Pursuant to State law, the School District will work collaboratively with the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE), public postsecondary institutions, State education foundations, consortia, and professional organizations in Florida to maintain a coordinated system of professional development. The purpose of the system is to increase student achievement, enhance classroom instructional strategies that promote rigor and relevance throughout the curriculum, and prepare students for continuing education and the workforce.

The District's comprehensive professional development plan will incorporate school improvement plans, and will align with the Florida Professional Development System Evaluation Protocol Standards, which support the framework for standards adopted by the National Staff Development Council. Furthermore, the results of the performance evaluations of instructional staff members conducted pursuant to State law and Board Policy 3220 will be used when identifying the areas for which professional development is needed.

As required by State law, the District's comprehensive professional development plan will be updated by September 1st annually. Any substantial revisions to the District's plan will be submitted to the FLDOE for their review for continued approval. The Superintendent will annually recommend for the School Board's consideration and adoption the updated comprehensive professional development plan, so that verification of the adoption can be submitted to the Commissioner of Education not later than October 1st of each year.

The Board will provide funding for professional development as required by State law and the General Appropriations Act and will authorize expenditures from other sources to continuously strengthen the District's system of professional development. The plan will also provide for training for each teacher who will use materials that were purchased with funds allocated by the State for instructional materials, provide for in-service credit for the training, and document satisfactory completion of the training by each teacher.

The in-service activities for instructional personnel shall focus on analysis of student achievement data, ongoing formal and informal assessments of student achievement, identification and use of enhanced and differentiated instructional strategies that emphasize rigor, relevance, and reading in the content areas, enhancement of subject content expertise, integrated use of classroom technology that enhances teaching and learning, classroom management, parent involvement, and school safety. Additionally, in-service activities will be made available for instructional personnel of nonpublic schools in the District and the State certified teachers who are not employed by the Board on a fee basis not to exceed the cost of the activity per all participants.

Each principal shall establish and maintain an individual professional development plan for each instructional employee assigned to the school as a seamless component to the school improvement plans developed pursuant to State law. The individual professional development plan established by the principal shall:

By July 1st of each year and prior to the release of funds for instructional materials, pursuant to statutory requirements, the Superintendent will certify to the Commissioner of Education that the Board has approved a comprehensive professional development plan that requires fidelity of implementation of instructional materials that are in the first two (2) years of the adoption cycle. The report will also include verification that the training was provided.

The Superintendent will annually report to the Board on the implementation of the plan.

F.S. 1001.42, 1011.62, 1011.67, 1012.22, 1012.34, 1012.98, 1012.985, 1012.986