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Professional development activities in the public schools of the
Township of Union are designed to assure full staff participation
through the designation of three five-hour days of training. At each
districtwide activity, the Local Professional Development Committee (LPDC)
requests staff feedback and recommendations for the improvement of
future activities. The activities and schedule for these days vary
depending upon specific goals and objectives that we seek to achieve. On
some occasions, an opening general session is held with subsequent
breakout sessions by department/grade level. In February 2004, staff
members were offered a choice of workshop sessions from among a broad
menu of topics. This format was very well received by the staff, as
reflected in staff comments on the session evaluations. The topics for
all sessions were intended to respond to district needs as identified in
the staff needs assessment, district goals, school-level corrective
action plans, and the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards (NJCCCS).
Emphasis was focused on instructional strategies that would result in
enhanced student learning and achievement.
The
2004-2005 Professional Development Plan was approved by the County
Professional Development Board on February 10, 2004.
During the
2004-2005 school year, the district implemented an ambitious and
comprehensive schedule of after-school elective professional development
activities. Topics for these sessions were selected from among those
noted in the approved district professional development plan and various
needs assessment instruments. These activities responded to the needs of
individual teaching staff members while also focusing on district-wide
goals. For 2005-2006, these activities will be scheduled on a trimester
basis with the topics adjusted in response to emerging needs. The
professional development program during the 2004-2005 school year
occurred at a cost to the Board of Education of approximately $79,800.
Additionally, 114 teachers took graduate level courses at a cost to the
Board of Education of $328,000.
Also in
accordance with the district professional development plan, a thematic
continuum has been established to maintain a connection among district
activities throughout the year. In selecting activities and presenters,
the intention is to foster inclusion of the thematic elements into all
teachers’ classroom practice. To achieve the vision described in the
district plan, the support of building principals and department
supervisors will be critical elements in the achievement of this
objective.
The
district utilizes a number of diverse methods to fully assess its
professional development needs. In the past, surveys, test data
analysis, program needs assessments, and school needs assessments have
been used to determine these needs. For 2005-2006, some of these methods
will be utilized once again, especially the analysis of student test
data from the spring 2004-2005 statewide assessments. Subsequent to all
district sponsored professional development activities, members of the
staff are asked for input on future professional development programs.
All comments received after these sessions are aggregated and reported
to the district administration and the LPDC, which continually works to
implement these suggestions. The district Central Planning Committee
meets four times each year. The charge of this committee is to monitor
implementation of the district curricula. Each meeting agenda includes
discussion of staff development. Subject area supervisors regularly
engage in dialogue with their respective department staff, seeking
recommendations for PD activities in light of state and federal mandates
concerning standards and assessment.
In an
effort to achieve its target goals to meet the requirements of the
federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, (the “No Child Left
Behind” law), the district has established school-level goals. The
activities conducted to formulate these goals constitute a significant
effort to address identified needs directly related to student
achievement and the CCCS. Each building conducted its own needs
assessment and analyzed available district and state test data to
delineate these school goals. The LPDC analyzed each building objective
to determine the appropriate professional development activity to
facilitate its achievement.
The ESEA/NCLB
legislation also requires that the district focus attention on “teaching
methods that are proven to work.” Monies were dedicated in the FY 2005
NCLB Consolidated Application to the following areas of need: science
and mathematics at the middle and high school levels, with an emphasis
on special education teachers in content areas. The district has also
targeted FY 2006 Title IIA professional development funds to the
aforementioned groups. The goal is to expand content area expertise
while simultaneously increasing the abilities of teachers in the areas
of differentiated instruction and multiple measures/assessments. State
assessment data analysis for the 2003-2004 school year further supported
this dedication of funds in the area of mathematics at the elementary,
middle, and high school levels with minimal gains demonstrated on the
mathematics section of the NJ ASK, GEPA, and HSPA for both the total
student population and the special education sub-group.
The
following topics were identified as a result of the multiple-measure
needs assessment conducted by the LPDC. In response to the
identification of these topics, the district focuses its professional
development program on these issues. Many of these topics are recurring
and continue to be a priority among the teaching staff: Classroom
Management/Discipline, Technology, Differentiated Instruction, School
Safety/Gang Behavior, Crisis Management, Addressing the Needs of a
Diverse Community/Multicultural Experiences, Motivating Reluctant
Learners, Core Curriculum Content Standards, Achievement of Adequate
Yearly Progress Goals (NCLB), Open-Ended Questions/Rubric Scoring,
Inclusion/Mainstreaming Learning Styles/Strategies, Conflict
Resolution/Character Education, Grade Level Articulation (districtwide),
Educational Leadership Development/Facilitator Training, Reading/Writing
Strategies for Content Areas.
Implementation of the district’s PD plan requires an allocation of
dollars and a commitment of time from the Board of Education. For the
2005-2006 Professional Development Plan approved by the County
Professional Development Board on January 20, 2005, the LPDC requested
funding for a PD line item of approximately $75,000 for consultants and
conference registrations, an additional $16,000 for substitutes, and
approximately $328,600.00 for tuition reimbursement. Time commitments
are reflected in the inclusion of three PD days in the school calendar
and up to two professional days per staff member to attend
conferences/workshops outside the district as stipulated in the
collective bargaining agreement. Also, the district has included
salaries for three elementary specialist positions and a staff
development coordinator in the budget. The role of the specialists is to
provide ongoing PD to K-5 staff throughout the school year. The role of
the coordinator is to monitor, plan, implement, and assess PD activities
in the district in consultation with the LPDC. The coordinator also
serves as the secretary to the LPDC.
The Board of Education approved
the Mentor/New Teacher Induction Plan on September 20, 2005 and it was
submitted to the County Superintendent for approval on September 30,
2005. The plan includes an assessment of the current program with
specific identified needs, criteria for mentor selection, roles and
responsibilities of mentors and learning opportunities for mentors and
novices. The 2005-2006 school year will be used to develop an action
plan for implementation.
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