Evaluating Professional Development with Thomas R. Guskey, Ph.D.

This weeks natter is with the distinguished Dr Thomas R Guskey.

We discuss professional development and the importance of evaluating CPD. I ask Tom about his seminal piece of research:

Does It Make a Difference? Evaluating Professional Development

About Tom:

Thomas R. Guskey, Ph.D.

is a Senior Research Scholar in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Louisville and Professor Emeritus in the College of Education at the University of Kentucky. A graduate of the University of Chicago, he began his career in education as a middle school teacher, served as an administrator in the Chicago Public Schools, and was the first director of the Center for the Improvement of Teaching and Learning, a national research centre.

Dr. Guskey is the author/editor of 25 award-winning books and more than 250 book chapters, articles, and professional papers on educational measurement, evaluation, assessment, grading, and professional learning. His articles have appeared in prominent research journals including the American Educational Research Journal, Educational Researcher, and Review of Educational Research, as well as practitioner publications such as Education Week, Educational Leadership, Phi Delta Kappan, and The Learning Professional, and School Administrator. He served on the Policy Research Team of the National Commission on Teaching & America’s Future, and on the task force to develop the National Standards for Professional Development.

 Introductory questions

What is your 5 level model for evaluating professional development and how did it come about?

What do you hope people take away from your model?

England specific questions

Professional development has arguably never been more valued than it is currently. In 2016 the DfE produced standards for teachers professional development but stopped short of overtly suggesting evaluation . Why is evaluation so important in professional development and so often overlooked?

 In 2018, the EEF released an implementation guide which looked at how to implement professional learning (and other initiatives) and was pitched at decision makers within schools. This seems to sit across levels 3-5 of your model. What do you see as the best ways to evaluate at level 3 . The EEF guide talks about fidelity data but what procedures would you use to evaluate at level 3?

 In 2019, OFSTED have written into their grade descriptors for a school to be 'outstanding' that

"leaders ensure that teachers receive focussed and highly effective professional development. Teachers subject, pedagogical and pedagogical content knowledge build and develop over time. This consistently translates into improvements in the teaching of the curriculum"

Firstly , what are your views on this? Secondly do you see this as sitting at level 4 and what are your thoughts on using observations of lessons to evaluate professional learning? Does improving the teaching of the curriculum automatically improve outcomes for pupils?

Episode produced and edited by William H Rushton (www.naylorsnatter.co.uk)