About the Book

Transform your professional learning programs with proven evaluation strategies that drive real results!

Professional learning is more important than ever, yet many programs fail to deliver meaningful improvements in teaching practice or student outcomes. This comprehensive guide addresses the urgent need for effective evaluation methods that can transform how educators approach professional learning. Drawing from 25 years of field feedback and the latest research, this updated edition provides practical frameworks for assessing professional learning across five critical levels: participant reactions, participant learning, organizational support and change, implementation, and improved student outcomes.

Building on the foundation that made the first edition a landmark resource cited in over 7,000 scholarly articles, this second edition offers educators and school leaders the tools they need to design, implement, and evaluate professional learning that actually works.

Key features include:

• Streamlined, practical guidance that focuses on utility and ease of implementation rather than academic theory
• An updated research base reflecting the latest findings in professional learning effectiveness
• A five-level evaluation framework that connects professional learning directly to student learning outcomes
• Guidance for using AI tools to gather evaluation data and meaningfully analyze results
• Real-world examples and case studies demonstrating successful evaluation strategies across diverse educational contexts
• Reflection questions and resources at the end of each chapter to support immediate application

Whether you′re a teacher leader, school leader, or professional learning coordinator, this book will help you move beyond professional learning that merely satisfies participants to programs that transform educational practice and demonstrably improve student learning.

Table of Contents:
Foreword by Frederick Brown Acknowledgments About the Author CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION Why Is Professional Learning Important? Why Is Evaluation Important? Why Are Most Professional Learning Evaluations Inadequate? What Issues Will We Not Address? What Issues Will We Address? Conclusion Questions for Reflection CHAPTER 2. THE PUZZLING RESULTS IN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING RESEARCH Why Are Many Summaries of Professional Learning So Discouraging? Why Do Positive Results Remain Puzzling? What Explains the Inconsistencies in Results? How Can We Get Better Results Conclusion Questions for Reflection CHAPTER 3. WHAT IS PROFESSIONAL LEARNING? What Is Professional Learning? What Are the Different Models of Professional Learning? How Do the Different Models Compare? Is There Consensus on the Features of Effective Professional Learning? What Are the Standards for Professional Learning? Conclusion Questions for Reflection CHAPTER 4. WHAT IS EVALUATION? What Is Evaluation? How Does Evaluation Differ From Other Related Activities? What Are the Principal Models of Evaluation? What Are the Purposes of Evaluation? What Are the Standards for Good Evaluations? Conclusion Questions for Reflection CHAPTER 5. PRACTICAL GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING How Should We Begin Thinking About Evaluating Professional Learning? What Is the Relationship Between Professional Learning and Improvements in Student Learning? What Are the Critical Levels of Professional Learning Evaluation? What Are the Implications of the Five Critical Levels? What Is the Difference Between Evidence and Proof? Conclusion Questions for Reflection CHAPTER 6. LEVEL 1: PARTICIPANTS’ REACTIONS What Questions Are Addressed at This Level? How Will Evidence Be Gathered? What Is Measured or Assessed? How Will the Evidence Be Used? Conclusion Questions for Reflection CHAPTER 7. LEVEL 2: PARTICIPANTS’ LEARNING Why Is It Important to Assess Participants’ Learning? What Questions Are Addressed at This Level? What Types of Learning Are Assessed? How Will Evidence Be Gathered? What Is Measured or Assessed How Will the Evidence Be Used? Conclusion Questions for Reflection CHAPTER 8. LEVEL 3: ORGANIZATION SUPPORT AND CHANGE Why Is It Important to Assess Organization Support and Change? What Questions Are Addressed? How Will the Evidence Be Gathered? What Is Measured or Assessed? How Will the Evidence Be Used? Questions for Reflection CHAPTER 9. LEVEL 4: PARTICIPANTS’ USE OF NEW KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS Why Is It Important to Assess Participants’ Use of New Knowledge and Skills What Questions Are Addressed? How Will the Evidence Be Gathered? What Is Measured or Assessed? How Will the Evidence Be Used? Questions for Reflection CHAPTER 10. LEVEL 5: STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES Why Is It Important to Assess Student Learning Outcomes? What Questions Are Addressed? What Types of Learning Are Assessed? How Will the Evidence Be Gathered? What Other Assessment Issues Should Be Considered? What Is Measured or Assessed? How Will the Evidence Be Used? Questions for Reflection CHAPTER 11. PRESENTING EVALUATION RESULTS How Do We Begin the Evaluation Process? Why Is Flexibility Essential? Who Is Responsible for Evaluation? How Is Evaluation Evidence Best Presented? How Should Evaluation Reports be Organized? What Additional Aspects of Evaluation Must Be Considered? Where Do We Go From Here? Questions for Reflection REFERENCES INDEX