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The Schools Attuned program is designed to reflect the most
current research and standards on professional development that changes
teaching practice and has a positive impact on student outcomes.
Beginning in 2000, the Schools Attuned program was redesigned to incorporate
the findings from over two decades of research on teacher professional
development. Subsequently, the Schools Attuned staff at All Kinds of Minds and
other experts have annually reviewed the program against the current National
Staff Development Council’s standards (NSDC, 2001) and new research on
professional development programs that advance student learning, including:
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Emphasis on developing teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge and insight into
how students learn
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Use of assessment to guide instructional practice
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Application of knowledge about adult learning, including principles of active
learning and prior knowledge
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Opportunities for focused analysis and reflection
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Duration of instructional contact associated with the professional development
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Development of a teacher learning community
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Amount of guided practice and follow-up offered to teachers
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Consideration for the organizational context within which a professional
development program is implemented
The Schools Attuned program is designed to incorporate these characteristics of
high quality professional development. The delivery of the Schools Attuned
program consists of phases, each phase designed to integrate additional
characteristics of high quality professional development design. Currently, the
program involves a minimum of 45 hours of facilitated course instruction over
the course of a school year, access to online resources, observational tools,
parent workshop modules, as well as participation in a networked learning
community.
Supporting research and full references are available in the
Comprehensive Research Document
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