This was my final required professional reading for my certification classes. It wasn’t my favorite book, but it had a lot of good tips. Here’s my report that summarizes each chapter. I can see using the information in the book when I become an administrator.
Introduction
Purpose of Professional Growth Plan is continual improvement of educators’ skills, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors with the resulting increase in professional competence enabling educators to identify and implement activities that improve student achievement.
For teachers to acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and beliefs necessary to improve their practice, they need to assume primary responsibility and accountability for their own professional learning and growth.
This plan describes a formalized growth process by providing a clearly defined focus for learning then by promoting the actual growth through its directed and monitored implementation.
The book takes school leaders step-by-step through the Professional Growth Plan Process from its introduction in the district or campus through its development, implementation, evaluation, and completion.
Chapter 1 – Professional Growth: Defining the What, Why, Who, and How
A Professional Growth Plan is a staff development tool that provides a clearly articulated plan of study that, when completed, results in the acquisition and application of new knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors that improve the professional proficiency of those using the plan for the purpose of improving student achievement.
The Professional Growth Plan Process promotes learning that is standards driven, self-directed, inquiry based, and lifelong. It is learner centered, goal oriented, results driven, experience based, collaborative, and job embedded with flexible pacing and promotes reflection.
Chapter 2 – Managing the Professional Growth Plan Process
Addresses operational matters and offers tips on introducing the process to participants
Chapter 3 – Identifying Areas for Professional Growth
Phase 1 – Participants target professional growth by identifying and understanding the areas in which they may have deficiencies and their need for professional growth.
Chapter 4 – Designing the Professional Growth Plan
Phase 2 – Participants define a very specific plan of study and action that ensures they acquire the new knowledge, skills, behaviors, and attitudes identified in Phase 1.
Chapter 5 – Professional Growth Plans in Progress
Phase 3 – The school leader assumes responsibility for ensuring that participants make progress toward their established goals. (Plan implementation and monitoring)
Chapter 6 – Completing the Growth Plan Process
Phase 4 – Evaluation occurs throughout the process, but is most prominent during the final phase. Formative evaluation occurs through the entire process with summative evaluation by both the participant and the school leader at the completion of the plan.
Chapter 7 – The Process Continues
The growth plan process continues into second generation plans.
Blackline Masters for both School Leader and Participant