By: Patricia Moore Shaffer, PhD
Principal & CEO
Professional development for teachers is essential for improving student outcomes and keeping up with the latest educational practices. But how do we know if these training investments are yielding results? One of the most important aspects of any teacher professional development program is its evaluation. As Thomas Guskey, a leading expert on professional development, highlights in his work, evaluating professional learning is more than just checking off a list of completed workshops. It’s a thorough process that considers multiple layers of impact, from teacher satisfaction to student achievement. In this blog post, we’ll explore an effective approach to evaluating teacher professional development, incorporating principles from Guskey’s model and other established training evaluation frameworks.
Why Evaluate Professional Development?
Before diving into the "how," let’s clarify why evaluating professional development is critical. Schools invest significant time and money into training teachers. Yet, without proper evaluation, it’s impossible to determine whether the effort is leading to desired outcomes, such as improved instructional practices and better student learning.
Evaluation ensures that professional development is not just a formality but a meaningful investment. It helps educators and administrators determine what’s working, what needs to be improved, and what future learning opportunities should look like.
Thomas Guskey’s Five Levels of Professional Development Evaluation
Guskey’s model for evaluating professional development provides a structured approach that considers the impacts of training over time. It's not enough to ask whether teachers liked the session or found it useful. Instead, Guskey encourages evaluators to dig deeper and consider multiple levels of impact:
Participants' Reactions: The first level involves assessing how teachers responded to the professional development experience. Were they engaged? Did they find the content relevant and the delivery effective? While this level is often focused on immediate feedback (like satisfaction surveys), it’s essential because it sets the stage for deeper engagement in future training.
Participants' Learning: The second level moves beyond satisfaction and looks at what teachers actually learned. This can be measured through assessments, reflective activities, or follow-up discussions. The goal is to ensure that participants are gaining new knowledge and skills that can inform their teaching practices.
Organizational Support and Change: At this level, the focus shifts to the school or district environment. Are administrators and school leaders providing the necessary support for teachers to implement what they’ve learned? Guskey emphasizes that even the best professional development can fall flat if it isn’t reinforced by supportive policies, resources, and leadership.
Participants' Use of New Knowledge and Skills: This level looks at how teachers apply what they’ve learned in their classrooms. Are they adopting new strategies? Are these strategies improving their teaching? This phase requires long-term monitoring through classroom observations, teacher self-reflection, and peer feedback.
Student Learning Outcomes: The ultimate goal of professional development is to enhance student learning. At this final level, evaluators assess whether the professional development has led to tangible improvements in student achievement. This can be done by analyzing standardized test scores, student portfolios, or other performance indicators.
Incorporating Other Training Evaluation Models
In addition to Guskey’s framework, there are other well-established training evaluation models that offer useful insights into evaluating professional development. Kirkpatrick’s Four-Level Model, for example, shares similarities with Guskey’s approach and provides a simple yet effective structure for assessing training programs.
Reaction: Similar to Guskey’s first level, this focuses on how participants felt about the training.
Learning: This level assesses the knowledge and skills gained during the training.
Behavior: Like Guskey’s fourth level, this examines whether participants are applying what they learned on the job.
Results: This final stage aligns with Guskey’s focus on student outcomes, looking at the long-term impact of the training on broader organizational goals.
By blending these models, evaluators can ensure they are not only looking at teacher satisfaction and learning but also considering the broader impact on classroom practices and student achievement.
Practical Steps for Evaluation
How can schools and districts put these evaluation models into practice? Here’s a step-by-step guide for evaluating professional development:
Pre-Training Assessment: Before the professional development begins, gather baseline data on teacher knowledge, skills, and student outcomes. This sets a starting point for measuring improvement.
Post-Training Feedback: Immediately after the training, collect feedback from participants on their reactions. Use surveys, focus groups, or one-on-one interviews to capture their thoughts on the content, delivery, and overall experience.
Learning Checks: To evaluate what teachers learned, incorporate knowledge assessments or reflective journals. Have teachers demonstrate new skills or describe how they plan to implement their learning.
Classroom Observations and Peer Feedback: In the weeks and months following the training, observe teachers in the classroom. Are they using the strategies they learned? Encourage peer observations and discussions to foster a collaborative learning environment.
Student Outcome Analysis: Finally, assess whether the professional development has led to improvements in student learning. Look at test scores, performance assessments, or other indicators of student growth. Keep in mind that changes in student outcomes may take time, so this step requires ongoing monitoring.
Conclusion
Effective teacher professional development doesn’t end when the workshop is over. It’s an ongoing process that requires careful evaluation at multiple levels over time. By using Thomas Guskey’s model or other training evaluation frameworks like Kirkpatrick’s, schools can ensure that their investment in professional development pays off—not just in terms of teacher satisfaction, but in improved teaching practices and, ultimately, better student outcomes.
In the end, the goal of professional development is to create lasting, meaningful change in the classroom. And that can only happen when we evaluate it with the same rigor and attention to detail that we bring to other areas of education.
Are you looking for an evaluation partner for your training or professional development program? Contact us and learn how we can support you.
