A consensus of the nation’s leading teacher professional learning (PL) organizations and researchers, this paper creates a unified and shared understanding of high-quality professional learning (HQPL), with a focus on curriculum-based professional learning (CBPL). It is a first-of-its-kind resource to establish a shared vocabulary for the PL field to use when designing, implementing, and assessing CBPL programs.
The teacher PL field uses a range of different frameworks and terminology, making it difficult to maintain coherence across organizations and settings. This foundational resource provides a clear definition of CBPL and the vocabulary around it, which will enable professionals across the PL field—whether PL organizations, facilitators, researchers, or designers—to assess their own PL programming and make updates to ensure it aligns with the features of effective CBPL.
Improving classroom teaching and learning requires both high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) and HQPL, with a focus on CBPL. The definitions and alignment in this paper will streamline communication and research, promote ongoing learning, establish shared expertise, and enhance the impact of CBPL on student experiences and outcomes.
Authors
Elizabeth Foster
Marjorie Wechsler
Maria Hyler
Rebekah Hornak
Stacey Alicea
Camea Davis
John Papay
Nate Schwartz
Annie Morrison
Joslyn Richardson
