3242 - PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Whitmore Lake Public Schools

Administrative Guidelines

3242 - PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

In compliance with Board policy and State law, the District shall develop a staff development plan each year. The purpose of the plan will be to:

	A.	enhance student learning in one (1) or more areas of the core curriculum;
	B.	strengthen site-based management and/or the school improvement process;
	C.	strengthen instructional leadership;
	D.	increase the effectiveness of District strategies for assessing teaching and learning.

Each School Improvement Team will develop a list of priorities for staff development based on the following guidelines:

Student Learning

Requests to enhance student learning should be based on several factors including an assessment of how well students are achieving the academic outcomes in each of the core curriculum areas.

Staff Effectiveness

Requests for staff development to enhance the effectiveness of the staff should be based on the current ability of teachers to perform the following instructional tasks which are essential for the stated reasons:

	A.	Select/Analyze Learning Objectives
		It is almost impossible to provide effective instruction in the core curriculum if a teacher is unable to decide what particular learning students need and why, what such learning consists of (knowledge of subject matter, skills, or attitudes), and what thinking/learning actions students need to do to achieve the learning.

	B.	Assess Students' Current Level of Achievement
		Unless the teacher has a clear, accurate picture of students' needs relative to the expected achievement, the instruction could be irrelevant, inappropriate, or insufficient for one or more students.

	C.	Diagnose Students' Achievements That Fall Below Pre-Requisites
		Unless the teacher knows how to identify the causes for students' underachievement, the instruction may not be appropriate because it could be dealing with wrong or unimportant contributing factors.

	D.	Plan Appropriate Learning Activities for Students to Achieve the Learning Objective
		Instruction is such a complex process that if a teacher has not properly organized the necessary materials, facilities, and identified the procedures associated with the type of learning that is needed (knowledge, skill, attitude) for the learning to take place, the time and effort spent could easily result in nonachievement of the learning, in misuse of resources, and in heightened student deficiency and frustration.

	E.	Create an Environment which Maximizes the Opportunity for Each Student to Participate Appropriately in the Learning Activities
		If students do not recognize the relevancy of the learning, are not organized for appropriate actions, are distracted by their surroundings, etc., such roadblocks may make the learning impossible or more difficult than it needs to be.

	F.	Conduct the Lesson (Learning Activities) as Planned
		While planning provides the necessary preparation, it is the actual doing by the students, guided by the teacher, that produces learning. If the plan is appropriate and complete, and if the teacher is skillful in carrying out the plan, then the likelihood is far greater that the students will achieve the intended learning(s).

	G.	Assess/Diagnose the Extent to Which the Students Achieved the Learning
		If the teacher does not know how to find out accurately what the results of the instruction were and what caused those results, then it is highly unlikely that effective "follow-on" (remediation, reinforcement, application, extension, etc.) can be provided.

H. Evaluate the Effectiveness of the Instruction

Since the teacher is the prime facilitator of learning, his/her actions have a major influence on what and how much students learn. If the teacher is unclear about what s/he did that contributed to or hindered student achievement, it is highly unlikely that effective teaching acts can be done properly again or that ineffective teaching acts can be modified and improved.

Revise and/or Recycle Activities that Particular Students

Need in order to Achieve the Intended Learning

Many students do not, the first time, reach the needed level of learning. If such learning is prerequisite to subsequent learning, then they need appropriate and sufficient opportunities to learn what has not been learned and in a way that does not reduce the learning already achieved.
Instructional Leadership

Requests for staff development to strengthen instructional leadership should be based on an assessment of how well each of the following leadership strategies are being utilized in the school:

	A.	Define and communicate the mission and goals of the school, assign roles and tasks to members of the staff, and explain the importance of accomplishing those tasks in terms of the mission of the school and of the District.
	B.	Model the actions and attitudes expected of administrators, faculty, and support staff.
	C.	Arrange for the plans and resources necessary for each staff member to accomplish the results expected from his/her assigned responsibilities.
	D.	Assume responsibility for the performance of staff and the quality of instruction and support services they provide.
	E.	Monitor the progress of staff in accomplishing expected results.
	F.	Assess how well expectations are being met and consult with staff members to diagnose the reasons results are and/or are not meeting expectations.
	G.	Take actions that a.) will assist staff members in accomplishing improved results in those areas which are not meeting expectations and b.) will ensure the continuation of results that are at the desired level of quality.

Assessment

Requests for staff development to increase the effectiveness of assessment strategies should be based on an assessment of how well the school is implementing the following components of assessment:

Component #1	Determining the desired result ("ought-to-be") statement

Component #2	Determining and obtaining the measurement data

Component #3	Assessing (determining the differences/likenesses) between desired and actual behavior

Component #4	Making value judgements or evaluation statements based on the relative significance of the assessments

Each school is to submit its requests to the Superintendent by no later than May 31st of each school year. Accompanying each request should be an indication of the school's priority for meeting each staff development need. The priority should reflect the relative importance of the needed assistance for students to accomplish the student goals identified in the School Improvement Plan. Each request should also include any recommendations of:

	A.	strategies and/or practices in addition to those described above that will help the school better accomplish its goals for students;
	B.	particular staff development programs that have been successful in helping educators make effective use of the strategies identified in the request.

All requests from each school will be reviewed by the Superintendent and the principals prior to establishing the District's professional improvement plan for the year. The District's plan will be based on the following considerations:

	A.	the extent to which requests relate to significant student learning
	B.	the feasibility of each request in terms of the availability of effective providers, time for effective implementation, necessary resources, and/or funding
	C.	the commitment of school and District staff to participate in the staff development effort and follow through after it is completed
	D.	the adequacy of the plan for assessing the effectiveness of the staff development program and the results it is to produce