Vital training and support

New educators benefit from the ongoing training and support that professional development (PD) programs provide.

That is because PD gives teachers valuable opportunities to expand their understanding of effective teaching strategies and refine their instructional techniques. In fact, a SmartBrief / ETS® survey revealed that 52% of educators believe that PD opportunities in their districts help them improve their overall proficiency when creating assessments. 

Focusing on the classroom

As a result, this work has a significant impact in the classroom: Quality PD can actually improve student achievement by as much as 21%. PD reinforces essential skills and brings substantial benefits to educators and learners alike:   

• Assessment Strategies: PD can empower teachers with effective assessment strategies to identify student learning gaps, personalize instruction and track progress. In conjunction with tools like the PlanWise® tool from ETS, teachers can access research-backed suggestions that guide their lesson planning process and help create focused learning paths that cater to individual student needs. 
• Differentiated Instruction: PD highlights better ways for educators to leverage differentiated instruction that recognizes the diverse learning needs of all students, regardless of their starting points. This approach allows for customized instruction that aligns with individual needs, strengths, interests, and skills. 
• Standards-Aligned Work: Effective PD aligns with best practices, academic standards, and accountability measures. With the support of quality PD programs, new teachers not only enhance their instruction and improve student learning outcomes, they can also meet the expected benchmarks their school or district sets. 
• Optimized Opportunities: New teachers should actively seek out PD opportunities, which include relevant workshops, conferences, online courses, and collaborative networks. These resources create a larger sense of community — teachers can exchange ideas with and learn from their peers — while also giving all attendees exposure to innovative teaching strategies.

Actively engage in ongoing PD

PD helps educators equip themselves with the tools and knowledge needed to follow best practices, leverage effective assessment strategies, implement differentiated instruction, and personalize learning experiences. 

That said, none of this happens overnight: Good PD grows with teachers throughout their careers so they can unlock their fullest potential, both for themselves and for their students. And remember: use PlanWise to unlock powerful classroom strategies.