When teachers direct professional growth activities, learning is more meaningful and effective. But how can a program capitalize on this fact while remaining focused on larger school and district performance goals? Individualizing Professional Development explains how to satisfy both individual needs and preferences of teachers and organizational demands for accountability and improved student achievement. The author integrates best practices of adult learning, action research, and self-directed learning into a job-embedded professional development process that successfully joins these sometimes competing goals. Designed as a how-to manual, this accessible resource includes: (1) Step-by-step directions for designing and implementing a program; (2) Mini-lesson directions and materials; (3) A reproducible learning plan template; (4) Examples of participants' individualized learning plans; and (5) Typical teacher commentary in response to the program. Considering today's high-stakes educational environment, the need for this flexible, sustainable, and inexpensive professional development program has never been greater. Discover the tools and strategies to facilitate individualized teacher learning and improve academic performance. Following a foreword (Jo Blas), this book contains the following eleven chapters: (1) Introduction: Meeting Every Teacher's Needs; (2) Structuring the Professional Development Program; (3) The Learning Plan; (4) Working From the Learning Plan: Identifying Focus; (5) Working From the Learning Plan: Defining the Problem; (6) Working From the Learning Plan: Planning for Self-Directed Study; (7) Working From the Learning Plan: Self-Directed Study; (8) Incorporating Learning Plans Into Existing Professional Development Programs; (9) Adjusting the Model to Meet School and District Needs; (10) Preparing for Participant Responses to Self-Directed Learning; and (11) Guiding Self-Directed Learning: Do's and Don'ts. The following resources are included: (1) Session Agendas; (2) Learning Plan; and (3) Reproducible Templates.