Most schools dedicate a good deal of time and money to professional learning for teachers and staff. But not all schools can confidently say that all that time and money makes a difference where it counts: in the classroom. So, how do you gauge the impact of your program?
The answer: program evaluation.
Get all stakeholders on the same page: what are the stated outcomes of the program? What are participants expected to learn? What student outcomes are expected?
Come up with a few broad questions to investigate, such as “To what extent is the program changing teacher practice?” or “What evidence of student learning can be attributed to the program?”
There are many ways to collect data to answer your evaluation questions. A few examples:
Don’t be intimidated by the idea of analyzing data! Most of the time, you just need to know how to calculate simple frequencies and averages, to answer questions like:
Once you’ve collected your data, it’s time to put it into the right hands. A comprehensive report might include:
Be creative (and visual!) with your report — it can be helpful to think beyond written reports or presentations.
A rigorous program evaluation process will help you understand how professional learning programs are performing in your school environment, and is key to educator growth and continuous school improvement.
Source: Robinson, S. B. (2019). Professional Development Program Evaluation for the Win: How to Sleep Well at Night Knowing Your Professional Learning is Effective. Retrieved from https://www.frontlineeducation.com/program-evaluation/
Want more?
Our eBook “Professional Development Program Evaluation for the Win: How to Sleep Well at Night Knowing Your Professional Learning is Effective” looks at each of the above steps in detail.
Ryan EstesRyan is the Content Marketing Manager for the global award-winning Content Team at Frontline Education. He spends his time writing, podcasting, and creating content for leaders in K-12 education
