The Board of Trustees believes that, in order to maximize student learning and achievement, certificated staff members must be continuously learning and improving their skills. The Superintendent or designee shall develop a program of ongoing professional development which includes opportunities for teachers to enhance their instructional and classroom management skills and become informed about changes in pedagogy and subject matter.
(cf. 6111 - School Calendar)
The Superintendent or designee shall involve teachers, site and district administrators, and others, as appropriate, in the development of the district's staff development program. He/she shall ensure that the district's staff development program is aligned with district priorities for student achievement, school improvement objectives, the local control and accountability plan, and other district and school plans.
(cf. 0000 - Vision)
(cf. 0200 - Goals for the School District)
(cf. 0420 - School Plans/Site Councils)
(cf. 0460 - Local Control and Accountability Plan)
(cf. 0520.2 - Title I Program Improvement Schools)
(cf. 0520.3 - Title I Program Improvement Districts)
The district's staff development program shall assist certificated staff in developing knowledge and skills, including, but not limited to:
1. Mastery of subject-matter knowledge, including current state and district academic standards
(cf. 6011 - Academic Standards)
(cf. 6142.1 - Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Prevention Instruction)
(cf. 6142.2 - World/Foreign Language Instruction)
(cf. 6142.3 - Civic Education)
(cf. 6142.5 - Environmental Education)
(cf. 6142.6 - Visual and Performing Arts Education)
(cf. 6142.7 - Physical Education and Activity)
(cf. 6142.8 - Comprehensive Health Education)
(cf. 6142.91 - Reading/Language Arts Instruction)
(cf. 6142.92 - Mathematics Instruction)
(cf. 6142.93 - Science Instruction)
(cf. 6142.94 - History-Social Science Instruction)
2. Use of effective, subject-specific teaching methods, strategies, and skills
3. Use of technologies to enhance instruction
(cf. 0440 - District Technology Plan)
(cf. 4040 - Employee Use of Technology)
(cf. 6163.4 - Student Use of Technology)
4. Sensitivity to and ability to meet the needs of diverse student populations, including, but not limited to, students of various racial and ethnic groups, students with disabilities, English learners, economically disadvantaged students, foster youth, gifted and talented students, and at-risk students
(cf. 4112.22 - Staff Teaching English Learners)
(cf. 4112.23 - Special Education Staff)
(cf. 5147 - Dropout Prevention)
(cf. 6141.5 - Advanced Placement)
(cf. 6171 - Title I Programs)
(cf. 6172 - Gifted and Talented Student Program)
(cf. 6173 - Education for Homeless Children)
(cf. 6173.1 - Education for Foster Youth)
(cf. 6174 - Education for English Learners)
(cf. 6175 - Migrant Education Program)
5. Understanding of how academic and career technical instruction can be integrated and implemented to increase student learning
(cf. 6178 - Career Technical Education)
6. Knowledge of strategies that encourage parents/guardians to participate fully and effectively in their children's education
(cf. 1240 - Volunteer Assistance)
(cf. 5020 - Parent Rights and Responsibilities)
(cf. 6020 - Parent Involvement)
7. Effective classroom management skills and strategies for establishing a climate that promotes respect, fairness, tolerance, and discipline, including conflict resolution and hatred prevention
(cf. 5131 - Conduct)
(cf. 5131.2 - Bullying)
(cf. 5137 - Positive School Climate)
(cf. 5138 - Conflict Resolution/Peer Mediation)
(cf. 5145.9 - Hate-Motivated Behavior)
8. Ability to relate to students, understand their various stages of growth and development, and motivate them to learn
9. Ability to interpret and use data and assessment results to guide instruction
(cf. 5121 - Grades/Evaluation of Student Achievement)
(cf. 6162.5 - Student Assessment)
10. Knowledge of topics related to student health, safety, and welfare
(cf. 0450 - Comprehensive Safety Plan)
(cf. 5030 - Student Wellness)
(cf. 5131.6 - Alcohol and Other Drugs)
(cf. 5131.63 - Steroids)
(cf. 5141.21 - Administering Medication and Monitoring Health Conditions)
(cf. 5141.4 - Child Abuse Prevention and Reporting)
(cf. 5141.52 - Suicide Prevention)
(cf. 5145.3 - Nondiscrimination/Harassment)
(cf. 5145.7 - Sexual Harassment)
11. Knowledge of topics related to employee health, safety, and security
(cf. 3514.1 - Hazardous Substances)
(cf. 4119.11/4219.11/4319.11 - Sexual Harassment)
(cf. 4119.42/4219.42/4319.42- Exposure Control Plan for Bloodborne Pathogens)
(cf. 4119.43/4219.43/4319.43 - Universal Precautions)
(cf. 4157/4257/4357 - Employee Safety)
(cf. 4158/4258/4358 - Employee Security)
The Superintendent or designee shall, in conjunction with teachers, interns, and administrators, as appropriate, develop an individualized program of professional growth to increase competence, performance, and effectiveness in teaching and classroom management and, as necessary, to assist them in meeting state or federal requirements to be fully qualified for their positions.
(cf. 4112.2 - Certification)
(cf. 4112.21 - Interns)
(cf. 4131.1 - Teacher Support and Guidance)
Professional learning opportunities offered by the district shall be evaluated based on the criteria specified in Education Code 44277. Such opportunities may be part of a coherent plan that combines school activities within the school, including lesson study or co-teaching, and external learning opportunities that are related to academic subjects taught, provide time to meet and work with other teachers, and support instruction and student learning. Learning activities may include, but are not limited to, mentoring projects for new teachers, extra support for teachers to improve practice, and collaboration time for teachers to develop new instructional lessons, select or develop common formative assessments, or analyze student data. (Education Code 44277)
The district's staff evaluation process may be used to recommend additional individualized staff development for individual employees.
(cf. 4115 - Evaluation/Supervision)
The Board may budget funds for actual and reasonable expenses incurred by staff who participate in staff development activities.
(cf. 3100 - Budget)
(cf. 3350 - Travel Expenses)
The Superintendent or designee shall provide a means for continual evaluation of the benefit of staff development activities to both staff and students and shall regularly report to the Board regarding the effectiveness of the staff development program. Based on the Superintendent's report, the Board may revise the program as necessary to ensure that the staff development program supports the district's priorities for student achievement.
(cf. 0500 - Accountability)
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
44032 Travel expense payment
44259.5 Standards for teacher preparation
44277 Professional growth programs for individual teachers
44300 Emergency permits
44325-44328 District interns
44450-44468 University internship program
44570-44578 Inservice training, secondary education
44830.3 District interns
45028 Salary schedule and exceptions
48980 Notification of parents/guardians; schedule of minimum days
52060-52077 Local control and accountability plan
56240-56245 Staff development; service to persons with disabilities
99200-99206 Subject matter projects
GOVERNMENT CODE
3543.2 Scope of representation of employee organization
CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 5
13025-13044 Professional development and program improvement
80021 Short-term staff permit
80021.1 Provisional internship permit
80023-80026.6 Emergency permits
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 20
6601-6702 Preparing, Training and Recruiting High Quality Teachers and Principals
PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS BOARD DECISIONS
United Faculty of Contra Costa Community College District v. Contra Costa Community College District, (1990) PERB Order No. 804, 14 PERC P21, 085
CSBA PUBLICATIONS
Governing to the Core: Professional Development for Common Core, Governance Brief, May 2013
COMMISSION ON TEACHER CREDENTIALING PUBLICATIONS
California Standards for the Teaching Profession, 2009
WEB SITES
CSBA: http://www.csba.org
California Department of Education, Professional Learning: http://www.cde.ca.gov/pd
California Subject Matter Projects: http://csmp.ucop.edu
Commission on Teacher Credentialing: http://www.ctc.ca.gov
Policy FORESTHILL UNION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT
adopted: August 14, 2017 Foresthill, California