MoSLPA Library of Examples Task 2 Textbox 2.4.1

Missouri School Leader Performance Assessment (MoSLPA)
Library of Examples – Task 2
MoSLPA Task 2, Step 4, Textbox 2.4.1
Below are two examples of written responses to Textbox 2.4.1 as excerpted from the portfolios of two different
candidates. The candidate responses were not corrected or changed from what was submitted. One response was
scored at the Met/Exceeded Standards Level, and the other response was scored at the Did Not Meet/Partially
Met Standards Level. This information is being provided for illustrative purposes only. These excerpts are not
templates for candidates to use to guarantee a successful score. Rather, they are examples that candidates can
use for comparison purposes to see the kinds of evidence that they may need to add to their own work.
The work you submit as part of your response to each task must be yours and yours alone. Your written
commentaries, the student work and other artifacts you submit, and your video recordings must all feature your
interactions with your colleagues and the work that you supervised.
Step 4: Reflecting on Building-Level Professional Development
Textbox 2.4.1: Reflecting on Building-Level Professional Development
Met/Exceeded Standards Level
a. The feedback from the teachers was very positive with 100% of teachers agreeing or strongly agreeing on the
following areas: Learning communities (the learning climate of this session was collaborative and respectful), Leadership
(the session leader encouraged a culture of high expectations and constructive participation within the group),
Resources (session leaders guided staff to resources that support the professional learning goals of the session),
Learning designs (the session included professional growth opportunities designed to improve student achievement).
Several teachers commented they appreciated the time to collaborate and share ideas with other teachers and wanted
to continue bringing examples of what they are using in the classroom that is working for Science instruction. One
teacher noted the session was valuable as they learned about engaging students in experiences with problem solving
and writing about their learning. A few teachers had further requests for support in the areas of modeling 5E lessons
and developing more inquiry lessons. This was valuable information to me as a facilitator so I was able to follow up with
those individuals and set aside time with them to help support their needs.
b. The current professional development process in our district doesn’t allow for enough reflection on the teacher’s part
as they traditionally only receive feedback from a sampling of mini-observations done by administrators or visits from an
instructional coach periodically. They see those observations as being punitive instead of providing opportunities for
growth. With this current format teachers also are not given any opportunities to see other teachers in action. I found
the teachers were much more receptive to feedback and much more reflective in their own practice when they
compared their lessons to their colleagues’. Since a few of the teachers commented that they would like more time to
collaborate and share ideas with other teachers and wanted to continue to see examples of the science instruction
strategies colleagues use in the classroom. Teachers are more inclined to make adjustments to improve their instruction
when they see others in their building "walking the walk" as opposed to feedback from an administrator based upon a
rubric during a brief observation.
c. In the future I will continue to collaborate with teachers monthly and allow for more opportunities to watch and learn
from their colleagues. I would like to extend this learning by working with teachers to video lessons and share those
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across the district. Teachers appreciate learning from others in their same district/grade level instead of getting the
information from a slideshow or watching a sample lesson outside the district. They tend to gravitate toward learning
from each other more than learning from administrators or instructional coaches.
Refer to the Task 2 Rubric for Textbox 2.4.1 and ask yourself:
In the candidate’s reflection on building-level professional development, where is there evidence of the following?
 Examples of the results of the feedback survey to determine the effectiveness of the professional development
 A rationale for the modifications to be made to the current professional development process
 The identification of the impact that the experience will have on the candidate’s future professional development
work based on all aspects of the professional development
 Why is the candidate’s response clear and appropriate?
Step 4: Reflecting on Building-Level Professional Development
Textbox 2.4.1: Reflecting on Building-Level Professional Development
Did Not Meet/Partially Met Standards Level
A. The professional development that I have been focusing on has been the NEE representative that came in and
discussed the new teacher evaluation tool that our district would be using. Due to all the masters classes I have been
taking the past year and a half, I was very familiar with the new process and apparently I took that for granted. To be
honest, the PD day kind of lulled me to sleep because I already knew the material. However, based on the surveyed
results teachers felt completely different. All they had been hearing the past few years was how they were going to be
evaluated differently, but did not know anything else about it. This PD day was extremely effective because teachers had
identified it as an area they knew little about. As a result, they were very attentive and asked tons of great questions
about the NEE model and process.
B. Currently we have a volunteer professional development committee that solely determines what the PD topics will
be. Because many teachers don’t want to add anything else to their plates, they don’t volunteer. But they are always the
first to speak up when they are unhappy about the topic or how professional development days go. The first
modification I would make if I were a principal would be mandatory surveys. Additionally, I would require 1 on 1 staff
input about what needed to be covered. An excellent time to do this would be just to fill in a few extra minutes while we
go over their classroom observations. This would ensure that all the professional development that we do would come
from the staff directly.
C. As mentioned above, I will spend a significant amount of time visiting with teachers to ensure our PD days are
something that they feel important. This will not be easy, and it will require more work on my end, but you cannot put a
price on teacher improvement. Too many administrators just give run of the mill PD days and teacher get nothing out of
them, which is why PD days get such a bad name. As this PD day showed us, if staff members want to attend and are
interested, they will put forth much more effort.
Refer to the Task 2 Rubric for Textbox 2.4.1 and ask yourself:
In the candidate’s reflection on building-level professional development, where is there evidence of the following?
 Examples of the results of the feedback survey to determine the effectiveness of the professional development
 A rationale for the modifications to be made to the current professional development process
 The identification of the impact that the experience will have on the candidate’s future professional development
work based on all aspects of the professional development
 Why is the candidate’s response global and uneven?
Suggestions for Use
After writing your own rough draft response to the guiding prompts, ask the question, “Which parts of these
examples are closest to what I have written?” Then read the 4 levels of the matching rubric (labeled with the
textbox number) and decide which best matches your response. Use this information as you revise your own
written commentary.
Lastly, using your work and/or these examples as reference, consider what you believe would be appropriate
artifacts for this textbox.