Network Professional Development Providers—Information Sheet
Building Educator Assessment Literacy to
Support Student Achievement of College and Career Readiness Standards
—Supported by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Stuart Foundation—
Project Summary
With funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Stuart Foundation, WestEd and SCALE (Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning and Equity) have partnered with Oregon and several other states to implement a project that will provide professional development to build educators’ assessment knowledge.
Project Approach
This project will draw on Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (Smarter Balanced) performance tasks. Participating practitioners will be engaged in hand-scoring performance tasks from the spring 2014 Smarter Balanced Field Test and will consider the implications of the tasks and the student responses.
This project uses a multi-tiered approach wherein a Performance Assessment Leadership (PAL) Team from WestEd and SCALE will create standardized training modules on the implementation, scoring, and instructional implications of Smarter Balanced performance tasks, and will then prepare a set of Network Professional Development Providers (Network PDPs) to deliver these standardized training modules to local practitioners, including teachers and instructional coaches. The primary learning approach will center on
in-person training and will be sustained by online virtual learning opportunities.
Network Professional Development Providers (Network PDPs)
Overview
A cadre of20 Network PDPs in each state will deliver high-quality professional development to practitioners (teachers and instructional coaches), related to implementation, scoring, and instructional implications of Smarter Balanced performance tasks.
Competencies
To promote the delivery of effective professional development, Network PDPs must possess the following essential competencies:
- Working knowledge of Common Core standards and Smarter Balanced assessments;
- Working knowledge of performance assessment design and scoring;
- Experience usingonline systems for professional collaboration or for virtual learning;
- Experience using student work as an integral component of instruction; and
- History of providing effective professional development with adult learners.
Experience in facilitating the hand-scoring process in large-scale assessments is also preferred.
Anticipated Commitment
WestEd will reimburse Network PDPs for travel expenses and per diem associated with the project.If Network PDPs arenot compensated through existing FTE, WestEd will cover their daily rate for time spent participating in or delivering project trainings.
Description of Commitment for Each Network PDP
Activity / Estimated Time and Timeline / Location for In-Person Work / Reimbursement DetailsReceive professional development from PAL Team about delivering performance assessment training to practitioners / November 3–7, 2014
- Travel (November 3)
- Participate in in-person training (November 4–7)
- Travel (November 7)
Provide in-person practitioner performance assessment trainings within Oregon / During January 2015, three trainings spread across three locations. PDPs will participate in at least one of these trainings.
Each training event will require:
- Travel to location (est. half day)
- Conduct trainings (two full days)
- Travel from location (est. half day)
(1) Southern or Coast
(2) Portland metro location
(3) Eastern or Central / Travel expenses and per diem covered; FTE reimbursed if not already covered
Support virtual learning experiences, with guidance from PAL Team / For at least one of two scheduled six-week windows, provide one to two hours a week of support in the virtual learning environment (6–12 hours total per window)
Virtual learning windows will e scheduled between February and May. / No travel needed / One day FTE reimbursed for each six-week module, if not already covered.
Participate in project evaluation as needed / <4 hours total / No travel needed / No expenses covered or reimbursed
Recruitment Process
In order to develop capacity and sustainability, Network PDPs will be drawn from existing state and regional professional learning infrastructures, including state education agencies, county offices of education, district and regional intermediary units, state and regional collaboratives, and state and national education centers and organizations.
Interested candidates should return a completed application form to the Oregon Department of Education, whichwill then analyze the candidates’ applications, consider existing knowledge of the candidates and their networks, and develop a recommended team of providers. The final team must possess the essential competencies in order to deliver the trainings to practitioners.WestEd will supportthe Oregon Department of Education to ensure that the number and representation of selected Network PDPs is aligned to the training model.After the Oregon Department of Education has made team selections, a list of recommended Network PDPs (with up to five alternates) and corresponding application forms should be sent to WestEd.
Network Professional Development Provider (PDP) Application Form
Each interested Network Professional Development Provider (PDP) candidate should submit a completed form to Jordan Hermens, by noon on October 10th, 2014. Network PDPs will be selected, no later than October 22nd, 2014.
Name: / Applicant ScoringTo be completed by ODE staff
Title:
Organization:
Email:
Description of how you have demonstrated each of the required PDP competencies:
Content-area expertise:
ELA □ and/or Mathematics □
Elementary ed. □ and/or Secondary ed. □ / Across all PDPs, range of expertise required
Looking for even distribution across content areas and across grade levels within content areas
Provide a brief description of how you have built your working knowledge of Common Core standards / 1: weak experience
2: moderate experience
3: strong experience
Provide a brief description of how you have built your working knowledge of performance assessment design and scoring / 1: weak experience
2: moderate experience
3: strong experience
Provide a brief description of your experience using student work as an integral component of instruction / 1: weak experience
2: moderate experience
3: strong experience
Provide a brief description of your experience in facilitating the hand-scoring process in large-scale assessments / 1: weak experience
2: moderate experience
3: strong experience
Provide a brief description ofyour familiarity with and support for Smarter Balanced assessments. / 1: weak experience
2: moderate experience
3: strong experience
Provide a brief description of your history providing professional development with adult learners and what indicators were available to attest to the effectiveness of this professional development / 1: few experiences; no success indicators
2: few experiences; strong success indicators
3: moderate experiences and/or moderate success indicators
4: many experiences; no success indicators
5: many experiences; strong success indicators
Provide a brief description of your experience facilitating and participating in virtual learning experiences and what indicators were available to attest to the effectiveness of these experiences / 1: few experiences; no success indicators
2: few experiences; strong success indicators
3: moderate experiences and/or moderate success indicators
4: many experiences; no success indicators
5: many experiences; strong success indicators
Compensation considerations
Will the work be conducted as part of your existing responsibilities (FTE), or will you require compensation at a daily rate of pay? If daily rate, what is the cost/day for your FTE?
Existing FTE □ OR Daily rate □
(if daily rate, identify cost/day: $______)