This past year Kaneland partnered with the NIU RITE lab for a research project to dive into the barriers facing our professional development. The lab created and assessed our perceptions through surveys and focus groups. The purpose of the survey was to review the barriers we would like to break down in order to make professional development more impactful for all. Here are the results for 6-12. Behind each finding is a solution to support a shift in the perception:
*13 6-8 staff members took part in the survey
*1 9-12 staff member took part in the survey
*Teacher stress and negative attitudes towards change were the top two barriers for professional development- We are providing Teacher Resilience training sessions next year for staff during IgKnight and looking to foster more SEL sessions for staff throughout the year.
*Further needs in teacher collaboration and accountability for implementation were noted for more successful professional development to occur- We will continue to focus on times for teachers to observe each other and debrief afterward. We have had close to 70 staff members between the middle school and high school observe each other with an explicit focus during the current year. Building staff meetings and team/KLC meetings will be tailored to the areas from Academy 3.0 in which there is the biggest need.
*The top suggestion for impact into the classroom is to provide practical application time during the PD sessions for how to specifically implement the curriculum practice.- Next year we will continue to offer coaching and application cycles throughout the year. We will also continue joint learning walks with district and building administration in order to provide feedback on PD that is being implemented in the classroom.
* Time constraints and curriculum mandates were the top two barriers to implementing and applying professional development in the classroom.-There is no new Personalized Learning Academy next year allowing more time to focus on curriculum implementation practices.
We thank you all so much for taking part in the survey and focus group process. This research has helped us reflect and consider other structures for professional development and application of our learning.
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