The National Staff Development Council has developed standards for professional development designed to help educators identify and provide quality, results-driven professional development. These standards are explained in the Arkansas Rules Governing Professional Development, and are explored in greater detail in the Arkansas Tool Kit for Quality Professional Development.

Context
Staff development that improves the learning of all students:

• Learning Communities: Organize adults into learning communities whose goals are aligned with those of the school and district
• Leadership: Requires skillful school and district leaders who guide continuous instructional improvement
• Resources: Requires resources to support adult learning and collaboration

Process
Staff development that improves the learning of all students:

• Data-Driven: Uses disaggregated student data to determine adult learning priorities, monitor progress, and help sustain continuous improvement
• Evaluation: Uses multiple sources of information to guide improvement and demonstrate impact
• Research Based: Prepares educators to apply research to decision making
• Design: Uses learning strategies appropriate to the intended goal
• Learning: Applies knowledge about human learning and change
• Collaboration: Provides educators with the knowledge and skills to collaborate

Content
Staff development that improves the learning of all students:

• Equity: Prepares educators to understand and appreciate all students, create safe, orderly, and supportive learning environments, and hold high expectations for their academic achievement.
• Quality Teaching: Deepens educators' content knowledge, provides them with research-based instructional strategies to assist students in meeting rigorous academic standards, and prepare them to use various types of classroom assessment appropriately.
• Family Involvement: Provides educators with knowledge and skills to involve families and other stakeholders appropriately.

For more information on and descriptions of these standards see Chapter 1 of A Tool Kit for Quality Professional Development in Arkansas (pp. 9-27).