I perceive myself to be a life-long learner and as a support system for teachers, principals and other staff. Our research-based staff development opportunities are derived from each school's Effective Schools goals as well as the needs of teachers and students. Each year schools conduct a staff development needs assessment. We are available to assist if individual staff development needs crop up anytime during the year. I feel it is important to discuss three general needs in detail.
Teachers examine data, diagnose needs, and develop strategies to enhance student learning.
Teachers examine student data when establishing professional development needs. For example, teachers give and get results from the Stanford 9, S.T.A.R. Program, Quantitative Reading Assessment and other sources. Teachers may look at surveys, report cards, absentee reports and many other sources of data. We have learned through the Effective Schools training how to analyze data. Teachers know it takes sharp skills to find gaps in learning.