A high school principal is implementing a schoolwide initiative to provide targeted support for students at risk of not graduating. Responses show support for the initiative but uncertainty about reaching at-risk students. Which strategy can the principal use to design professional development?

• A. Linking individual teacher growth plan goals explicitly with the instructional goals of the initiative
• B. Providing generic PD for all teachers
• C. Avoiding alignment between PD and goals
• D. Conducting PD only in the morning

Answer: (A)

Designing professional development around targeted student outcomes starts with making teacher growth goals explicitly reflect the instructional aims of the initiative. When a teacher’s growth plan ties directly to the goals for helping at‑risk students graduate, every PD activity becomes purposefully connected to real classroom practice. This makes the learning actionable—teachers see exactly which strategies to try, such as using early warning data to group students, delivering targeted interventions, and conducting frequent checks for understanding—and how these strategies impact student progress.

This alignment also creates accountability and a clear path for monitoring impact. Progress toward growth goals can be tracked alongside student indicators, so you can see whether the PD is moving the needle for at‑risk students and adjust supports as needed. It supports differentiation too, since teachers can pursue growth objectives that fit their context while still advancing the overall initiative.

Generic PD for all teachers lacks focus on the specific needs of at‑risk students and wouldn’t reliably translate into the targeted improvements the initiative requires. Avoiding alignment between PD and goals undercuts the purpose of the effort, and scheduling PD without attention to when and how it will be implemented in classrooms doesn’t address the instructional changes needed.