July 2004 — SETDA
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North Carolina: Preloading Professional Development to Ensure Potential Success
In "D'es It Compute?" (1998), Wenglinsky identifies technology, particularly as it is used to encourage higher-order and critical-thinking skills, as central to increased student achievement. He also recognizes that teacher professional development in the use of technology is critical to student academic success. Finally, the National Staff Development Council focuses on teacher professional development as a system for improving student learning. While it d'es not single out technology training, it d'es identify the key elements of good staff development: training that is results-driven, standards-based and job-embedded within a collaborative teaching environment.
These key training and support elements are found in the instructional technology facilitator's role, as delineated in IMPACT. The above studies, along with many others, as well as North Carolina's experience in monitoring Technology Literacy Challenge Fund grants, point to the need for and importance of high teacher support and a collaborative environment for the use of technology in the classroom. This was the driving force behind the vision of the library media coordinator and instructional technology facilitator partnership inherent in the IMPACT model.
Indicators of Success
Obviously, few schools would be able to write a successful grant application without a clear understanding of the model. Furthermore, the cultural change that the model implies necessitated an up-front commitment not only from the school itself, but also from the system-level administration. Thus, with grant applications due in January 2003, we issued the request for proposal (RFP) in the summer of 2002 and began "preloaded" professional development.
Once the 43 eligible schools were identified through their "Intent to Apply" submissions, the regional consultants began the yeoman's work of helping each school's faculty and administration understand the IMPACT Model, as well as the actual work behind implementing the model if they were to be awarded the grant. We saw this professional development as vitally important to the grant process. Any change is hard, whether it be for reasons good or bad. Ideally, we would have total school and community understanding and buy-in before a single word was committed to paper.
One initial staff development presentation/visit to each applying school was required; subsequent visits were at the school's invitation and subject to the consultants' scheduling constraints. Some applicants limited their assistance to the one visit, while others requested our consultants' services for up to five daylong visits over the four-month process. All applicant schools had indicated how important this professional development was, not just in preparation for applying for the grant, but in examining their school's academic goals and its culture. As one principal said before the finalist interviews: "Regardless of our success here today, we have learned so much about ourselves and our school. We intend to implement the IMPACT Model whether or not we get the money. We can't go back now."
While we are confident that in another two years we will be able to show that the IMPACT Model has increased student academic performance based on the North Carolina standardized testing program, we are also cognizant that this is often difficult to quantify directly to increased use of technology.
