This memo, which is the eighth and final one in the series of Field Facing Memos, describes a virtual learning excursion: the HA unSummit. When COVID-19 prevented travel to Hawaii last April, the HA unSummit was created. Members of the Assessment for Learning (ALP) network were invited to attend a virtual learning excursion to explore and deepen…

This memo, which is the sixth in the series, highlights the ongoing work of the Sunnyside Unified School District (SUSD) to create an ecology of equity. Their efforts focus on developing a school system that fosters a belief in each person's capacity to learn (administrators, teachers, and students alike) and increases students' opportunities for…

Given the common problem of incoherence in district reform efforts, this qualitative study sought to understand what conditions enable (and/or constrain) the efforts of Technical Assistance Organizations (TAOs) to align their products and services with each other and with the specific goals of a district. This paper explores the complexity of TAOs…

This memo, which is the third in the series, highlights the work of Summit View Elementary School in Tucson, Arizona and its use of ideas and practices from a blended online course, Student Agency in Assessment and Learning (SAAL) developed by researchers at WestEd, also an ALP grantee. This memo describes how the school's participation in the…

Due to a surplus in the State General Fund, California's Pre-K-12 teachers and administrators have an additional $490 million to spend on programs supporting professional development. The $490 million represents one of the largest investments in professional development and teacher effectiveness ever made by California and has the potential to…

This is the executive summary for the guidance document, "Maximizing the Use of New State Professional Learning Investments to Support Student, Educator, and School System Growth: State Guidance for Key District Stakeholders." It has been created to help districts determine the most effective uses of new state professional learning money…

Can the National Board certification process support school improvement where large proportions of students score below grade level on standardized tests? This SCOPE study examines a project that sought to seize and capitalize upon the learning opportunities embedded in the National Board certification process, particularly opportunities to learn…

Can the National Board certification process support school improvement where large proportions of students score below grade level on standardized tests? This SCOPE study examines a project that sought to seize and capitalize upon the learning opportunities embedded in the National Board certification process, particularly opportunities to learn…

According to national survey data, access to and participation in professional development varies widely across states, and the quality of professional development across most states is far from meeting research-based definitions of effective professional development, with a few pockets of excellence in some states. In this study, "Teacher…

This article argues that a principal's actions can create site-based conditions that can grow a staff's capacity to improve instruction, depending on how a principal conceives of, organizes, and structures learning opportunities for teachers. The article analyzes the leadership of one principal as an example of how leaders can develop…

Policy shapes practice, and the increasingly important realm of professional development is no exception. To identify effective professional development policies and strategies, a Stanford University research team examined the policy frameworks supporting high levels of professional development activity in four states--(1) Colorado; (2) Missouri;…

Policy shapes practice, and the increasingly important realm of professional development is no exception. In order to identify effective professional development policies and strategies, a Stanford University research team examined the policy frameworks supporting high levels of professional development activity in four states. The…

This report is the third of a three-phase research study of teacher professional learning opportunities in the United States. In this third phase of the research, the authors conducted case studies of four professionally active states to get a deeper look at the policy frameworks that support professional development in those states. These…