Professional Development Committee Handbook

Section 1

I. Statement of Purpose

It is the mission of the Holliday C-2 School Professional Development Committee to provide planned professional development programs and activities which stimulate and encourage the professional growth of both new and experienced teachers.

II. Philosophy of Professional Development

The professional teacher should posses’ skills and abilities, which focus on the student beyond the traditional theoretical approach to a demonstration of the critical teacher requirements to promote successful teaching experiences creating a performance-based instructional environment. These concepts should not only be measured against the number of clock hours of interaction a teacher may acquire, but also provide for recognition of each professional’s skills and abilities to be taught, assessed, valued, and recognized by their capacity to develop knowledge and skills in the students under their charge, and to adapt knowledge bases to address new challenges to their environment.

Certain principles should be addressed when a vision is developed of the teaching professional in relationship to career objectives. Accountability should be viewed as a cooperative evaluation of performance between the principles. It should equitably evaluate what a teacher must know, understand and be capable of doing in order to provide an authentic assessment that truly represents the knowledge, skills, and dispositions for the desired learning outcomes for programs and individuals.

The need to examine the teaching professional as a lifelong learner incorporates the assumption that a career’s demands will alter with the passage of time. Professional development opportunities should be viewed as a career investment. A system of service credit should be developed which recognizes the professional’s experience and continuing education programs outside of the institution environment for professional licensure purposes.

III. Objectives and Goals

In the planning and development of district professional growth activities for the beginning and/or practicing teachers; the PDC establishes the following objectives and goals:

1. Design a plan for working with outside resources, i.e. colleges and universities, professional groups, State Department of Education, and other experts for development activities.

2. Focus on teachers as central to student learning, yet include all other members of the school community.

3. Oversee and assist in a mentoring program.

4. Oversee and assist in a buddy teacher program for new, but experienced, teachers to the district.

5. Provide information on available college credit courses, seminars, and workshops to staff members.

6. Develop a budget for continued growth of the in-service programs.

7. Assess staff needs and develop in-service opportunities to meet those needs.

8. Enable teachers to develop further expertise in subject content, teaching strategies, and uses of technologies and other essential elements in teaching to high standards.

9. Provide Professional Development opportunities to address the district comprehensive school improvement plan goals as follows:

• Goal 1: Reading scores on standardized tests will be at or above grade level.
• Goal 2: Holliday C-2 students will score in the nearing proficiency, proficient or advanced levels on all areas of the MAP scores or at or above grade levels on other standardized tests.
• Goals 3: 100 percent of the graduates of Holliday C-2 School will complete a program of studies at the high school level.
• Goal 4: 95 percent or more of the parents of Holliday C-2 School students will participate in teacher conferences.
• Goal 5: The district will use up to date technology as a tool for learning with all the students.

10. Identify instructional concerns and remedies.

11. Present to the proper authority, faculty suggestions, ideas, and recommendations pertaining to classroom instruction.

12. Be part of the team that discusses proposed school calendar with staff.

IV. Role of the Professional Development Committee

The role of the Professional Development Committee is to define, assess, plan for and implement programs to meet the professional growth needs of teachers by carrying out the four responsibilities in the law.

A. To work with beginning teachers and experienced teachers in identifying instructional concerns and remedies.

B. To serve as a consultant upon a teacher’s request.

C. To assess faculty needs and develop in-service opportunities for school staff.

D. To present to the proper authority faculty suggestions, ideas, and recommendation pertaining to classroom instruction within the school district.

V. Responsibilities of Professional Development Committee

According to the Excellence in Education Act, the professional development committee “Shall work with beginning and experienced teachers in identifying instructional concerns and remedies: serve as confidential consultant upon a teacher’s request, assess faculty needs and develop in-service opportunities for school staff, and present the proper authority faculty suggestions, ideas, and recommendations pertaining to classroom instruction within the district.”

The professional development committee, in cooperation with the school district, should determine how those duties can be fulfilled most effectively.

While most of the committee’s duties are outlined clearly in the law, the concept of “confidential consultant” deserves some discussion. Since the district-level committee is charged with helping teachers grow professionally, the committee-teacher relationship should be characterized by trust not secrecy. Thus, matters discussed by a teacher and the professional development committee would be held in confidence, but would not be considered “privileged information” if, for example, someone is called upon to testify in court. The courts have ruled that only doctors, lawyers, and clergy have a legal right to privileged information.

The proper authority to approach with suggestions, ideas, and recommendations about instruction is interpreted to be the employee at the building or district level who coordinates professional development activities and/or the employer who oversees the program.

According to the Outstanding Schools Act of 1993, “a school district shall allocate one percent of money received pursuant to section 13.031, RsMo, exclusive of categorical add-ons, to the professional development committee of the district…Of the money allocated to the professional development committee in any fiscal year as specified by this subsection, seventy-five percent of such funds shall be spent in the same fiscal year for purposed determined by the professional development committee after consultation with the administrators of the school district and approved by the local board of education as meeting the objective of a school improvement plan of the district that has been developed by the local board.

It should be emphasized that professional development committees are not intended to relieve principals or district administrators of the responsibilities as instructional leaders. The committees can, however, provide principals, with valuable information about teachers’ needs and help move schools closer to their instructional goals.

Following is a list of responsibilities of the professional development committee. This list is simplified, the work is detailed!

Professional Development Committee Responsibilities

• Determine PDC role in school district.
• Draft a clear, well-defined role statement.
• Develop a district professional development plan: consult with administration. **
• Identify available funds for professional development (1%). **
• Determine purposes for expending at least 75%.
• Relate expenditures to objectives of School Improvement Plan. **
• Set policies and establish procedures.
• Secure approval from school board. **
• Assess faculty needs; identify instructional concerns and remedies.*
• Read, study, and discuss research on instructional practices and quality professional development.
• Plan thoughtfully.
• Work with beginning and experienced teachers. *
• Serve as a confidential consultant. *
• Provide plan of professional development for first two years of teaching. *
• Assist new teachers with development and implementation of professional development plan.
• Assist mentors in providing a two-year plan for plan for new teachers.
• Arrange summer training for mentors.
• Prepare practicing teacher assistance programs.
• Assist in classification requirements and qualifications of Teacher Certification.
• Communicate plans to staff.
• Schedule activities.
• Provide documentation for Missouri School Improvement Plan.
• Evaluate program.
• Modify plan for the future.
• Write a ear-end report.

*Excellence in Education Act

**Outstanding Schools Act

Section II

I. Membership

A. Board Policy

The committee shall have no more than 8 members with membership on the committee spread across disciplines. Committee members shall be certified staff members.

B. Membership Term

Committee members shall serve a term of three years. Terms shall be staggered so that approximately one-third of the committee will be new next year. New members shall be selected no later than January 31. Annual training will be accomplished by March 31 and service will begin on April 1.

C. Election of Members

All full-time certified staff of the district shall be selected as committee members. Administrators may be selected to serve on the committee but may not participate in the selection process.

D. Ex-Office Member

The administrator shall appoint and Ex-office member to the committee as an Ex-office member to the committee or serve themselves. The appointed member shall not be a voting member.

II. Member Training

School districts may provide their own training for professional development committee members, or they may choose to send their committee members to programs offered by colleges or universities, associations of organizations. May training programs for the professional development committee members should address these topics:

1. The role and responsibilities of committee members in assisting both beginning and practicing teachers. Discussion should cover their role as defined by statute and district policy. In addition, districts may wish to explain the authority of other key people in the professional development process.

2. Guidelines for effective group interaction. It also may be advisable to emphasize the committee’s role in improving communication between teachers, administrators, and higher education representatives.

3. The need for confidentiality and the ethical responsibilities of members.

4. Effective methods for assessing the in-service needs of practicing teachers and how to use that information in setting in-service priorities.

5. Resources (people and publications) that can provide information and services related to professional development.

6. How to evaluate the district’s professional development activities and use the results to improve programming.

7. The criteria used in the performance-based teacher evaluation system.

8. An overview of current theory and models of instructional and classroom management. Such information would help committee members’ select in-services programs for their districts.

9. How to best meet the needs as established in the district school improvement plan.

Section III

Meetings

The committees shall convene for monthly meetings throughout the school year. Monthly meeting dates and location shall be published. Additional meetings or workshop sessions shall be scheduled if deemed necessary by a simple majority of the voting members. Monthly meetings shall be open to all certified staff members.

Section IV

Elected Offices

The committee shall elect a chairman. The candidate shall be nominated and the officer elected by simple majority of the members present. The election shall proceed during the first yearly committee meeting of the school year.

Duties of the Officer

The committee chairperson shall be responsible for arranging meeting dates and locations; formulating monthly meeting agendas, convening and adjourning meetings and drafting an annual committee report to the Director of Instruction.

The committee chairperson shall receive annual reports from the Effective Instruction and Special Committees.

The committee chairperson shall record minutes of all regular and special committee meetings. The minutes shall be submitted for committee amendment and approval at the following regularly scheduled meeting. The chairperson shall also be responsible for any correspondence between the committee and other agents.

Section V

Mentor Teachers:

The Excellence in Education Act requires that beginning teacher support systems include a mentor program. A mentor teacher has been described as a “coach, training, positive role model, developer of talent, (and) opener of doors”.

Any teacher who has five years of experience and is willing to be trained will be eligible to volunteer to serve as a mentor. Ideally, a mentor should be teaching the same grade level as in the same area of certification as the beginning teacher. A mentor also could be a faculty member with certification and experience in the same area as the beginning teacher, or one teaching at the same grade level as the beginning teacher. An administrator certificated in the same grade level as the beginning teacher could serve as mentor as well.

Mentor Selection:

The principal should be responsible for identifying mentor teachers. Mentors should be identified in sufficient time to allow for training. Also, mentors should receive their assignments with adequate time to help beginning teachers prepare their initial professional development plans.

Thorough and consistent training of mentor teachers is very important to the success of the program. A district’s professional development committee should arrange summer training programs for mentors. The training should address these topics:

1. The role and responsibilities of all members of the new teacher’s professional development team, including the new teacher, the mentor teacher, the supervisor (typically the building principal) and the higher education representative.
2. The role and responsibilities of the professional development committee.
3. Techniques of coaching and counseling.
4. The format and content of the professional development plan.
5. How to use teacher evaluation to help the beginning teacher draw on areas of strength.
6. Resources (people and publications) available to beginning teachers at the district, higher education, regional and state levels.
7. Techniques of classroom observation.
8. Current theory and models of instruction and classroom management.

Professional Development

Explanation and Forms

This handbook contains information and forms that may be needed by any staff member to be involved in various professional development activities during a school year.

What is Professional Staff Development?

At one time, staff development of synonymous with “sit and get” sessions in which relatively passive participants were “made aware” of the latest ideas regarding teaching and learning from so-called “experts”. Today, staff development includes high-quality ongoing training programs with intensive follow up and support as well as other growth-promoting processes such as study groups, action research, and peer coaching, to name a few.

Staff development is for everyone who affects students learning, from the board of education, central office administration, principals, teachers, to classified/support staff and parents. Staff development is not the exclusive responsibility of everyone.

Why do we have Professional Development?

The belief that learning about one’s work is never finished-professional development is dynamic. It is ever educator’s task to refine skills, inquire into practice, and construct craft knowledge while working with peers. The explosion of educational research in the last 15 years has meant that in order to become an effective educator, that is much more to know and apply concerning instruction, learning, and leadership. According to the Journal of Staff Development, “The minute educators stop their education, they start down the road to incompetence.”

Staff development supports the ongoing development of new skills. Staff development cannot be defined to a few specific days in the school calendar, but must be viewed as an ongoing, job-embedded examination and development of new methods. Effective implementation of new techniques takes time and early trials may not be perfect. New practices should be protected and nurtured rather than evaluated.

Teachers who have graduated from college since 1988 are required to have thirty (30) clock hours if in-service training as part of their professional development plan for PCI and PCII.

Teachers with lifetime certification from another state, and have not taught in Missouri previously, must write a professional development plan.

What are some kinds of Professional Development?

Effective staff development uses a variety of staff development approaches to accomplish the goals of improving instruction and student success. Although there are many ways in which education may learn, training continues to be the dominant model. Five models of staff development are shared here.

• Individually-Guided Staff Development: The learner designs learning activities. Self-directed development empowers teachers to address their own problems and by doing so, created a sense of professionalism.
• Observation/Assessment: Instructional practices are improved through classroom observation and feedback. Having someone else in the classroom to view instruction and give feedback or provide reflection is a powerful way to impact classroom behavior.
• Involvement in a Development/Improvement Process: Systematic school improvement processes typically involve assessing current practices and determining a problem whose solution will improve student outcomes. The solution might include developing curriculum, designing programs, or changing classroom practices. New skills and knowledge may be required which can be accomplished through reading, discussion, observation, training, and experimentation.
• Training: A training design includes the selection of objectives, learning activities and outcomes. The most effective training programs include exploration of theory, demonstration of practice, supervised trial of new skills with feedback on performance, and coaching within the workplace.
• Inquiry: Teachers formulate questions about their own practice and pursue objective answers to those questions. This can be done individually or in small groups. A professional teacher is able to take “reflective action”.

A variety of staff development with use of technology can provide opportunities to meet individual needs.

How do I apply for different Professional Development opportunities?

Teachers are frequently the target of reform, but they exert relatively little control over professional development. Professional development opportunities are made available through the PDC suggestions of administrators and staff. Be certain to communicate your needs and desires to the PDC and representative from your building.

o Release time to observe another teacher or teachers in district: Moderate budget in the PDC plan will allow release time for mentors to observe mentee or for mentee to observe mentor or other teachers in the district.

o Self-directed professional development: Discuss with you administrator, fill out the form, and submit.

o Continuing Education Units: These are hours granted on the district salary schedule as the result of sixteen approved contact hours. The information and necessary forms are included.

o Advance Approval of Graduate College Classes for Salary Increments: The forms need to be filled out and submitted.

How do I apply funding from the PDC?

It is necessary to seek approval of the training opportunity desired with your administrator and PDC building level representative. A PDC Request Rubric must be filled out to submit it to the Central Office. If you are to be reimbursed for any expense, not covered by a purchase order, actual expenses, receipts, must be submitted upon your return. You should also complete a summary of your professional development experience upon your return and submit it to your building PDC representative.