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Develop the long-term capacity of central office to produce substantive school improvement.
Central office staff must provide both pressure and support for change. Effective professional development is defined by NSDC’s standards for staff development, and no standards are more important than the three context standards. Without implementing research-supported learning communities, leadership development, and resource allocation strategies, few improvement efforts will be sustained. Investing in capacity-building efforts will ensure a school system has the infrastructure in place to sustain the significant changes being introduced in schools.

Resources required
Implementation of such an effort requires the services of a team to complete a professional development audit and human capital management plan, as well as to review and revise policies, craft a system learning agenda, and create mechanisms for ongoing assessment and evaluation.

Outcomes

• A vision for district office that articulates its relationship to schools and student achievement as well as to the district theory of action;
• A professional development audit to inform the other steps in the process;
• Recommended policy and procedural changes for board or administrative action;
• Defined roles and responsibilities for all district staff related to serving schools to support academic achievement;
• Assessments of departments and individuals to identify the knowledge and skills they require to advance the district vision;
• A professional development plan that articulates the key strategies for engaging central office staff in organization and individual learning;
• A public monitoring system; and
• A system for supporting and celebrating improvements as results dictate.

NSDC in the field

Duval County Public Schools, FL
The 130,000-student Duval County Public Schools has implemented a training model designed to give teachers ownership of their professional learning. With a focus on professional learning teams, collaborative coaching, and accountability, the model has resulted in improved instructional practice and increased student achievement. NSDC is now in the process of assisting Duval County in the creation of its district-wide professional development plan. As part of those efforts, NSDC is conducting its Academy for Staff Developers for district staff in which attendees will learn about key elements of effective professional learning, how to design effective professional learning, how to evaluate professional learning, and how to implement systemic change.