential of individuals, school communities, and institutions to improve and excel.
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[Raising Standards]