Candidates design and implement program evaluations to determine the overall effectiveness of professional learning on deepening teacher content knowledge, improving teacher pedagogical skills and/or increasing student learning. (PSC 5.3/ISTE 4c)
I compiled various forms of demographic and academic data to assess a number of current realities at our school. Through this analysis, I examined demographic data, student to teacher ratios, types of programs at our school offers as professional learning opportunities, and how are school ranks on different professional learning standards as well as KSU’s ITEC standards. I used the data collected in my observations to evaluate how our school measures up against the standards and I provided evidence and artifacts to verify my claims. This artifact demonstrates mastery of standard 5.3 because this was an evaluation tool that assessed the effectiveness of professional learning opportunities and methods already in place at our school. Throughout the completion of this analysis, I was able to gain a more concrete understanding of the professional learning opportunities available at the school level and at the county level, how our school was implementing the methods promoted in the professional learning sessions, and if they were effective and increased student achievement. I learned a great deal through the completion of this evaluation. I feel that gaining a true sense for the current realities at our school, analyzing the data, evaluating the levels in which our school was operating on in regard to the professional learning and ITEC standards, and providing evidence and recommendations for improvement prepared me for future endeavors as an instructional technology coach. I learned how to evaluate practices appropriately and effectively at our school and determine how they measured up in regard to professional learning and ITEC standards. If I were to make improvements to this evaluation, I would have created a presentation in Canva to visually represent the data that I compiled, my evaluation on professional learning and ITEC standards, the evidence that I used to make my evaluations, and my recommendations to share with our instructional coach, leadership team, and administration to better serve our school and to play a more active role in improving our school using the information compiled in my evaluation. This evaluation impacted school improvement, faculty development and student learning by identifying potential weaknesses among certain professional learning standards. Staff development and student achievement are directly affected by these weaknesses. My recommendations for improvement could be used to create goals and action steps in our school’s improvement plan to address these perceived areas for improvement. The impact of this artifact can be measured by reevaluating the areas of weaknesses identified and evaluating again the following school year, determining if improvements were made based on student achievement and faculty evaluations.