Guskey, Thomas R. (2000). Evaluating Professional Development. Scott D. Richman, University of South Florida

Guskey, Thomas R. (2000). Evaluating Professional Development. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Publishing, Inc. Pp. 306 ISBN 0-7619-7561-6 Scott D. Richman University of South Florida December 9, 2006 Professional Development plays a vital role in all educational systems as we strive to increase teacher effectiveness and ultimately, improve student achievement. Thomas Guskey poses an important question related to this issue, asking, “How do we determine the effects and effectiveness of activities designed to enhance the professional knowledge and skills of educators so that they might, in turn, improve the learning of students”? (p. 1) Although professional development is a hot topic amongst politicians and educational professionals today due to the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 (U.S. Department of Education, 2002) requirements, they often overlook the importance evaluation plays in the learning process for students and adults. Therefore, the concept of evaluating professional development activities becomes a vital tool for ensuring teachers are acquiring new knowledge and skills to ultimately increase student achievement. In his book Evaluating Professional Development, Guskey (2000) analyzes the use of evaluations for educator growth opportunities. Guskey is a Professor of Educational Policy and Evaluation at the University of Kentucky. He is a regular presenter for the National Staff Development Council (NSDC) and one of the authors of the Standards for Staff Development. The text addresses the basics of professional development, methods for evaluation and how to improve upon the programs in a school or district. The Foreword, written by Dennis Sparks, heavily criticizes the ineffective professional development evaluation that has been and is still being used in educational systems around the world. Sparks also praises professional development as a growth process and compliments Guskey on the methods used in the book, including the suggestions offered to assist staff development planners. In the introduction, Guskey provides an overview of the professional development evaluation issues and the parameters he plans to address, and suggests “reasons for the growing interest in evaluation of professional development.” (p. 8) These reasons include the concept that professional development is a dynamic, intentional process, which must have accountability. He also focuses on the reasons why professional development evaluations are inadequate, including that “often they are not evaluations at all,” the evaluations “are too shallow” and “the evaluative efforts are frequently too brief.” (p. 9) In chapters 1 and 2, Guskey addresses the following questions: What is Professional Development and What is Evaluation. In answering these two questions he ties these two concepts together by providing information relevant to the overall idea of evaluating professional development. This information also forms the basis behind why the evaluation of professional development has been ineffective in the past. In defining the characteristics of effective professional development, Guskey states it is an intentional, ongoing, and systemic process (p 16). These three characteristics lay the foundation for successful professional development. So often professional development is seen as something we have to attend and we are glad it only lasts one day. Guskey challenges this notion by providing a step by step process to achieve an effective and worthwhile experience. The author also presents information regarding the various methods used in evaluation. This allows to reader to create an operational definition of both concepts, professional development and evaluation, before they are combined into one process. In addition, he compares research and evaluation for several characteristics to help the reader grasp their distinct differences. In chapter 2 he also quotes former President Dwight D. Eisenhower, “We shouldn’t try to do something better until we first determine if we should do it at all.” (p. 47) This statement summarizes the evaluation process which should determine the need for professional development followed by its effectiveness. Guskey concludes the chapter by summarizing the three basic purposes of evaluation: Planning, Formative and Summative. In comparing and contrasting these purposes, he provides the reader with information to assist them in choosing the appropriate method for evaluating the effectiveness of a professional development program. In chapter 3, Guskey connects the ideas explained in the two previous chapters, professional development and evaluation, and ties them into one concept. He begins the chapter by pointing out the startling fact that many educators thought, “professional development is good by definition, and therefore, more is always better.” (p. 67) He continues to say that, “If you want to improve your professional development program, simply add a day or two.” (p. 67) Using this school of thought, the solution to our ineffective training programs is to make them longer, which Guskey points out is not supported by research. He then lists five basic issues educators should consider when evaluating professional development. How should we begin thinking about professional development evaluation? What is the relationship between professional development and improvements in student learning? What are the critical levels of professional development evaluation? What is the difference between evidence and proof? What are the practical guidelines for evaluating professional development? (p. 68) Using these five questions as a guide, professional developers can ensure their evaluations will be meaningful and reflective of the effectiveness of the program. When conducting the evaluation, Guskey suggests there are five critical levels of professional development evaluation: “Participants’ reactions, Participants’ learning, Organization support and change, Participants’ use of new knowledge and skills and Student learning outcomes.” (p. 82) Many states, like Florida, have a protocol system in place that use many of these critical levels to evaluate the staff development programs in the districts they oversee. Guskey concludes this chapter with a set of twelve guidelines for evaluating professional development including examining the content of the activity in addition to the traditional examination of the reaction of the participants to the course. In chapters 4-8, Guskey addresses the five critical levels introduced in chapter 3 in sequence. Chapter 4, which focuses on participants’ reactions, examines the various questions used to determine the effectiveness and usefulness of the professional development activity from the participant’s point of view. These responses are usually gathered through the use of a questionnaire and the goal is to measure “participants’ initial satisfaction with the experience.” (p. 115) Chapter 5 addresses participants’ learning to determine if the intended learning experience has occurred and to what extent it has been implemented into the participant’s classroom. This level of evaluation examines three major learning goals: “Cognitive (knowledge and understanding), Psychomotor (skills and behaviors), and Affective (attitudes and beliefs).” (p. 126) A survey is used as well to gather the data for this type of evaluation but the focus of the data is now on “the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of beliefs that participants gain as a result of their professional development experience.” (p. 146) Chapter 6 focuses on the effect of the professional development activity on the culture of the organization. This focus is important because “changing school cultures is far more difficult and much more complex than changing school structures.” (p. 151) The questionnaires often used for this type of evaluation addresses the attitudes of the staff including the administration to determine the roadblocks to organizational growth and development. Guskey states, “Our major interest at Level 3 of professional development evaluation is assessing the organization’s advocacy, support, accommodation, facilitation, and recognition of those involved in the improvement process.” (p. 173) The information gathered benefits the professional development planners and those in the organization. Chapter 7 addresses the participants’ use of the new knowledge when they return to the classroom. Guskey points out four challenges associated with this type of evaluation: “Identify critical indicators of use. Specify dimensions of quantity and quality. Determine if adequate time was provided. Allow sufficient flexibility for contextual adaptations.” (p. 179) While this information may be difficult to obtain, it is vital to the evaluation of the overall effectiveness of the professional development activity. Chapter 8 focuses on student learning outcomes and is closely tied to the level 4 evaluation of participant use of knowledge. The success of a professional development activity in this level is often assessed using state achievement tests and other teacher created assessments. In the last chapter of the book, Guskey provides information and suggestions concerning the presentation of evaluation results. While many professional development planners take time to collect data, it is equally as important to spend time preparing the presentation of the data. The reports generated by this process should clearly outline the entire process from start to finish and highlight the key points. “Only when we can describe results in ways that are understandable to various constituencies will we be in a position to offer recommendations for change or to seek additional support.” (p. 258) This book is useful for educational professionals across the board. Guskey effectively opens his book with a thorough description of professional development and evaluation. He then ties these two concepts together by explaining the evaluation process allowing educators to address the key aspects of successful professional development programs. This work would be beneficial for university programs in educational leadership. Such programs often focus on leadership styles and skills and often overlook the benefits professional development plays in the management of our schools. In addition, school district staff development planners should use this work as a reference to assist them in ensuring that their programs are effectively impacting student achievement. Guskey has provided an excellent resource for those involved in staff development and researchers of professional development processes. References Florida Department of Education (2006). Retrieved September 15, 2006, from http://www.fldoe.com U.S. Department of Education. (2004). No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Washington, DC: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. Retrieved September 15, 2006, from http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/107-110.pdf Copyright is retained by the first or sole author, who grants right of first publication to the Education Review.