Dani Davis

April 3, 2004

Methods for Assessing Staff Development

Our staff development training sessions are typically assessed by means of a survey. The surveys cover a variety of topics. For instance, the survey may ask staff about what they feel needs to be covered in future staff development sessions, what technology skills they currently need to improve upon, or the surveys may simply ask the staff to rate the staff development session that they just participated in. Based on the results of these surveys, we have had speakers come to our building to share practices that are successful in their schools, we have undergone hands on computer training, and we have scheduled future staff training to address specific needs of our staff and students.

This past year, we have also participated in an online professional development assessment. Our entire staff was asked to complete a comprehensive technology skills assessment, called the TAGLIT, or Taking A Good Look at Instructional Technology.

The login for this website is found at: http://www.taglit.org/taglit/login.aspx.

Samples of Instruments Used and/or Revised

Below is the TAGLIT survey that the Flint Southwestern Academy staff took earlier this year. The purpose of having the staff members participate in this survey was to identify areas were staff members were skilled and where they were not. When certain staff members were identified as being skilled in a specific area, they were asked to train those staff members who needed training in this area. By using this survey to identify possible trainers, we kept peers as presenters for our technology professional development session. This helps to increase respect among colleagues, and minimize the resentment and boredom often present during staff development sessions.