Professional Development 

2007 Outstanding Program Award

Credit

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Master of Education-Professional Development Learning Community Program

In 1997, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse took an innovative approach in response to the education needs of PK-12 educators in the state. The University developed a curriculum that aligns with the Wisconsin Teacher Standards and the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards, with seven core areas. But unlike a typical graduate program that might address each area individually through one or more semester-length courses, the UW-La Crosse Learning Community program integrates the seven core areas throughout a twoyear term. Approximately 95 percent of the students who begin the program complete it two years later. And as of May 2006, nearly 2,000 students, representing 65 percent of Wisconsin's school districts, had received their Master of Education-Professional Development degree from the program.

UW-La Crosse's Learning Community Program format is distinctive not only in its integration of core program areas, but also in its reliance on a cohort model. Offered on weekends over a two-year period, the program uses school district facilities in or near the students' home communities, and enrolls 20 to 40 students in a "learning community" that stays together throughout the program. Two instructors work with each community, facilitating and guiding a variety of learning activities. Ideally, an instructor team consists of one university faculty member and one experienced PK-12 educator who satisfies graduate faculty requirements. Between weekend meetings and throughout the summer, faculty members and students engage in extensive online learning activities.

Students develop an individual Professional Development Plan (PDP) that guides them through the two-year program. From their PDP, they develop a portfolio that serves as evidence of their growth and application to practice. Students can incorporate school district goals or state licensing requirement criteria into their PDP. As they move through the program, students choose an area of emphasis for their capstone action research project that culminates in a scholarly journal article.

"This program encourages teachers to take full responsibility for their own learning, and to design a professional development plan that truly transforms them as educators," observes Chris Bakkum, ME-PD Learning Community Facilitator and Assistant to the Dean, College of Liberal Studies.