Standards for Professional Learning have multiple purposes. For example, educators use them to understand professional learning, share that understanding with colleagues, establish policy, and plan, facilitate, and evaluate high-quality professional learning.

How educators use Standards for Professional Learning depends often on their roles and contexts in which they work. All educators have a responsibility to understand and apply knowledge of standards to their own learning and that of their peers. Educators such as system/central office leaders, principals, instructional coaches, and external or technical assistance providers will explore multiple uses of using standards as they plan, implement, evaluate, and provide resources for professional learning.

The ideas that follow are a starting point for how to use Standards for Professional Learning.

Build awareness and understanding.

• Study the standards to understand what high-quality professional learning entails.
• Use the standards collectively to establish common language and expectations about the professional learning all educators deserve to experience.
• Periodically review and discuss standards with educators in any role to support them in understanding their responsibilities related to professional learning.
• Share standards with parents, caregivers, and community members so they understand the importance of professional learning to student success.

Advance professional learning in practice.

• Use the standards to assess the quality of existing professional learning and suggest improvements or refinements.
• Apply the standards to plan, facilitate, and evaluate professional learning for individuals or teams at the school or system level.
• Use the standards to contribute to the development of a comprehensive professional learning system.
• Share the standards with external assistance providers to establish expectations for any assistance they provide to school or system staff.
• Develop model professional learning plans and programs using standards to deepen educators’ understanding and use of standards.

Establish policies and secure resources.

• Leverage the standards to advocate for resources or support for high-quality professional learning.
• Adopt standards to establish school, system, state, provincial, or federal policies that advance the quality of professional learning.
• Establish review processes to assess the alignment of professional learning to standards.
• Tie funding and support for professional learning to those plans and programs that align to standards.