Professional Development @ PCSD

PhilosophyProductive, effective, and personal Professional Development allows educators the flexibility to set goals, improve instruction, and raise student achievement.

GoalThe goal of professional development at PCSD is to offer and allow professional development opportunities to school faculty that are pertinent, productive, and individualized.

Objectives

1. Provide a flexible professional development schedule.

2. Assist educators with professional growth.

3. Increase educator productivity and competence.

4. Raise student achievement.

Missouri Professional Development Guidelines for Student Success

IV. PLANNING, IMPLEMENTATION, AND EVALUATION OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

A. Defining and Designing Professional Development

At one time staff development was 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. Professional development standards were not in place for assuring participant outcomes correlated to student outcomes. Today, professional development not only includes high-quality, on-going training programs with intensive follow-up and support, but also other growth-promoting processes, such as study groups, data-driven decision-making, action research, and peer coaching, to name a few.

Everyone who affects student learning, ranging from the board of education members, central office administrators, principals, and teachers, to classified/support staff and parents, must continually improve their knowledge and skills in order to ensure student learning. Likewise, staff development is not the exclusive responsibility of superintendents, central office administrators, principals, and teachers. (National Staff Development Council Standards for Staff Development, See Appendix G-1)

The paradigm for professional development has continued to shift and improve. From current research we now know that in order to make a difference in the achievements of teachers, students, and schools, professional development must shift as follows:

*CSIP is Comprehensive School Improvement Plan; SIP is School Improvement Plan

**Sparks, Dennis and Hirsh, Stephanie, A New Vision for Staff Development (1997) Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Alexandria, Virginia.

Source: Missouri Professional Development Guidelines for Student Success, Section IV: Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation of Professional Development, p. 51. http://dese.mo.gov/divteachqual/leadership/pd_guidelines/index.html

Missouri Teacher Standards

IntroductionThe Missouri Teacher Standards convey the expectations of performance for professional teachers in Missouri. The standards are based on teaching theory indicating that effective teachers are caring, reflective practitioners and life‐long learners who continuously acquire new knowledge and skills and are constantly seeking to improve their teaching practice to provide high academic achievement for all students. Thus these standards recognize that teachers continuously develop knowledge and skills. Therefore the Missouri Teacher Standards employ a developmental sequence to define a professional continuum that illustrates how a teacher’s knowledge and skills mature and strengthen throughout the career. Teaching professionals are expected to supply good professional judgment and to use these standards to inform and improve their own practice.

Standard #1 Content knowledge and perspectives aligned with appropriate instruction. The teacher understands the central concepts, structures, and tools of inquiry of the discipline(s) and creates learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful and engaging for all students. [SB 291 Section 161.380.2 (3) The teacher is prepared and knowledgeable of the content and effectively maintains students’ on‐task behavior.]

Quality Indicator 1: Content knowledge and academic languageQuality Indicator 2: Engaging students in subject matterQuality Indicator 3: Disciplinary research and inquiry methodologiesQuality Indicator 4: Interdisciplinary instructionQuality Indicator 5: Diverse social and cultural perspectives

Standard #2 Understanding and Encouraging Student Learning, Growth and Development

The teacher understands how students learn, develop and differ in their approaches to learning. The teacher provides learning opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners and support the intellectual, social, and personal development of allstudents. [SB 291 Section 161.380.2 (1) Students actively participate and are successful in the learning process; (5) The teacher keeps current on instructional knowledge and seeks and explores changes in teaching behaviors that will improve student performance.]

Quality Indicator 1: Cognitive, social, emotional and physical developmentQuality Indicator 2: Student goalsQuality Indicator 3: Theory of learningQuality Indicator 4: Meeting the needs of every studentQuality Indicator 5: Prior experiences, learning styles, multiple intelligences, strengths and needsQuality Indicator 6: Language, culture, family and knowledge of community

Standard #3 Implementing the Curriculum

The teacher recognizes the importance of long‐range planning and curriculum development. The teacher develops, implements, and evaluates curriculum based upon standards and student needs. [SB 291 Section 161.380.2 (1) Students actively participate and are successful in the learning process; (2) Various forms of assessment are used to monitor and manage student learning; (3) The teacher is prepared and knowledgeable of the content and effectively maintains students’ on‐task behavior; (5) The teacher keeps current on instructional knowledge and seeks and explores teaching behaviors that will improve student performance.]

Quality Indicator 1: Implementation of curriculum standardsQuality Indicator 2: Develop lessons for diverse learnersQuality Indicator 3: Analyze instructional goals and differentiated instructional strategies

Standard #4 Teaching for critical thinking

The teacher uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students’ critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills including instructional resources. [SB 291 Section 161.380.2 (1) Students actively participate and are successful in the learning process.]

Quality Indicator 1: Instructional strategies leading to student engagement in problem‐solving and critical thinkingQuality Indicator 2: Appropriate use of instructional resources to enhance student learningQuality Indicator 3: Cooperative learning

Standard #5 Creating a positive classroom learning environment

The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages active engagement in learning, positive social interaction, and self‐motivation. [SB 291 Section 161.380.2 (3) The teacher is prepared and knowledgeable of the content and effectively maintains students’ on‐task behavior; (5) The teacher keeps current on instructional knowledge and seeks and explores changes in teaching behaviors that will improve student performance.]

Quality Indicator 1: Classroom management, motivation, and engagementQuality Indicator 2: Managing time, space, transitions, and activitiesQuality Indicator 3: Classroom, school and community culture

Standard #6 Utilizing Effective Communication

The teacher models effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques with students and parents to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom. [SB 291 Section 161.380.2 (4) The teacher uses professional communication and interaction with the school community; (6) The teacher acts as a responsible professional in the overall mission of the school.]

Quality Indicator 1: Verbal and nonverbal communicationQuality Indicator 2: Sensitivity to culture, gender, intellectual and physical differencesQuality Indicator 3: Learner expression in speaking, writing and other mediaQuality Indicator 4: Technology and media communication tools

Standard #7 Use of Student Assessment Data to Analyze and Modify Instruction

The teacher understands and uses formative and summative assessment strategies to assess the learner’s progress, uses assessment data to plan ongoing instruction, monitors the performance of each student, and devises instruction to enable students to grow and develop. [SB 291 Section 161.380.2 (2) Various forms of assessment are used to monitor and manage student learning; (5) The teacher keeps current on instructional knowledge and seeks and explores changes in teaching behaviors that will improve student performance.]

Quality Indicator 1: Effective use of assessmentsQuality Indicator 2: Assessment data to improve learningQuality Indicator 3: Student‐led assessment strategiesQuality Indicator 4: Effect of instruction on individual/class learningQuality Indicator 5: Communication of student progress and maintaining recordsQuality Indicator 6: Collaborative data analysis process

Standard #8 Professional Practice

The teacher is a reflective practitioner who continually assesses the effects of choices and actions on others. The teacher actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally in order to improve learning for all students. [SB 291 Section 161.380.2 (2) Various forms of assessment are used to monitor and manage student learning; (5) The teacher keeps current on instructional knowledge and seeks and explores changes in teaching behaviors that will improve student performance; (6) The teacher acts as a responsible professional in the overall mission of the school.]

Quality Indicator 1: Self‐assessment and improvementQuality Indicator 2: Professional learningQuality Indicator 3: Professional rights, responsibilities and ethical practices

Standard #9 Professional Collaboration

The teacher has effective working relationships with students, parents, school colleagues, and community members. [SB 291 Section 161.380.2 (4) The teacher uses professional communication and interaction with the school community; (6) The teacher acts as a responsible professional in the overall mission of the school.]

Quality Indicator 1: Roles, responsibilities, and collegial activitiesQuality Indicator 2: Collaborating with historical, cultural, political and social context to meet the needs of studentsQuality Indicator 3: Cooperative partnerships in support of student learning

The Professional Continuum of the Missouri Teacher: The following descriptions apply to all indicators found in the standards:Candidate: This level describes the performance expected of a potential teacher preparing to enter the profession and is enrolled in an approved educator preparation program at a college, university, or state‐approved alternate pathway. Content knowledge and teaching skills are being developed through a progression of planned classroom and supervised clinical experiences.

• Demonstrate knowledge

• Can create/implement

• Understand/reflect

• Are of/recognize

• Observe/identify

• Develop ability to

• Describe/explain

New Teacher: This level describes the performance expected of a new teacher as they enter the profession in a new assignment. The base knowledge and skills are applied as they begin toteach and advance student growth and achievement in a classroom of their own.

• Demonstrate

• Communicate

• Identify/select

• Use implement

• Develop/create

• Facilitate

• Explore/learn

• Apply

Developing Teacher: This level describes the performance expected of a teacher early in their assignment as the teaching, content, knowledge, and skills that he/she possesses continue to develop as they encounter new experiences and expectations in the classroom, school, district, and community while they continue to advance student growth and achievement.

• Incorporate

• Apply

• Engage

• Develop/design

• Actively participate

• Realize

• Implement

• Advance

Proficient Teacher: This level describes the performance expected of a career, professional teacher who continues to advance his/her knowledge and skills while consistently advancing student growth and achievement.

• Expand/engage

• Analyze/assess

• Adjust

• Display/present

• Enable/assist

• Build

• Anticipate

• Establish/select

Distinguished Teacher: This level describes the career, professional teacher whose performance exceeds proficiency and who contributes to the profession and larger community while consistently advancing student growth and achievement. The Distinguished Teacher serves as a leader in the school, district.

• Mentor/model

• Lead/share

• Connect/promote

• Employ

• Contribute

• Has mastery of

• Cultivate/foster

• Research

Coding of standards:

First Number= the # of the standard

Second letter = the developmental category of the teacher (C=Candidate; N=New; D=Developing; P=Proficient; S=Distinguished)

Third # = the sequential # of the quality indicator for that teaching category in that standard

[Example 1D4 = Standard #1; Developing Teacher; Quality Indicator 4]

June, 2011 FINALMissouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education