Powerful Conversations About Staff Development

Powerful Conversations about Professional Development
Does your school's professional development plan help you and your colleagues directly improve the teaching and learning in your school? Learn more about the Best Practices Center’s Powerful Conversation process which helps schools align their professional development with best practice. View School Information Sheet.

Review the self-assessment rubric used to facilitate "Powerful Conversations." This rubric was adapted by the Best Practices Center from the National Staff Development Council's Professional Development Standards.

View the Glossary of Terms used in the self-assessment.

View the complete NSDC Self-Assessment Instrument addressing all twelve of the Staff Development Standards.

Powerful Conversation Schools
View the current list of schools in Alabama which have participated in the Powerful Conversation process.

NSDC Resources
Access resources that will increase your understanding of the National Staff Development Council Professional Development Standards.

Regional Follow-up Meetings
Check here to find out the latest in what schools in Alabama are doing to enhance staff development practice.

• Summary of February 8, 2006 meeting
• Summary of November 10, 2005 meeting
• Summary of August 25, 2005 meeting
• Summary of April 28, 2005 meeting
• Summary of March 3, 2005 meeting
• Summary of February 12, 2004 meeting

Key Persons Network
Update on Key Leaders Network:
Members of the Key Leaders Network will meet again on May 5, 2005 to participate in a book study led by Dr. Dale Hair. Participants have received a copy of the book, “Whatever it Takes: How Professional Learning Communities Respond When Kids Don’t Learn,” by Rick DuFour, et. al. In February, the Key Leaders Network met to provide feedback on the Manual being piloted to help schools implement more school-based professional development. Participants also “jigsawed” three journal articles dealing with supporting change (for the better) in schools and help BPC staff brainstorm topics for the next Powerful Conversation Quarterly Meeting. The Key Leaders Network was launched in October 2004, with a group of 30 educators from schools involved in the Powerful Conversations Network. These educators expressed interest in learning more about how to drive positive change in their school. The first meeting, a two-day retreat, was led by Dr. Dale Hair and focused on the school improvement cycle and the different phases of change.