StepEight
OfferProfessionalDevelopment
Create professional development programs that help educators constantly expand their skills
Texaseducatorsareamongthe
(seepage10);partneringwithcolleaguesto
bestinthenation.Theyare
developmorerigorouscurricula;and
aligningprogramsthatspansecondaryand
caring,capable,andcommitted
postsecondaryeducation.
professionalswhobelievethat
allstudentscanlearn.
ProfessionalDevelopment
Allthiswillrequiresignificantprofessional
Still,everyoneagreesthattheeducation
developmentforteachersandcounselors.
systeminTexascanimprove.There’sstill
Thisshouldstartinteacherpreparation
muchworktobedonetoensurethatall
programsthroughoutthestate.Institutions
studentsgraduatefullyreadyfortherigorof
needtoredesignprogramstosupportthe
Teaching
postsecondaryeducationortraining,anda
careerclusters,includingexpandinganew
Active Learning
career.AchieveTexaschallengeseducatorsto
teachers’sensethattheyhaveasignificant
rethinktheirassumptionsabouthow
roleinpreparingstudentsforcollegeand
MuchofAchieveTexasprofessional
studentslearnandhoweducatorsteach,
careersuccess.
developmentwillbefocusedon
anditencouragesthemtodeveloprigorous
AchieveTexasseekstodramatically
encouragingeducatorstoabandon
curriculaanddesignbetterassessment.
increasethequantityandqualityof
lecturesandrotememorizationinfavor Educatorswillbeaskedtoimplement
professionaldevelopmentforeducators,so
ofteachingthewayweknowworks newstrategiesaspartofAchieveTexas.This
best.It’snosecretthatactive,hands-on,
thattheyarefullycomfortablewith
includesplayingaroleincareerguidance
contextual,problem-andproject-based
implementingclusters.Thisincludes
learningisveryeffectiveatengaging
studentsandmotivatingthemto
achieve.Usingreal-worldsituationsand
problemswhileteachingshowsstudents
thatwhattheyarelearningisrelevantto
lifeoutsideschool.
Recentresearchsuggeststhatstudents
don’tdropoutofschoolbecause
learningistoohard,butsimplybecause
itisboring.Teachingteacherstoutilize
active,hands-onlearningisasound
strategytopreventTexasstudentsfrom
notcompletingtheireducationand
reachingtheircareergoals.
Activeteachingpaysoffasmore
studentsbettergrasphigher-level
knowledgeandmastersophisticated
skills.Itissimplytherightwaytodo
education.
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