If PD activities did not lead to the speci-fied objectives, then they were improved or replaced. Typically, these specific goals were quantifiable, such as student test scores or frequency of certain staff activities. These specific objectives for PD usually are driven by specific student learning goals. Underlying the award criteria is an assumption that all students can learn. For award winners, ensuring that staff members have the capability to tap student potential is one major goal of PD, measurable by whether students do, in fact, meet learning goals.
Goal setting is the first step toward later evaluation and improvement.
In one district, a large population of underperforming special-needs learners prompted the district to seek ways of using technology to address the needs of all students. Integrating technology into all learning became one of four major student education improvement areas. The school raised funds from the state and private sources to establish the technology program. Technology training sessions were evaluated and staff members were required to submit a form telling how they had used the technology. Since the program was implemented, student test scores have risen.