ASSESSMENT 3
District Level Educational Leadership
___________________________________________District Professional Development Plan
Title: District Professional Development Plan
Courses: EDA 761.861 District Leadership Seminar
ELCC Elements Addressed (Content):
2.2 Provide Effective Instructional Program
2.3 Apply Best Practice to Student Learning
2.4 Design Comprehensive Professional Growth Plans
Assignment Description:
The candidate is expected to submit a paper that includes two parts: (1) the assessment of
the culture of the district, and (2) a recommended plan for improving the district’s culture, based
on the results of the assessment. The second part is to be presented as a district wide
comprehensive professional development plan. The paper should be organized as if the audience
were the district level administrative team and/or advisory group in the district that was assessed.
The candidate has the option of whether or not to identify the district.
The candidate’s assessment of the district’s culture (as reported in the candidate’s paper)
should identify the cultural issues being assessed and the manner in which the assessment was
conducted. The assessment should address items that reflect the “quality of life” in the district,
e.g., the existence and implementation of the vision and/or mission statement, manner or style of
decision-making, communication methods, recognition and resolution of conflict, degree of
motivation, morale, use of power, the ability to effect change, and the frequency with which the
district assesses and responds to cultural change (ELCC 2.2). The report should also include
student academic growth-and sub-group data, value-added, and other academic data.
The candidate may use both formal (e.g., written survey, assessment information) and
informal (e.g., interviews) methods for assessing the culture (ELCC 2.2).
The candidate’s recommended plan for improving the district’s culture (as reported in the
candidate’s paper) should reflect best practices for implementing change. For example, effective
change draws upon measurable data (both qualitative and quantitative) that helps establish the
need for the change; acknowledges the history, traditions, and values of the district/community;
seeks consensus for and commitment to the change from all stakeholders; identifies all necessary
resources; and is framed around a rationale and acceptable time period for actualizing the change
(ELCC 2.3). Pertinent appendices of supportive data should be included.
The candidate paper in which she/he describes how to design and implement a wellplanned, context-appropriate professional development plan for a district should be in a district
with which the student is familiar. The candidate’s paper must describe the appropriate strategies
that she/he utilized to engage school personnel in the formation of her/his professional
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development plan (ELCC 2.4). The candidate should identify any nationally acclaimed
professional development conceptual models and/or existing field-based professional
development models that were considered during the creation of the plan. Pertinent appendices
of data that support the plan should be included.
While conceptualizing and/or designing her/his professional development plan, the
candidate should use multiple methods/activities for engaging school personnel in the
development of the plan (ELCC 2.2, 2.3). To this end, the candidate may choose to (a)
participate in existing professional development committees, organizations, or associations
and/or (2) ask school personnel to voluntarily participate in activities related to the completion of
this assignment.
Examples of related methodologies or activities that the candidate might
use to engage school personnel include the following:
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Compile and analyze all policies and current practices that influence the culture and
professional development of school personnel.
Interview school personnel to assess the perceived effectiveness of current policies and
practices related to the culture and professional development program.
Analyze the existing culture and professional development policy and practices in
relation to the school’s mission statement and/or student achievement data.
Compile a list of all professional development activities provided by the school within an
identified time period. Analyze the data and identify any discrepancies between the types
of professional development activities that were provided and the experiences and/or
subject areas of the participants.
Survey district and building personnel to elicit recommendations for more effective
professional development experiences.
Survey district and building personnel to assess the perceived value/importance
associated with professional development experiences.
Survey school personnel to assess the perceived level or degree of faculty/staff
involvement in designing and evaluating the professional development experiences that
the school provides.
Survey parents and students to assess their perceptions of the district’s culture and areas
in which the school’s instructional program should be improved. Analyze the survey
results to identify any consistencies and/or discrepancies between the perceptions of the
parents and students and school’s existing instructional program.
The improvement plan assesses a candidate’s content knowledge aligned with ELCC District
level Standard 2 - elements 2.2 through 2.4
Candidates will be assessed using the following rubric:
Standard 2.0 Candidates who complete the program are educational leaders who have the
knowledge and ability to promote the success of all students by promoting a positive school
culture, providing an effective instructional program, applying best practice to student
learning, and designing comprehensive professional growth plans for staff.
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2.2 Provide
Effective
Instructional
Program
2.2.a .
Demonstrate variety
of instructional
research
methodologies and
analyze them
Unacceptable
(1)
Acceptable
(2)
Exceeds Acceptable
(3)
No variety of
research
methodologies was
presented.
Analysis
demonstrates use and
understanding of
more than one
research
methodologies
Analysis
demonstrates use and
understanding of a
variety of research
methodologies
2.2.b.
Use qualitative and
quantitative data
Information
presented fail to
utilize both
qualitative and
quantitative data
Information
presented utilized
minimal qualitative
and quantitative data
Information
presented utilized
both qualitative and
quantitative data
2.2.c.
Use technology and
information systems
No evidence of use
of technological
resources and
methods with
presenting data
Uses limited
technological
resources and
methods with
presenting data
Data and analysis
demonstrates full
knowledge of use of
technology and
information systems
2.2.d.
Justify resources to
sustain instructional
programs
No data and analysis
is provided
Limited fiscal and
cultural information
is given to justify
allocation of
resources for
programs
Detailed fiscal and
cultural information
is given to justify
allocation of
resources for
programs
Score for 2.2 = mean of scores 2.2.a through 2.2.d
2.3 Apply Best
Practice to Student
Learning
2.3.a .
Demonstrate ability
to engage in using
best practices and
sound research to
improve instruction
Unacceptable
(1)
Acceptable
(2)
Exceeds Acceptable
(3)
No evidence that the
candidate neither
understands best
practices nor
understands ways to
access and apply
findings from the
available research.
Limited evidence is
available to show
understanding of best
practices and
accessing research
findings. Candidate
includes a cursory
conceptualization of
several best practices
but no evidence that
Extensive evidence is
available to show
understanding of best
practices and
accessing research
findings. Candidate
includes a full
compendium of best
practices and
evidence from wide
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she/he has accessed
more than 1 or 2
research studies
search of available
research literature –
in excess of 10
studies are cited.
2.3.b.
Assist district
personnel in
understanding and
applying best
practices
No evidence is
present that
addresses either ways
to assist district
personnel in
understanding
student performance
or applying that to
instructional changes
Minimal evidence is
present that
addresses ways to
assist district
personnel in
understanding
student performance
or applying that to
instruction. Generic
student performance
data are explained
but no explanation
for subgroup
performance.
Analysis and critique
reflect a good
understanding of best
practices and convey
that understanding in
ways to assist staff
personnel to
effectively apply it to
instruction. Complete
data are included and
ways to assist
personnel in apply
that data to schools
and classrooms is
included.
2.3.c.
Can apply human
development theory,
proven learning, and
motivational
theories, and concern
for diversity in the
learning process
Analysis and
critique fail to reflect
any understanding of
any of these theories
or diversity and their
use to improve
instruction
Analysis and critique
reflect a partial
understanding of
these theories and
diversity and their
use in improving
instruction. At least
some mention of two
of the four
dimensions (theories
of human
development,
motivation, and
learning, and
diversity) are
included.
Analysis and critique
reflect a full
understanding of
these theories and
diversity and their
use in improving
instruction. All four
are included in the
critique (theories of
human development,
motivation, and
learning, and
diversity) are
included.
2.3.d.
How to use
appropriate research
strategies to profile
student performance
and differences
among subgroups
Analysis
demonstrates no
understanding of the
strategies available to
report on student
performance by
subgroups
Analysis
demonstrates a
limited
understanding of the
student performance
by subgroups and an
incomplete
explanation of how
to interpret and
Analysis
demonstrates a
thorough
understanding of
how to use research
strategies to report on
student performance
by subgroups. A
thorough explanation
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explain the data to
others. No
explanation of
subgroups’
performance is
included.
of those subgroups is
included.
Score for 2.3 = mean of scores 2.3.a through 2.3.d
2.4 Design
Comprehensive
Professional
Growth Plans
Unacceptable
(1)
Acceptable
(2)
Exceeds Acceptable
(3)
2.4.a. Use technology
and research and
other techniques to
promote new
knowledge and skills
in the workplace
Critique and analysis
fail to offer
suggestions and
plans for improving
culture and what is
needed to improve
student academic
achievement
Critique and analysis
uses data and
research to offer
minimal suggestions
and plans for
improving culture
and what is needed to
improve student
academic
achievement
Critique and analysis
uses data and
research to offer
suggestions and
plans for improving
culture and what is
needed to improve
student academic
achievement
2.4.b. Ability to use
strategies as
observations and
reflections to form
growth plans
Presentation of data,
analysis and critique
fail to address the
development of plans
to improve culture
and schooling
practices.
Presentation of data,
analysis and critique
minimally motivates
others to develop
plans to improve
culture and schooling
practices.
Presentation of data,
analysis and critique
assist and motivates
others to develop
plans to improve
culture and schooling
practices.
2.4.c. Personal plans
reflect commitment
to lifelong learning
and best practices.
Analysis and critique
fail to address one’s
personal role in the
learning community
and one’s
commitment to
professional growth.
Analysis and critique
includes minimal
personal reflection in
the learning
community and one’s
commitment to
professional growth.
The student’s
response is
acceptable if it
accurately describes
the development and
implementation of a
Analysis and critique
includes personal
role in the learning
community and one’s
commitment to
professional growth.
The student’s
response achieves the
target if it (a)
accurately describes
the development and
implementation of a
personal professional
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personal professional
growth plan that
reflects a
commitment to lifelong learning.
growth plan that
reflects a
commitment to lifelong learning, (b)
identifies related
costs and strategies
for achieving the
goals of the plan, (c)
projects a feasible
timeframe for
implementation, and
(d) includes a plan of
regularly monitoring
the plan.
Score for 2.4 = mean of scores 2.4.a through 2.4.c
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