Page 59 - Learning for All – A Guide to Effective Assessment and Instruction for All Students, Kindergarten to Grade 12, 2013

Learning for All through Professional Learning • 57
during the school year – for example, Assistive Technology Night
included a focus on individualized support for students.
• School boards developed a range of resources to support information sharing and professional development, including the following: a DVD
highlighting best practices across the region, which was shared with the boards’ Special Education Advisory Committees (SEACs); a resource illustrating key concepts and featuring board-developed resources on assistive technology; differentiated instruction “look-fors” for principals and vice-principals, along with walk-through training; and training in the use of interactive whiteboards to promote principles of UDL, which was presented to school and system leaders.
• One school board took an interdepartmental approach to the preparation of a board-wide professional development (PD) day. The board devel- oped an “L4All” game, a “3Ps” placemat, and an “L4All At-A-Glance” placemat, as well as videos and a leadership plan for implementing the PD sessions. There was a focus on building expertise for principals and administrators, using DI coaching and modelling approaches, professional learning within families of schools, and job-embedded learning.
• Some school boards reported that the Learning for All project had an impact on supervision of instruction and interdepartmental collaboration; one board reported that it also played a role in bringing about a culture shift towards a decreased dependence on textbooks in its secondary schools. The project promoted a common understanding and vision across schools in the boards, strengthened staff engagement, and led to a stronger link between curriculum and experiential learning opportunities.
A Focus on Results
Professional learning communities judge their effectiveness on the basis of results. Every educator participates in an ongoing process of identifying current levels of achievement, establishing goals to improve those levels, and working together to achieve those goals. Sustaining an effective professional learning community requires that school staff focus on learning as much as teaching, on working collaboratively to improve learning, and on holding themselves accountable for the kinds of results that fuel continued improvements.
When educators work collaboratively to implement an integrated process of assessment and instruction, student achievement can improve. The success of the professional learning community approach depends on the commitment and persistence of the educators within the school.