Catapult Learning Professional Development Needs Assessment

The Catapult Learning Professional Development Needs Assessment (PDNA) is designed to help schools and districts recognize their strengths and pinpoint areas for improvement. By leveraging the insights gained from the assessment, schools/districts can accurately identify targeted strategies for professional growth and progress.

Image of survey results report to be emailed to you upon survey completion.

A complimentary report will be emailed to you, outlining your district’s or school’s performance against the 21 Attributes of an Exemplary Organization. The report will also include tailored recommendations to guide your next steps toward achieving and surpassing proficiency.

Attributes of an Exemplary School

The PDNA’s holistic, research-based framework is centered on five key focus areas critical to school performance. These areas include Leadership, Pedagogy and Curriculum, Assessment for Learning, Learning Environment, and Student and Family Support. Uncovered through educational improvement research and our 45+ years of dedicated collaborative experiences with schools and districts, these foundational qualities are the hallmark of outstanding educational organizations. When these characteristics are adeptly enacted and sustained, they form a robust foundation that assures educational success for students.

Assess Your District/School Capacity

Our proprietary tool, the PDNA development rubric, applies a nuanced four-tiered scale that ranges from beginning to exemplary. It benchmarks proficiency across 21 attributes in 5 key focus areas, offering a structured opportunity for self-evaluation of your school's/district’s capabilities in each area. The aim is to facilitate educational institutions in their journey toward enhanced proficiency in these critical areas, with the ultimate objective of elevating student success.

Leadership

How well is the school set up for leading and managing change?

Rate your school based on the statements below.

ATTRIBUTE 1

School vision, mission, values, and goals clearly reflect a collective focus on equity, student learning, and achievement.

Key Performance Indicators – See More

School leaders clearly define the school’s mission, vision, and goals, which collectively focus on equity and achievement.

School leaders clearly communicate the school‘s mission, vision, and goals to all stakeholders.

Structures are in place for implementing the school’s mission, vision, and goals.

School leaders often connect celebrations to the school’s mission, vision, and goals with particular attention to creating a sense of inclusion and belonging in the school community.

Beginning Developing Proficient Exemplary

ATTRIBUTE 2

Intentional, collaborative, and open communication systems are in place.

Key Performance Indicators – See More

School leaders communicate on a regular basis about the school’s goals and stakeholder roles.

School-wide systems that promote inclusivity exist for internal and external stakeholders to provide feedback about their roles and the school’s goals.

School leaders expect communication between teachers and parents/caregivers to occur on a monthly basis; this communication is monitored.

Beginning Developing Proficient Exemplary

ATTRIBUTE 3

Leadership and decision-making are broadly distributed among school leaders and staff members.

Key Performance Indicators – See More

School leaders actively pursue opportunities to enhance available revenue and resources (both instructional and human) needed for quality instructional delivery.

Most staff members have clearly defined roles with assigned responsibilities that contribute to the decision-making process on a school-wide level.

The principal delegates appropriate responsibilities to school leaders and most staff members, empowering them to make decisions.

Beginning Developing Proficient Exemplary

ATTRIBUTE 4

The school uses a variety of data to maintain a process for continuous improvement of the school which identifies disparities among student groups, within instructional practices, and the potential impact on student achievement.

Key Performance Indicators – See More

School leaders address the challenges of organizational change by using research, carefully monitoring progress, and ensuring access to culturally responsive practices and resources.

Most school teams facilitate monthly reflection processes based on data at both the schoolwide and classroom level.

School leaders expect evaluation of student achievement data to occur on a monthly basis to inform instruction; this process is monitored.

School leaders and staff often use the process of Plan-Do-Check-Act to analyze, reflect, and make adjustments or standardize actions in order to improve the schools progress towards goals and mission.

Beginning Developing Proficient Exemplary

Pedagogy & Curriculum

How good are opportunities for learning and developing learners?

Rate your school based on the statements below.

ATTRIBUTE 5

School leaders and staff have a clear and common understanding of the key competencies that teachers need for effective culturally responsive instruction.

Key Performance Indicators – See More

School leaders define and communicate to staff the research-based instructional best practices (competencies) that are necessary for effective and culturally responsive teaching and support the school's mission, vision, goals and values.

Most teachers and staff have a common vocabulary for teaching and learning grounded in research- based instructional best practices (competencies) that articulate a vision of effective teaching that meets the needs of each student.

Most teachers and leaders collaborate, using a common vocabulary to drive effective teaching; this leads to instructional adjustments in most classrooms.

School leaders provide teachers with regular opportunities to see research–based, effective teaching in practice; these opportunities are mostly internal.

Beginning Developing Proficient Exemplary

ATTRIBUTE 6

All teachers consistently use a structured planning framework grounded in research-based best practices to deliver explicit, systematic instruction that engages all students.

Key Performance Indicators – See More

The school defines and articulates a common planning framework that meets the needs of most learners.

Most teachers actively plan for and deliver instruction that connects relevant content and tasks to student interest and challenge level and addresses their differing needs.

Teacher instruction is designed to build, and regularly assesses evidence of, competent, independent application of skills.

Beginning Developing Proficient Exemplary

ATTRIBUTE 7

The school ensures that each student receives an engaging and rigorous curriculum that meets their learning needs, ensures the mastery of content standards, and builds essential skills.

Key Performance Indicators – See More

Most teachers share a common definition of academic rigor as it applies to instruction across grade levels and subject areas.

Most teachers refer to standards in their planning and pacing guides and require most students to demonstrate mastery of standards.

School teams create benchmarks or definitions of mastery of skills and content. Most teachers have a shared understanding of the essential skills each student needs to be successful in their learning and life, and they utilize culturally responsive strategies to support students in developing these skills.

Most teachers meet on a regular basis to collaboratively map curriculum and align content vertically and horizontally, and to deliver a coherently mapped curriculum to students.

Most teachers provide accurate, specific, and timely formative feedback to students about their learning. This feedback usually highlights the next steps the student needs to take to move to the next level in his/her work.

Beginning Developing Proficient Exemplary

ATTRIBUTE 8

Classroom instruction includes opportunities for students to apply literacy and numeracy strategies to critical-thinking and problem-solving activities across subject areas.

Key Performance Indicators – See More

Most teachers reinforce literacy and numeracy strategies in the context of their subject areas.

Most teachers provide opportunities for students to engage in critical-thinking and problem-solving activities.

Most teachers provide opportunities for students to apply literacy and numeracy strategies in real-world, open-ended contexts.

Beginning Developing Proficient Exemplary

ATTRIBUTE 9

The school provides ongoing, differentiated professional development and job-embedded coaching to develop teacher skills and content knowledge and improve equitable support for all students.

Key Performance Indicators – See More

A system and process is in place to observe teaching and learning; the principal and other school leaders conduct frequent observations for most teachers and constructive feedback is provided to most teachers.

A system and schedule are in place for most teachers to conduct peer observations and provide feedback; a system is in place for the sharing of teacher best practices during meetings and professional development days.

A formal system is in place to generate classroom observation data; this data is used to drive whole-school and teacher team professional development plans.

Professional development structures include school self- evaluation procedures and are aimed at developing whole-school improvements and teacher team improvements that drive equitable support for all students.

Beginning Developing Proficient Exemplary

Assessment for Learning

How well does the school use assessment, data, and feedback to promote learning?

Rate your school based on the statements below.

ATTRIBUTE 10

Teachers use varied culturally responsive and relevant strategies to assess achievement and analyze data to inform instruction.

Key Performance Indicators – See More

High expectations and consistent criteria for achievement are observable in most classrooms.

Most teachers employ ongoing culturally responsive formative and summative assessments, self and peer assessments, and probing questions to monitor and assess each student's understanding and critical thinking.

Most teachers analyze summative and formative assessment data.

Most teachers use summative and formative assessment data to adjust and modify instruction in response to identified student needs.

School-wide systems are in place to configure and present achievement data in a way that is accessible to all students and parents/ caregivers and informs regular conversations about students’ learning goals and progress.

Beginning Developing Proficient Exemplary

ATTRIBUTE 11

Students understand the student learning objectives being set for them by the school and the teacher, and they actively participate in evaluation of performance and monitoring of progress.

Key Performance Indicators – See More

Students understand and can often explain their class learning objectives, which are communicated in student-friendly language by most of their teachers.

Most teachers create opportunities for students to intentionally self- assess and reflect on their own learning based on formative feedback from teachers.

Most teachers create regular opportunities for students to assess the performance of their peers and offer constructive feedback using assessment criteria.

Most teachers implement structures for students to often track their progress toward meeting achievement goals and to identify next steps with their teachers that need to be taken.

Beginning Developing Proficient Exemplary

ATTRIBUTE 12

School teams analyze assessment data to inform instructional decision-making at the school and classroom level.

Key Performance Indicators – See More

Most school teams employ data analysis to evaluate the impact of their intervention programs to meet the needs of all students.

Most school teams utilize data analysis meetings to share best pedagogical practices based on student achievement data.

School teams review and analyze key subgroup data from summative and formative assessments on a monthly basis.

School leaders and teams share proposed actions resulting from data analysis with students and parents, when appropriate.

School leaders often monitor to ensure that data-driven decisions are enacted, and frequently discuss the effectiveness of those decisions with their school teams.

Beginning Developing Proficient Exemplary

ATTRIBUTE 13

School leaders analyze a variety of assessment data to evaluate teacher efficacy and inform decisions on professional development.

Key Performance Indicators – See More

School leaders collect and review summative, formative, and sub-group assessment data on a monthly basis to compare student achievement results within and beyond the school.

School leaders engage teachers in reflective conversations about their practice and their students’ achievement in comparison to results within and beyond the school on a monthly basis to ensure student outcomes reflect equitable learning opportunities.

School leaders use summative, formative, and sub- group assessment data to plan individual and group professional development on a monthly basis that is responsive to students’ achievement results within and beyond the school.

Beginning Developing Proficient Exemplary

Learning Environment

How well does the school promote and foster environments that support learning and motivation?

Rate your school based on the statements below.

ATTRIBUTE 14

A school culture is intentionally implemented and explicitly connects all stakeholders to a set of shared values that reflect the varying perspectives and experiences of the school community.

Key Performance Indicators – See More

The school culture is clearly expressed through shared expectations, values, and goals, and most school stakeholders know and can articulate its key features.

Most teachers and administrators clearly articulate high expectations for most students by establishing academic, social and emotional, and behavioral goals in alignment with college and career readiness, and celebrate achievement in ways that honor student experience and voice.

Most stakeholders implement the community code based on a set of shared expectations, values, and goals through their actions during the school day and at community events.

Most stakeholders have opportunities to participate in defining a positive school culture and often demonstrate ownership through their language, attitudes, and behaviors.

Beginning Developing Proficient Exemplary

ATTRIBUTE 15

The school environment is the responsibility of all stakeholders, and is responsive to student diversity, conducive to a variety of learning needs, and inclusive of a variety of pedagogical approaches.

Key Performance Indicators – See More

Most physical spaces and displays in the school environment are adaptable and dynamic. Displays are leader- or teacher-generated and most relate to student learning and are representative of student diversity.

Most areas of the school environment are used as a resource to support learning and various pedagogical approaches for most students and reinforce positive behavior.

Most areas of the school environment display student learning, meaningful feedback and progress, and celebrate achievement.

Beginning Developing Proficient Exemplary

ATTRIBUTE 16

Students take ownership of their learning and act as change agents to extend learning, broaden horizons, and enrich their understanding of themselves.

Key Performance Indicators – See More

Most leaders and teachers foster student ownership of learning by engaging most students in the development of rules and routines and asking for student feedback on learning experiences in order to engage and motivate students.

The school provides most students with regular opportunities to develop personal relationships with a key school community member to understand each student on a personal level and assist achievement of personal academic, social-emotional, and behavioral goals.

The school has defined diverse experiential learning opportunities that are responsive and accessible for most students.

Beginning Developing Proficient Exemplary

Student & Family Support

How well does the school use its internal and external resources to meet the spectrum of need for all learners?

Rate your school based on the statements below.

ATTRIBUTE 17

The school provides a structure to build meaningful relationships between students and staff.

Key Performance Indicators – See More

The school creates formal opportunities within the classroom for students and adults to engage in dialogue on a variety of topics important to students.

The school implements formal tutoring structures and systems for students in need of academic support.

The school creates a structure for a formal mentoring program for students identified as in need of non-academic assistance.

The school creates explicit programs and/or structures to model and teach important social and behavioral skills to support students in need.

Beginning Developing Proficient Exemplary

ATTRIBUTE 18

A student support team uses assessment and data analysis to identify students in need of special support and prescribes interventions or other services as needed.

Key Performance Indicators – See More

The student support team conducts formal screenings/ diagnostics in reading and math 3 to 4 times a year to identify students in need of special services.

The student support team uses data from multiple sources to identify students in need/at risk and prescribe interventions or other services.

The student support team creates formal mechanisms to assist core academic classroom teachers in support of students in need.

The student support team communicates with most parents and caregivers in culturally responsive and accessible ways to discuss interventions or other services and to elicit the support of relevant community resources.

Beginning Developing Proficient Exemplary

ATTRIBUTE 19

School teams (grade-level teams, PLCs, etc.) meet to discuss the diverse needs of students and share strategies and resources to meet those needs.

Key Performance Indicators – See More

Most teachers meet in teams to share academic and behavioral data and discuss the needs of their students.

All teacher teams collaborate monthly to create or share resources and strategies to address the needs of their students.

Most teacher teams elicit support and recommendations on a regular basis from the student support team.

Beginning Developing Proficient Exemplary

ATTRIBUTE 20

Student conferences are guided by a variety of performance data, review student progress, set future goals, and include participation from internal or external specialists as needed.

Key Performance Indicators – See More

Formal school-wide student conferences occur in most classrooms and meaningfully engage parents/caregivers and students.

Most student conferences are informed and guided by a variety of performance data.

Most student conferences include the input of internal or external specialists when needed.

Most student conferences result in the teacher, student and parents collaboratively re-setting the student goals and creating a collaborative plan for achieving them.

Beginning Developing Proficient Exemplary

ATTRIBUTE 21

The school actively encourages families and community members to participate and become full partners in the educational decisions that affect student success.

Key Performance Indicators – See More

School has identified an existing staff member to serve as a community liaison. Formal processes and structures exist to communicate with parents/caregivers and community members on a regular basis.

The school creates mechanisms for ongoing outreach, events, and communication in order to empower most parents/caregivers and community members as active partners in the school.

The school communicates on a regular basis with external agencies to build school capacity to better meet the needs of all students.

Beginning Developing Proficient Exemplary

Catapult Learning Professional Development Needs Assessment

Attributes of an Exemplary School

Assess Your District/School Capacity

Leadership

How well is the school set up for leading and managing change?

Pedagogy & Curriculum

How good are opportunities for learning and developing learners?

Assessment for Learning

How well does the school use assessment, data, and feedback to promote learning?

Learning Environment

How well does the school promote and foster environments that support learning and motivation?

Student & Family Support

How well does the school use its internal and external resources to meet the spectrum of need for all learners?

Submit your survey