Background
There is a close fit between the courses of PBS/TeacherLine and the requirements for professional development stipulated by the Reading First program. This paper reviews those requirements and using examples and research shows how PBS/TeacherLine aligns with them.

The Department of Education lays out the goals and requirements for Reading First in a brief document, Guidance for the Reading First Program (OESE, Department of Education, 2002). The document emphasizes the importance of professional development in Reading First programs.
Reading First funds will also focus on providing significantly increased teacher professional development to ensure that all teachers, including special education teachers, have the skills they need to teach these programs effectively. (OESE 2002, p.1)

The OESE document also underscores the importance of responding to educational research in selecting reading programs and in providing professional development for them.
Scientifically based reading research has identified five essential components of reading instruction. This research demonstrates that children need to master skills in these five interrelated areas in order to become proficient, successful readers. Reading First focuses instructional methods and materials, assessments and professional development on these key areas. Programs funded under Reading First will have to demonstrate their ability to address these components in a comprehensive and effective manner. (OESE 2002, p. 2)

This white paper describes each of the requirements of high quality professional development as defined by the Guidance document and it pays special attention to the five research-based components of effective reading. Each section summarizes the requirement, illustrates how PBS/TeacherLine meets the requirements, and briefly reviews supporting research from the literature.
Alignment of PBS/TeacherLine with Reading First
The Reading First program identifies six requirements for professional development in reading instruction.

1) The program produces an increase in student achievement.
2) It is aligned to curriculum and standards.
3) It gives teachers an opportunity to practice new concepts.
4) It provides coaching and feedback to participants.
5) It contains strong pedagogical content.
6) It addresses reading difficulties and assessment.

1) Increase in student achievement

Reading First
Professional development related to a high-quality, effective reading program should aim to increase student achievement by enabling and ensuring the implementation of the particular program(s). Research has shown that teachers who participate in well-designed professional development activities get better results from their students. (OESE 2002, p. 7)

PBS/TeacherLine
PBS/TeacherLine has been designed to provide solid, practical experience for participating teachers in their classrooms. It is also thoroughly aligned with the content to local and national standards, providing a consistent and coherent framework for change. In both ways, then, PBS/TeacherLine is designed to increase student achievement.

Of course, the increase in student achievement is a measurable quality of the program. Recently, PBS has commissioned an extensive and thorough test of the impact of this program on teachers and students. A pilot study in 2002 in schools in Miami-Dade County, Florida, produced encouraging results. The evaluators found that “TeacherLine-participating schools scored higher, on average, than non-participating schools on the four outcome measures (drawn from the Florida state test FCAT).”

In response to these favorable findings, PBS retained the Hezel Alliance, an evaluation company in Syracuse, New York, to conduct a large-scale scientific evaluation of the PBS/TeacherLine program. This evaluation will determine whether instructional practice and student outcomes change as a consequence of their teachers’ participation in courses of PBS/TeacherLine.

The design of the study is based on the guidelines of scientifically based research (SBR). All 100 participating teachers are randomly assigned to one of two groups. Teachers in one group agree to take two PBS/TeacherLine courses during the 2004-05 school year. Teachers in the other group agree that they will not take any PBS/TeacherLine courses during the year. Student test scores for all teachers will be analyzed at the end of the year. The results of this evaluation will be published in Fall 2005.
From the research literature

“Research shows that the most influential factor (influencing student achievement) is classroom practice…. Professional development tailored to increase teacher repertoires of classroom instructional practices increases student academic performance” (Sutton & Krueger 2003, p. 26). Teachers learn best when the courses are grounded in the realities of the classroom, particular children, and the teacher’s own experience (cf. Lave & Wenger 1991).

The results in student achievement also reinforce teachers’ positive response to the professional development. “When teachers objectively observe positive learning results with students, they are more likely to sustain and implement changes in their own teaching.” (Loucks-Horsley et al. 2003, p. 205).

2) Align to curriculum and standards

Reading First
Well-designed professional development aligns clearly with the instructional program, including its research base, as well as with State academic and performance standards. (OESE 2002, p. 7)

PBS/TeacherLine
PBS TeacherLine courses are closely aligned to national and state standards. In many courses teachers create teaching materials that support their specific state standards. In some courses, activities ask teachers to examine the specific standards related to the content of that course and to discuss this connection.

In the course RDLA 170: Teaching Vocabulary: Word Meanings and Word Knowledge (Grades PreK-2), teachers analyze the vocabulary-related standards from NCTE/IRA and their own state for speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Then they evaluate their own instructional practices with respect to those standards.

PBS/TeacherLine also offers two courses on curriculum mapping that were designed by Heidi Hayes Jacobs: INST 300: Curriculum Mapping I by Heidi Hayes Jacobs and INST 305: Curriculum Mapping II. The first course considers mapping and curriculum issues in individual classrooms and the second examines school-wide curriculum planning. These courses make concrete the task of aligning the teachers’ activities to the goals of the school and the requirements of the state.

From the research literature high quality professional development is directly tied to local and national standards and that tie provides a consistent and coherent framework for change.

Today, 49 states have developed content standards for most grades and many of these accompany their standards with high-stakes tests that are aligned to the standards (NRC 2001, p. 34). Researchers find that these standards are an important starting place for high quality professional development.
Dialog about teaching and learning is guided by what state and national standards identify as the most important content and strategies for student learning” (Sutton & Krueger 2002, p. 30).
A logical starting for planners is to gain a clear picture of who the students in the system are, what standards are in place for them, and how they are performing in relation to those standards. Rigorous analysis of student learning data is a prerequisite for planning any professional development program (Loucks-Horsley et al. 2003, p.56).
Research affirms that such standards can effectively improve reading outcomes but only to the extent that they are valid, specific, meaningful to teachers, and actually influence instructional conduct on a day-to-day basis. (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, p. 334)

3) Giving teachers an opportunity to practice new concepts

Reading First
Adequate time must be available for teachers to learn new concepts and to practice what they have learned. (OESE, 2002, p. 7)

PBS/TeacherLine
In each PBS/TeacherLine course, teachers are required to adapt the content to use in their classroom, to create their own library of teaching resources, and to modify their teaching practice by incorporating the new strategies they are learning.

Because the courses are six weeks long, teachers have adequate time to practice with the concepts and they are encouraged to do this by the course facilitators. Also, discussions give teachers an opportunity to share their experiences in the classroom with colleagues who are facing similar challenges.

In the course RDLA 155: Teaching Phonemic Awareness and Phonics (Grades PreK-3) participants study the stages of literacy development and practice assessing the performance of developing readers. In one session, they view the video, “Assessing Phonological and Phonemic Awareness” that shows a kindergarten teacher working with four students. Participants discuss the level of linguistic development indicated by these students.

In another session in RDLA 155, teachers watch another video, “Teaching Phonological Awareness,” that shows first-grade students learning letter- sound correspondence. Then they are asked to complete a Self-Assessment on the activity and write in their online journal about how that activity might (or might not) be effective with their students. They are asked to discuss the factors that influence choice about how much and what kind of phonics instruction a student needs.

These are typical examples of how the PBS TeacherLine courses stimulate reflection through journaling, written papers, and discussions. Courses also include evaluation activities given at the beginning and again at the end of the course that prompt participants to record their changing expectations, goals and learning. Through these various reflection activities, the courses draw a strong connection between course content and the teachers’ practice and implementation in their classrooms.
From the research literature
“A growing consensus about effective professional development is that it is most powerful when embedded in the daily work life of teachers to create a collaborative culture of inquiry about student understanding” (Sutton & Krueger 2002, p. 30, see also Imel 1989). “Professional development opportunities for teachers need to occur in a context in which teachers can try what they have learned in their classrooms” (NCTM 2003, p. 49).

This “practice-based” professional development lets teachers examine the results of their own work and share those with others (Hawley & Valli 2000). The resulting discussion of specific experiences from the classroom “engages participants in a critical reflection on practice” and provides a natural entry point for guidance from an expert (NSF 2000, p. 80).

“When teachers objectively observe positive learning results with students, they are more likely to sustain and implement changes in their own teaching” (Loucks-Horsley, et al. 2003, p. 205).

A structured approach to practice-based professional development is epitomized in the lesson-study approach. Here teachers collaboratively develop a lesson, try it out, discuss what happened, and then refine the lesson accordingly (Stigler & Hiebert 1999). “Teachers who have engaged in lesson study relate that they transfer the skills and knowledge that they learn during the study of specific lessons into other content areas” (Loucks-Horsley et al. 2003, p. 186).

Practice-based professional development also helps teachers use the inquiry approach and creates the context for a “productive disposition about one’s own knowledge, practice and learning…. (Teachers) become more comfortable with mathematical ideas and are ripe for a more systemic view of the subject” (NRC 2001).

4) Providing coaching and feedback

Reading First
Coaches, mentors, peers and outside experts provide feedback as new concepts are put into practice. (OESE, 2002, p. 7)

PBS/TeacherLine
The PBS TeacherLine learning environment supports community building across temporal and geographic boundaries through online discussions and collaboration. Course curricula promote opportunities for collaborative problem solving, mentoring, and peer review. The courses also use robust discussion tools to build a community practice.

For example, in the course RDLA 160: Teaching Phonics and Spelling for Emergent Readers participants must complete as a final project a case study of an emergent speller. They build the case by collecting three writing samples from the student, together with other relevant information about the student. Then they describe a two-week course of instruction, with a lesson plan, that they would provide for that student based on their initial assessment of the student’s level of development within the Emergent Spelling Stage.

The case study and lesson plan are posted on the class bulletin board and the participant receives feedback and suggestions from peers as well as the course facilitator. Using these comments, the participant revises the lesson plan and adds a reflection piece. The project is assessed with a rubric.

With a rich, demanding project like this, feedback from colleagues and coaching from the course facilitator are highly valuable for learning. Indeed, facilitators play a critical role in the courses of PBS TeacherLine and they all take an intensive, online facilitator training course to support learner-centered environments. Often this course is launched with a face-to-face session and the rest of the sessions are online.

From the research literature

Most teachers work in relative isolation, with little support for innovation and few incentives to improve their practice. Yet much of teachers’ best learning occurs when they examine their teaching practices with colleagues. Research indicates that teachers are better able to help their students when they have opportunities to work together to improve their practice, time for personal reflection, and strong support from colleagues and other qualified professionals (NCTM 2000).

This kind of shared experience is especially important when teachers, as learners, begin to grapple with complex and challenging issues. Indeed, research again underscores that working in groups-“making sense of information in interaction with others”-is extremely valuable to learning (NSF 2000). Those interactions can be greatly enhanced and amplified with appropriate use of online technology.

Repeatedly, research finds that facilitators are critical to the success of the training. “Skilled facilitators ask thoughtful questions to cause deeper reflection and learning, summarize information to organize ideas, and provide specific feedback designed to promote reflection” (NSDC 2001, p. 15).

“Whether participating in an electronic network, online course, or an in-person session, the skill of the moderator or facilitator can ‘make or break’ the professional learning experience” (Loucks-Horsley et al. 2003).

5) Strong pedagogical content

Reading First
Professional development must prepare all teachers to teach all of the essential components of reading instruction and to know how they are related, the progression in which they should be taught, and the underlying structure of the English language.

Professional development should also prepare teachers to effectively manage their classrooms and to maximize time on task. (OESE, 2002, p. 7)

PBS/TeacherLine
The PBS/TeacherLine course catalog includes nine courses in early reading strategies for grades pre-K to 3. Another six courses cover reading and writing in the upper grades.

As a group, these courses cover all of the essential elements of effective reading pedagogy:

Emergent literacy: 2 courses (RDLA 145, 150)
Phonemic awareness: 1 course (RDLA 155)
Phonics and spelling: 3 courses (RDLA 155, 160, 165)
Vocabulary development: 1 course (RDLA 170)
Comprehension, fluency, genre: 5 courses (RDLA 170 to 190)
Motivation: 1 course (RDLA 125)
Reading in content areas: 4 courses (RDLA 120,130, 135, 140)

Each course discusses the essential pedagogical principles of the topic and supplies numerous concrete examples and activities. For large topics like phonics instruction and comprehension, one set of courses is offered for the primary grades and another for the upper elementary grades.

Participants also learn about the structure of the English language by studying the interconnectedness of oral language, phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, phonics, and written language. They study the role of each in implementing an integrated and balanced language arts program.
From the research literature
The essential components of effective reading instruction include an understanding of emergent literacy in children, phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and text comprehension. (NICHD, 2000) “It is imperative that teachers at all grade levels understand the course of literacy development and the role of instruction in optimizing literacy development” (Snow, Burns, & Griffin 1998, p. 10).

“Too few teachers have had a chance to learn the facts about language. What parts does language have? How do children develop language? Specialized courses about the teaching of reading should rest on a bedrock of knowledge about language” (Strickland, D. et al., 2002, p. 83).

“Teacher study should include preparation for keeping abreast of new developments in the field of teaching reading to young children and for separating the wheat from the chaff therein, as well as practice in translating new information about literacy development and difficulties into instructional and assessment activities for children.” (Snow, Burns, & Griffin 1998, pp. 288-289).

6) Addressing reading difficulties and student assessment

Reading First
Teachers also must understand why some children have difficulty learning to read well and learn how to administer and interpret assessments of student progress. (OESE, 2002, p. 7)

PBS/TeacherLine
PBS/TeacherLine offers special courses on the principles of assessment, individual differences, and learning styles.

For example, in RDLA155:Teaching Phonemic Awareness and Phonics, teachers study the stages of literacy development and practice assessing the performance of developing readers. By the end of this course, they will know how to assess students demonstrating their phonological and phonemic awareness. They should also be able to assess students’ writing samples to determine the students’ knowledge of letter-sound correspondence.

The course INST 140: Using Assessment and Evaluation focuses on assessment generally. This course presents alternative avenues of assessing student work, as well as methods to align assessment and instruction. It offers successful formats and tactics to help participants evaluate their students' learning more effectively.

In the course INST 120: Creating Units to Support Differing Learning Styles
teachers learn how to address the diverse learning needs of students by assessing their learning styles and then creating lesson plans to support those learning styles.

Some courses pay special attention to ELL students. For instance RDLA165: Teaching Phonics and Spelling for Beginning and Transitional Readers talks about how to teach phonics and spelling to beginning readers and ELLs.

From the research literature
“Teachers need to be ready for individual differences in language development they will find in their classrooms. They should be able to recognize ordinary developmental pacing and to notice language- or speech-related problems that should be referred to a specialist” (Strickland, D. & C. Snow, 2002, p. 91).

“Identifying reading difficulties is essential for young school-age children, to ensure that intervention can be offered early and targeted to the children who need it most” (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, p. 99).

“Given that effective instruction consists of responding to children’s needs while building on their strengths, it necessarily depends on a sensitive and continual capacity for monitoring student progress” (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, p. 336).

References
Hawley, W. & Valli, L. (2000). Learner-centered professional development. Research Bulletin, Phil Delta Kappa Center for Evaluation, Development and Research. No. 27,1-7.
Imel, Susan (1989). Teaching Adults: Is It Different? ERIC Digest No. 82. Retrieved 10/21/04 from <http://www.ericfacility.net/ericdigests/ed305495.html>.
Lave, J. & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Loucks-Horsley, S., Love, N., and Stiles, K., Mundry, S., and Hewson, P. (2003). Designing professional development for teachers of science and mathematics (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) (2003). A research companion to principles and standards for school mathematics. Kilpatrick, J., Martin, W., & Schifter, D. (Eds.). Reston, Virginia: Author.
NICHD. (2000). Report of the National Reading Panel: Teaching children to read. Washington, DC: National Institute for Literacy.
NRC (National Research Council) (2001). Adding it up. Helping children learn mathematics. Kilpatrick, J., J. Swafford and B. Findell (Eds.). Washington DC: National Academy Press.
NSDC (National Staff Development Council) (2001). E-Learning for educators: Implementing the standards for staff development. Oxford, OH: NSDC. Retrieved 10/7/04 from <http://www.nsdc.org/library/authors/e-learning.pdf>.
NSF (National Science Foundation) (2000). Foundations: Professional development that supports school mathematics reform. Directorate for Education and Human Resources, Division of Elementary, Secondary, and Information Education: Alexandria VA: Author.
OESE (Office of Elementary and Secondary Education), United State Department of Education. (2002). Guidance for the Reading First Program. Author.
Snow, C.E., Burns, M.S., & Griffin, P. (1998). Preventing reading difficulties in young children. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Stigler, J. and Hiebert, J. (1999). The teaching gap: Best ideas from the world's teachers for improving education in the classroom. New York: The Free Press.
Strickland, D., Snow, C., Griffin, P., Burns, M., & McNamara, P. (2002). Preparing our teachers: Opportunities for better reading instruction. Washington, DC: Joseph Henry.
Sutton, J. & Krueger, A. (Eds.) (2002). EDThoughts: What we know about mathematics teaching and learning. Aurora, Colorado: Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning.