Professional Development Planning Flashcards
7 cards from real MAT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Professional Development Planning flashcards as text
Which of the following best describes a Professional Learning Community (PLC) in the context of teacher professional development?
Answer: A collaborative team that uses data to improve student learning and teacher practice
PLCs are structured collaborative teams that use shared data inquiry cycles to drive continuous improvement in teaching and learning.
A mid-career teacher receives consistently high evaluation scores but notices her students underperform on analytical writing tasks. What does this scenario suggest about her PD planning?
Answer: She should use student performance data to identify and target a specific instructional gap
High evaluation scores do not preclude targeted PD; student outcome data can reveal specific instructional areas needing growth.
When creating a long-term professional development plan, which sequence of steps is most logical?
Answer: Assess current skills → identify goals → select activities → evaluate outcomes
Effective PD planning follows a cyclical process beginning with self-assessment before setting goals and selecting appropriate activities.
Which of the following is the BEST example of using formative assessment data to inform a teacher's professional development plan?
Answer: A teacher notices exit ticket data reveals 60% of students misunderstand fractions and pursues targeted math PD
Using classroom formative data to identify specific instructional gaps directly connects PD planning to student learning needs.
A teacher's state requires 60 hours of professional development per license renewal cycle. What does this requirement primarily represent?
Answer: A minimum threshold for continuing licensure, not necessarily a comprehensive PD plan
Mandatory PD hours for license renewal set a legal minimum but do not themselves constitute a strategic or comprehensive professional growth plan.
Which professional development model involves a teacher systematically investigating a question about their own classroom practice?
Answer: Action research
Action research is a structured inquiry process in which teachers investigate specific questions about their own practice to improve outcomes.
A principal asks all teachers to set one school-year professional growth goal connected to the school's strategic plan. This practice best exemplifies which PD concept?
Answer: Systemic professional development alignment
Linking individual teacher PD goals to the school's strategic plan reflects systemic alignment between personal and organizational improvement.