Creating an Agency Professional Development Plan, Session 1: Planning for Results This is the first of two, 3-hour sessions on creating a site-based professional development plan. The first session explores strategies for establishing a learning community among staff; reviews standards for effective professional development, and outlines the steps in creating a professional development plan. It also provides strategies and tools for assessing the professional development needs of staff. Session 2 provides an in-depth look at effective models of professional development as well as strategies for evaluating professional development at five different levels. GOAL AND OBJECTIVES Goal The goal of Session 1 is to provide an overview of professional learning communities and a model for creating an agency professional development plan. Objectives By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to: Identify the benefits of participating in a professional learning community; Define characteristics of effective professional development; Design a survey to determine individual teacher needs in relation to the program’s/agency’s stated needs; Name the steps in the process of creating an agency PD plan; and Develop a timeline for working with agency staff to create an agency PD plan.