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Is your professional learning working? 8 steps to find out.
By Joellen Killion
Categories: Continuous improvement, Data, Evaluation & impact, Learning systems/planning, ResourcesFebruary 2024
Evaluating professional learning to measure its effectiveness and impact on student learning is an important process for those who design, lead, and facilitate educator learning. Evaluation demonstrates a commitment to accountability for investments in professional learning and a mechanism to ensure its continuous improvement. The Standards for Professional Learning (Learning Forward, 2022) articulate the importance of evaluation. According to the Evidence standard, “Professional learning results in equitable and excellent outcomes for all students when educators create expectations and build capacity for use of evidence, leverage evidence, data, and research from multiple sources to plan educator learning, and measure and report the impact of professional learning” (Learning Forward, 2022). Evaluating professional learning requires thoughtful and intentional effort. As I have defined it in Assessing Impact (Killion,
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About this article
In fall 2003, Learning Forward (then National Staff Development Council) published the article “8 smooth steps” by Joellen Killion, which outlined an eight-step process for evaluating a professional learning program. Since then, the article has become a model for designing effective evaluation of professional learning. In this article, Killion offers a fresh look at how to apply a scientific, systematic process to evaluation that ensures reliable, valid results.
Tools accompanying this article
- Mapping an evaluation step by step
- Identifying KASABs
- Creating a logic model
- Establishing an evaluation framework
Overview of steps
1. Assess evaluability.
2. Formulate evaluation questions.
3. Construct evaluation framework.
4. Collect data.
5. Organize, analyze, and display data.
6. Interpret data.
7. Report, disseminate, and use findings.
8. Evaluate the evaluation.
KASAB
Knowledge
Conceptual understanding of information, theories, principles, and research.
Attitudes
Beliefs about the value of information or strategies.
Skills
The ability or capacity to use strategies and processes to apply knowledge.
Aspirations
Desires, or internal motivation, to engage in a practice.
Behaviors
Consistent application of knowledge and skills driven by attitudes and aspirations.
References
Chen, H. (1990). Theory-driven evaluation. Sage Publications.
Killion, J. (2018). Assessing impact: Evaluating professional learning (3rd ed.). Corwin & Learning Forward.
Learning Forward (2022). Standards for Professional Learning. Author.
Patton, M.Q. (2008). Utilization-focused evaluation (4th ed.). Sage.
Yarbrough, D.B., Shula, L.M., Hopson, R.K., & Caruthers, F.A. (2010). The Program Evaluation Standards: A guide for evaluators and evaluation users (3rd ed.). Corwin Press.
Joellen Killion is a senior advisor to Learning Forward and a sought-after speaker and facilitator who is an expert in linking professional learning and student learning. She has extensive experience in planning, design, implementation, and evaluation of high-quality, standards-based professional learning at the school, system, and state/provincial levels. She is the author of many books including Assessing Impact, Coaching Matters, Taking the Lead, and The Feedback Process. Her latest evaluation articles for The Learning Professional are “7 reasons to evaluate professional learning” and “Is your professional learning working? 8 steps to find out.”
Categories: Continuous improvement, Data, Evaluation & impact, Learning systems/planning, Resources
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