Professional development provides teachers with the tools to assess and diagnose students' academic, social, and emotional needs in order to create rich, rigorous, and rewarding learning experiences for every child. High quality professional development helps teachers guide each child's path through the educational system, spanning grade levels, content areas, and special programs in order to align and integrate exemplary practice throughout the pre K-12 experience. It builds cultural competence and helps identify and move aside institutional barriers that act as obstacles to equity for all students.
The impact of professional development is demonstrated in the learning experiences provided for students and in student achievement levels. Student needs are used to inform and guide all aspects of teacher professional development.
Professional development is designed to provide teachers with the knowledge and skills in curriculum, instruction, pedagogy and assessment, as well as the tools, to assure that education is personalized for each and every student.
Professional development activities should address:
- How content is organized (curriculum);
- What/how teachers teach (instruction); and,
- How student learning is monitored, evaluated, and reported (assessment).
The district provides five days of professional development each year to certified staff members as part of the contract calendar. The training schedule is posted in advance on the district calendar.
Certificates for staff development activities completed outside the district should be turned into the administration office. This form can be substituted if no other is available.
State Dept of Ed Professional Development
State Dept of Ed Criteria for Evaluation of Effective Teaching
