How does Standard 1 address professional growth for literacy teachers?

• A. Attend a single workshop at the start of the year and do no further learning.
• B. Engage in ongoing professional development, reflection, collaboration, and data-informed practice.
• C. Only rely on personal experience without data.
• D. Ignore student data when planning improvements.

Answer: (B)

Professional growth for literacy teachers is ongoing and active. Standard 1 expects teachers to continually develop their practice through ongoing professional development, thoughtful reflection on their teaching, collaboration with colleagues, and using data from students to guide decisions. This means seeking multiple learning opportunities over time, trying new strategies in the classroom, and examining how students respond so instruction can be adjusted. Working with others through collaboration helps teachers share ideas, analyze results, and refine approaches together. Using data to inform planning keeps instruction focused on student learning and progress rather than on tradition or habit. A one-time workshop or relying only on personal experience doesn’t sustain growth or connect practice to what students actually need, and ignoring student data makes it impossible to know what to improve.