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We believe that we are able to achieve the results we do because
of our systemic process for curriculum development and because of
our systematic approach to professional development. Our professional
development is guided by three questions:
- What are all students expected to know and be able to do?
- What must teachers know and do in order to ensure student success?
- Where must professional development focus to meet both goals?
We believe that professional development must be results-driven,
standards-based, and job-embedded. District 203 follows these
standards in order to provide direction for designing professional
development experiences that ensure educators acquire the necessary
knowledge and skills. The standards are divided into the three categories
of context, process, and content. In both mathematics and science
we have followed these standards. (See following page)
The professional development has been coordinated. They are not random
acts. Teacher teams are identified with administrative participation.
Consistent consultants are used to tell the same message and provide
on-going support as well as coaching. Coordinated partnerships with
national organizations have been the cornerstone of our success. We
have worked with the National Science Foundation, the Illinois Math
and Science Academy, local universities, and regional laboratories.
We have linked one opportunity with another. For example, we were
able to demonstrate how the work we did with the coordinator partnership
for mathematics thinking aligned with the work we did on critical
and creative thinking. We also were able to demonstrate how processes
promote inquiry and constructivism for both teachers and students.
We used professional dialog groups to promote learning communities.
The three types of standards for professional development that District
203 adheres to are outlined below:
Context Standards:
- Organizes adults into learning communities whose goals are aligned
with those of the school and district. (Learning Communities)
- Requires skillful school and district leaders who guide continuous
instructional improvement. (Leadership)
- Requires resources to support adult learning and collaboration.
(Resources)
Process Standards:
- Uses disagrregated student data to determine adult learning
priorities, monitor progress, and help sustain continuous improvement.
(Data-Driven)
- Uses multiple sources of information to guide improvement and
demonstrate its impact. (Evaluation)
- Prepares educators to apply research to decision-making. (Research-based)
- Uses learning strategies appropriate to the intended goal. (Design)
- Applies knowledge about human learning and change. (Learning)
- Provides educators with the knowledge and skills to collaborate.
(Collaboration)
Content Standards:
- Prepares educators to understand and appreciate all students,
create safe, orderly and supportive learning environments, and
hold high expectations for their academic achievement. (Equity)
- Deepens educators' content knowledge, provides them with research-based
instructional strategies to assist students in meeting rigorous
academic standards, and prepares them to use various types of
classroom assessments appropriately. (Quality Teaching)
- Provides educators with knowledge and skills to involve families
and other stakeholders appropriately. (Family Involvement)
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