Standards

for professional
learning

Quick
reference
guide
About the standards

T
his is the third version of
standards that outline
the characteristics of
effective professional
learning. This edition,
drawn from research and based on
evidence-based practice, describes
a set of expectations for effective
professional learning to ensure equity and
excellence in educator learning. The standards serve as
indicators that guide the learning, facilitation, implementation,
and evaluation of professional learning.
As with earlier versions of the standards, including the last revision in
2001, Learning Forward invited representatives from leading education
associations and organizations to contribute to the development of
the standards. Together, these representatives reviewed research and
best practice literature to contribute to the standards revision with
With support from consideration of their own constituencies, including teachers, principals,
MetLife Foundation superintendents, and local and state school board members.
Quick reference guide Standards for Professional learning

Standards for Professional Learning

Professional Learning Leadership: Resources:

Communities: Professional learning Professional learning
learning that Professional learning that increases educator that increases educator
that increases educator effectiveness and effectiveness and results
increases educator effectiveness and results for all students for all students requires
results for all students requires skillful leaders prioritizing, monitoring,
effectiveness and occurs within learning who develop capacity, and coordinating
communities committed advocate, and create resources for educator
results for all to continuous support systems for learning.
improvement, collective professional learning.
students ... responsibility, and goal
alignment.

Data: Learning Designs: Implementation: Outcomes:

Professional learning Professional learning Professional learning Professional learning
that increases educator that increases educator that increases educator that increases educator
effectiveness and results effectiveness and results effectiveness and results effectiveness and results
for all students uses for all students integrates for all students applies for all students aligns
a variety of sources theories, research, research on change its outcomes with
and types of student, and models of human and sustains support educator performance
educator, and system learning to achieve its for implementation of and student curriculum
data to plan, assess, and intended outcomes. professional learning for standards.
evaluate professional long-term change.
learning.

Relationship between professional learning and student results

1. When professional learning is standards-based, it has greater potential to change what educators know, are able to
do, and believe.
2. When educators’ knowledge, skills, and dispositions change, they have a
broader repertoire of effective strategies to use to adapt their practices to 2.
1. Changes
meet performance expectations and student learning needs. Standards- in educator
based knowledge,
3. When educator practice improves, students have a greater likelihood of professional skills, and
achieving results. learning dispositions
4. When student results improve, the cycle repeats for continuous
improvement.
This cycle works two ways: If educators are not achieving the results they 4. 3.
Changes in Changes
want, they determine what changes in practice are needed and then what student in educator
knowledge, skills, and dispositions are needed to make the desired changes. results practice

They then consider how to apply the standards so that they can engage in
the learning needed to strengthen their practice.

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE Standards for Professional Learning 800-727-7288 www.learningforward.org

Quick reference guide Standards for Professional learning

4 prerequisites for effective professional learning

T
he seven new standards focus attention on educator learning that relates to successful student learning.
Implicit in the standards are several prerequisites for effective professional learning. They are so fundamental
that the standards do not identify or describe them. These prerequisites reside where professional learning
intersects with professional ethics.
Professional learning is not the answer to all the challenges educators face, but it can significantly increase their
capacities to succeed. When school systems, schools, and education leaders organize professional learning aligned with the
standards, and when educators engage in professional learning to increase their effectiveness, student learning will increase.

1 Educators’
commitment to
students, all students,
2 Each educator
involved in
professional learning
3 Because there are
disparate experience
levels and use of practice
4 Like all learners,
educators learn in
different ways and at
is the foundation of comes to the experience among educators, different rates. Because
effective professional ready to learn. professional learning some educators have
learning. Committed Professional learning is can foster collaborative different learning needs
educators understand a partnership among inquiry and learning that than others, professional
that they must engage in professionals who engage enhances individual and learning must engage
continuous improvement with one another to access collective performance. each educator in timely,
to know enough and be or construct knowledge, This cannot happen high-quality learning that
skilled enough to meet skills, practices, and unless educators listen meets his or her particular
the learning needs of all dispositions. However, to one another, respect learning needs. Some may
students. As professionals, it cannot be effective if one another’s experiences benefit from more time
they seek to deepen their educators resist learning. and perspectives, hold than others, different types
knowledge and expand Educators want and deserve students’ best interests at of learning experiences, or
their portfolio of skills high-quality professional the forefront, trust that their more support as they seek
and practices, always learning that is relevant and colleagues share a common to translate new learning
striving to increase each useful. They are more likely vision and goals, and are into more productive
student’s performance. to fully engage in learning honest about their abilities, practices. For some
If adults responsible for with receptive hearts practices, challenges, educators, this requires
student learning do not and minds when their and results. Professional courage to acknowledge
continuously seek new school systems, schools, accountability for their learning needs, and
learning, it is not only their and colleagues align individual and peer results determination and patience
knowledge, skills, and professional learning with strengthens the profession to continue learning until
practices that erode over the standards. and results for students. the practices are effective
time. They also become less and comfortable.
able to adapt to change,
less self-confident, and less
able to make a positive
difference in the lives
of their colleagues and
students.

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE Standards for Professional Learning 800-727-7288 www.learningforward.org

Quick reference guide Standards for Professional learning

Suggestions for use More to come

S
Learning Forward, with
tandards for Professional Learning are designed to set policies and continuing support from
shape practice in professional learning. Improvement is a continuous MetLife Foundation,
process without a beginning or end. Because professional learning is at will develop additional
the core of every effort to increase educator effectiveness and results for all tools to support the
students, its quality and effectiveness cannot be left to chance. The standards implementation and
will guide the efforts of individuals, teams, school and school system staff, evaluation of the standards.
public agencies and officials, and nonprofit and for-profit associations or
organizations engaged in setting policy, organizing, providing, facilitating,
managing, participating in, monitoring, or measuring professional learning
to increase educator effectiveness and results for all students. “Using the standards to shape
These standards stimulate dialogue, discussion, and analysis that lead to more effective professional
increased effectiveness in professional learning regardless of the state of current learning will require study,
practice. Here are several suggestions for how various types of educators may
thought, discussion, and
use the standards to deepen their understanding of effective professional
learning and how to strengthen professional learning for all educators. planning.”
The book Standards for Professional Learning (Learning Forward, 2011; see — Standards for Professional Learning
ordering information at right) offers a more comprehensive list.
Order the standards today
Have at your fingertips the full
Individuals can: text of the standards, including
• Study the standards to develop a foundational knowledge about effective in-depth elaborations for all seven
professional learning. standards, related research citations, a
• Use the standards to request improvements in professional learning in which comprehensive introduction, crosswalk
they participate. between the previous and current
• Apply the standards to the planning, design, facilitation, and evaluation of versions, and more complete suggestions
professional learning they lead. for use.
Item #B512
$16 for members
$20 for nonmembers
School staff can:
Order at
• Share the standards with external assistance providers who facilitate www.learningforwardstore.org
professional learning with school staff. or call 800-727-7288.
• Share the standards with parents, guardians, and community members to
foster their support for professional learning as a means to increase student
learning.
• Bring the standards into all program implementation or improvement
discussions.

School system staff can:

• Post the standards on or link to the standards from the school system’s
website.
• Use the standards as criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of all professional
learning.
• Prepare a resolution that the school trustees adopt the standards as
expectations for all professional learning.

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE Standards for Professional Learning 800-727-7288 www.learningforward.org