Problems of Practice

PDS2 is designed to help sustain and expand school-based models of professional development. As these models go to scale, efficiency and continued effectiveness are critical. PDS2 responds to these pressures by solving problems of practice that individual teachers, school-based professional developers, and institutions experience as they work to improve instruction.

Teachers
Every classroom teacher is faced with the challenge of assessing the needs of a diverse group of students and devising appropriate instruction accordingly. Yet a pervasive problem is that teachers have limited access to professional development that addresses their particular needs and the needs of their students. Also, most teachers work in isolation and have few opportunities to observe other classrooms and discuss teaching and learning with peers.

Professional Developers
When in training, professional developers may have limited access to mentors and peers to support their learning. They may also have few opportunities to observe and engage in guided practice of one-on-one coaching. When they take on their complex role in schools, a number of problems can hamper their efforts: lack of access to quality professional development materials and resources; insufficient time to design and carry out targeted professional development plan; and lack of opportunities to continue their own learning.

Institutions
Choosing to adopt a school-based professional development model requires a heavy investment in time, money and human resources, which many schools and districts cannot afford. Professional development initiatives must solve the dilemma of how to render their models more feasible without compromising their effectiveness. Lastly, sustained large-scale implementation must maintain consistency and quality while being responsive to local needs and contexts.