This plan is based on the
Missouri Professional
Development Guidelines for Student Success,
developed by a statewide advisory in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Elementary and

Secondary Education.

2007-08 Professional Development
                     Committee Members

                     Seneca Elementary PDC Members (PD term expiration)
                                                Sandy Blick – Secretary (2009)
                                                Pam Frye – Contact (2008)
                                                Cheryl Gayer (new teacher/mentor) – (2009)
                                                Pam Ward (forms) – (2010)
                                                Sharon Weber – Chair (2008)

                                                Iva E. Wells Middle School PDC Members
                                                Linda Pflug (forms) –  (2010)
                                                Julie Schwartz – Contact (2009)
                                                 Rodney Wright (new teacher/mentor) –  (2008)

                                                Seneca High School PDC Members
                                                 Don Jones – Contact (2010)
                                              Marsha Hampton (new teacher/mentor) –  (2008)
                                                Laura Snider (forms) – (2009) 

 2007-2008
Board Approved September 2007

I.  Statement of Purpose

It is the mission of the Seneca R-VII Professional Development Committee (PDC) to cooperate with school staff, administrators, and school board members to develop programs which will assist the staff in increasing and refining their knowledge, and keeping abreast of progress in the field of K-12 education.  These activities will lead to increased student performance.  Responsibility for the professional growth of an individual lies both with the district and the individual.  It is the position of this committee that professional growth opportunities should be available to meet the needs and interests of all staff.

Student achievement is the focus of what we do as educators.  With this in mind, teacher knowledge, skills, and attitudes are at the core of all students’ learning and performing at high levels.

In 1993, the Missouri Legislature passed Senate Bill 380, the Outstanding Schools Act.  This bill requires each school district to devote one percent minimum guarantee of its revenue from the Foundation program to professional development each year.  No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was signed into law by President George Bush in 2001.

The role of the professional development committee is to plan and provide results-driven, high quality activities which support the district’s current Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP).  These activities shall be designed to improve teaching practices and student learning.

II. Professional Goals

To ensure all children in the state of Missouri are taught by highly-qualified teachers, the goal is for all Missouri teachers to participate in high-quality professional development each year.  Teachers complete a survey reporting their involvement in high-quality professional development which is reported on Screen 19 June cycle of Core Data.  The challenge is to increase that percentage each year.  The following table shows data for the past years.

 

                                               2003  2004  2005  2006          2007
% of MO teachers
(According to Tom Ogle, DESE Core Data)      60%  72%   NA     88%            NA

% of Seneca teachers
(Sc. 19-DESE Core Data)                    12%  18%  39%   Dist-47%    Dist-75%
                                                                           ES-39%      ES- 90%
                                                                          MS-63%     MS-59%
                                                                          HS-44%     HS-64%                                                               
The Professional Development goals are based on the Seneca R-VII School District Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP) Objectives and Goals.  Each building will create a building plan with specific objectives to meet these goals. Each staff member will develop an individual professional improvement plan and, with his/her administrator, will discuss progress toward his/her goals through and by the end of the school year.
 

2.  Parental and Community Support
     Based on data collected yearly, the rate of parent/community participation will
     increase.
     Baseline data will be the third cycle MSIP advanced questionnaire.

3.  Facilities
     Each year, all classes will meet the state standard of minimum size.
 

III.  Professional Development Committee
A.  Structure
The Seneca Professional Development Committee will consist of representatives from the elementary, middle, and high school teaching staff.  The assistant to the superintendent and an administration representative from each building will serve as ex-officio members.  Building administrators have a major role in professional development, actively participating in planning and promoting building-level and individual professional development activities.  The Board of Education and superintendent have the overall responsibility for the Seneca Professional Development Program.

B.  Membership
The teachers serving on the Seneca PDC will be nominated and elected from their respective buildings.  Each elected member will serve a three-year term of office with the total membership staggered so that one-third of the members retire from service at the end of each school term.  Members may serve more than one term if elected.

C.  Membership Qualifications
Members elected to serve on the PDC will be certified teachers with three or more years of teaching experience and with at least two years of experience at Seneca. (Exceptions may be made in case of circumstances by approval of the PD committee.)  Members will be elected in March.  PDC orientation will be provided at the May meeting.  The chairperson will have at least one year of PDC experience before assuming leadership of the PDC.

D.  Meetings
Each month, there will be one meeting at central office for the entire PDC.  The purpose of the meeting is to plan and evaluate PD activities and issues.  Each month at each building that building’s PDC members and the principal will meet so the PDC and the administration can come together collectively to plan and evaluate the most effective professional development events based on identified needs.  This procedure will provide professional development information to both the PDC and the principals so the professional development activities will be fully supported and implemented.

E.  Responsibilities of PDC
Based on the NCLB, the PDC will promote activities that:
      1.     improve and increase teachers’ knowledge of the academic subjects the
           teachers teach, and enable teachers to become highly qualified;

2.     are an integral part of the broad school-wide and district-wide educational improvement plans;

3.     give teachers, principals, and administrators the knowledge and skills to provide students with the opportunity to meet challenging state academic content standards and student academic achievement standards;

4.     improve classroom management skills;

5.     are high quality, sustained, intensive, and classroom-focused in order to have a positive and lasting impact on classroom instruction and the teacher’s performance in the classroom, and are not 1-day or short-term workshops or conferences;

6.     support the recruiting, hiring, and training of highly qualified teachers, including teachers who became highly qualified through state and local alternative routes to certification;

7.     advance teacher understanding of effective instructional strategies that are based on scientifically based research and strategies for improving student academic achievement or substantially increasing the knowledge and teaching skills of teachers

8.     are aligned with and directly related to state academic content standards, student academic achievement standards, and assessments and the curricula and programs tied to the standards;

9.     are developed with extensive participation of teachers, principals, parents, and administrators of schools to be served under this Act;

10. are designed to give teachers of limited English proficient children, and other teachers and instructional staff, the knowledge and skills to provide instruction and appropriate language and academic support services to those children, including the appropriate use of curricula and assessments;

11. to the extent appropriate, provide training for teachers and principals in the use of technology so that the technology and technology applications are effectively used in the classroom to improve teaching and learning in the curricula and core academic subjects in which the teachers teach;

12.  as a whole, are regularly evaluated for their impact on increased teacher effectiveness and improved student academic achievement, with the findings of the evaluations used to improve the quality of professional development;

13. provide instruction in methods of teaching children with special needs;

14. include instruction in the use of assessment data to improve classroom instructional practices;

15. include instruction in ways that teachers, principals, pupil services personnel, and school administrators may work more effectively with parents.

 

F.  Responsibilities of the Administrators

1.     Administrators are to expect participation in PD activities by their teaching staff (MSIP).

2.     Administrators are to reinforce and monitor the belief of PD being an integral part of the teachers’ job (MSIP).

3.     The administrator is to be in continual communication (strengths, weaknesses, and improvements) with the teaching staff regarding PD (MSIP).

4.     Ethical responsibilities, including the need for confidentiality is necessary.

5.     Administrators need effective assessment methods for determining learning needs of practicing teachers and how to use assessment information (MAP data) to establish priorities (BSIP).

6.     Building administrators are responsible for developing Building School Improvement Plans (BSIP) based on MAP assessment (and other) data, and in working with PDC to assist staff in developing Individual Professional Improvement Plans (IPIP).

7.     Administrators must find effective resources (people, such as STARR, and materials) for PD.

8.     Administrators must maintain the role of instructional leader while working cooperatively with the PDC.

9.     Administrators must support teachers by setting aside time for learning.

10. Additional responsibilities include the following:

·        Provide time for teachers to observe effective practices

·        Support and monitor the mentor/new teacher relationship

·        Select and assign qualified mentor when new teacher is hired

·        Offer support, assistance and resources to mentors and new teachers

 

IV.  Funding

The Outstanding School Act (SB 380) indicates that each school district shall allocate one percent of its revenue from the foundation to the Professional Development Committee (PDC) for professional development of the staff.  Of the monies allocated to the PDC, seventy-five percent “shall be spent in the same fiscal year for the purposes determined by the PDC after consultation with the administrators of the school district and approved by the local board of education as meeting the objectives of the Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP) of the district that has been developed by the local board.”  The remaining twenty-five percent must also be spent for professional development, but may be carried forward to use in the succeeding year (see Missouri Professional Development Guidelines for Student Success).

 

Funding for the PDC activities will be underwritten by the Seneca R-VII School District with the overall budget amount to be determined annually by the district.  The budget amount will be not less than one percent of the school foundation formula.  The PDC and the assistant superintendent/PD Chair will work in the encumbering and disbursement of PDC funds.  PDC, Title I, and Title II work together toward the accomplishment of the professional development goals.  The annual PDC budget will be approved by the superintendent and the Seneca R-VII School Board.

 

Funding Disbursement may include, but is not limited to:

·        Speakers/Training provided for Faculty In service Days

·        Speakers/Training provided for New Teacher/Mentor (Stipend) Orientation

·        Individual Workshops/Conferences Attended/ Substitute Reimbursement

·        Staff training designed to address “Needs Assessment” results

·        Tuition reimbursement if PD funding remains at the end of the year and if tuition requests meet allowable expenses as outlined in PD plan.

 

Process for filling out PD paperwork and Reimbursement

  In order to attend a professional development activity

·        fill out the request for personal absents

·        have your principal sign the form

·        hand deliver the form to the superintendent to be approved and signed

·        make a copy of the form to be included in your packet for the professional development committee

·        fill out the BLUE sheet for approval from the PDC (Approximately $200 is available for individual professional development activities.)

·        have principal sign the blue sheet

·        attach your individual professional improvement plan

·        obtain a PO (purchase order) from the school office

·        type or press hard when filling out the PO (include title of your workshop, where the workshop will take place, the date of the workshop)

·        have your principal sign the PO

·        for travel – If you will be staying in a hotel, please check to see if they will accept a PO from the school, and, if so, get one from the office, fill it out and take it with you.  If the hotel will NOT accept a PO, Kathy Patton at Central Office will prepare a check for you take with you; be sure you do this BEFORE the 10^th of the month so the Board can approve it.  Please do not use your personal credit card to pay for your hotel.

·        take the BLUE sheet, the individual professional development plan, your PO, and the copy of your personal leave paper to the appropriate “forms” person:  ES-Pam Ward, MS-Linda PFlug, HS-Laura Snider

·        the PDC will check your paper work and will send you a confirmation or rejection notice

·        after your PD activity fill out another PO if you need to be reimbursed for any out-of pocket expenses such as mileage or meals (List ONLY those expenses for which you are to be reimbursed and attach receipts.)

·        take the PO to your building  principal to be signed

·        send the PO to Central Office (again, this must be done before the 10^th of the month for Board approval for payment.)

·        check to see that you are definitely registered for the activity before leaving to attend, especially if you did not receive confirmation

  

Additional Guidelines for Reimbursement

·        Allowable tuition and fee expenditures for college and/or university courses may be covered by PDC funds only if, at the end of the school year, there is PD money “left over” from the current year’s budget.  Tuition funds are available only in cases of required certification and/or enrichment coursework directly related to student achievement and only in teacher’s area of expertise and Individual Professional Improvement Plan (IPIP).  The building principal and district committee must approve these requests.  The teacher must provide proof of C grade or above and receipt of payment for reimbursement.  The PDC will be responsible for informing staff about any available tuition reimbursement funds by June 1 of each year.

·        Out-of-contract days for principal requested in service may be paid with prior approval of the building administrator, superintendent, and the PDC.  The district rate is $20/hour or $100/day with mileage and registration paid by district.

·        PDC funding cannot pay for coaching clinics.  Professional development money is distributed by the state to be used for the improvement of classroom instruction and student achievement.

·        PDC funding cannot be used to send the Title I teaching staff to conferences that could be funded through Title I.

V.  Administrator-requested Staff Development Activities
Administrator-requested staff development activities must meet the following guidelines and do not count toward $200 allotment:

·        Must align with the Individual Professional Improvement Plan (IPIP) and Building School Improvement Plan (BSIP).

·        Must have building principal recommendation and superintendent approval on PDC form prior to activity

·        Out-of-contract days for principal-requested PD will be paid with prior approval of the building administrator, superintendent, and the PDC.  The district rate is $20/hour or $100/day with mileage and registration paid by district.
 

VI. Mentor Teacher

The Excellence in Education Act requires that beginning teacher support systems include a mentoring program.  A mentor teacher has been described as a “coach, trainer, positive role model, developer of talent, and opener of doors.”  This emphasizes that the role of the mentor teacher is “helper” not “evaluator.”

 

Mentor requirements:

·        teacher with five years of experience

·        two years of experience in the Seneca School District

·        should be interested in furthering his/her education and improving instruction

·        ideally, should be teaching in the same grade level or subject

·        ideally, should mentor only one new teacher a year

 

The principal is responsible for identifying mentor teachers.  Mentors should be identified as soon as a teacher is employed so there is sufficient time to attend necessary training.

 

Mentor teachers will receive reimbursement for serving as mentors.  Each mentor for a first year teacher will receive $200 or credit on Career Ladder IF she/he:

·        attends training sessions for mentors provided by the district

·        attends beginning in services

·        attends in service meetings with mentee

·        the mentor stipend will be split into two parts.  One half of the stipend will be paid for the attendance of required district meetings and the second half will be paid for the monthly meetings between  the mentor and mentee.

·        mentors who do not attend the required district meetings with the mentee will be docked $15 for each time they did not attend, unless they have a duel responsibility with the school district that cannot be covered by someone else. These mentors must find out what was taught in the mentor meeting from someone and then talk with their mentee.  They then must report to the principal and the principal must sign off on their attendance sheet. If this is done, they will not be docked for missing the meeting.

·        the mentor and mentee will be required to visit with the building PDC quarterly to make sure that the professional development plan is being completed correctly and to give feedback on how  well the mentor and mentee were working together. 

 

Mentors will receive $100 for the second year of mentoring.

 

Note: If mentor is assigned more than one new teacher, he/she may only be paid once for attending the sessions.

 

Experienced Teachers New to the School District

Teachers with teaching experience who are new to the district will be assigned a “buddy,” a teacher who has been with the district at least one year.  Orientation activities provided two days before the beginning of the regular school year will be mandatory for the new teacher to the district.  However, it is not mandatory for the “buddy” since this position will receive no stipend.  Visits are confidential and non-evaluative and are designed to provide support and answer individual questions or concerns that the new teacher may have.

 

VII. Higher Education Assistance

According to the law, beginning teacher professional development plans “shall include assistance from the teacher education program which provided the teacher’s training, if such training was provided in a Missouri college or university.”
 

VIII. New Teacher Assistance
It is the purpose of the PDC to assist in developing a Professional Development Plan for beginning teachers who have less than two years prior teaching experience.  By offering collegial support and practical assistance, these programs should help beginning teachers polish their skills, improve their chances for success and encourage them to stay in the profession.

The Individual Professional Development Plan addresses at least the at least the teacher’s first two years in the classroom.  The goals in the plan should relate, in part, to the evaluation criteria suggested in Guidelines for Performance-Based Teachers Evaluation in Missouri.  The beginning teacher’s mentor will initiate preparation of the professional development plan.  As appropriate, the beginning teacher will elaborate upon the original professional development plan, tailoring the goals to his/her needs.  The plan will continue to be refined as he/she gains experience during the first two years in the profession.  The initial plan and all subsequent revisions should be filed in each new teacher’s building, where it will be readily available for reviewing and updating.

IX. Evaluation
The Professional Development Plan recognizes the necessity to provide, support, and reflect on:

1.     Results-based data analysis of assessment

2.     On-going, research-based initiatives and activities which provide high quality professional development activities at both the district and building levels.

3.     Well-defined professional development goals that align with Seneca R-VII School District’s Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP).

 

The PDC shall conduct an evaluation of its program that includes:

·        review of district workshops and activity evaluations

·        out-of-district evaluations

·        analyzing annual “needs assessment” survey in the month of June

·        annual board evaluation

·        High-Quality Professional Development Survey

·        evaluation of mentor program by all participants

·        collect, compile, and analyze data to foster on-going improvement

·        establish yearly measurable objectives and desired outcomes (core data, see page 2)

 

The PDC presents the biennial evaluation to the Board of Education listing the goals, strengths, and concerns of the program and recommendations for improvements.

 

X.  School Board Commitment

The Seneca R-VII School Board endorses the effort of faculty members to grow in professional development, authorizes the necessary funds to support this effort, and supports the work of PDC.  The board recognizes that release time from regular classroom duties will be necessary for mentor/teacher and PDC members and that additional financial support for mentors/teachers will be made available.  The board will support the PDC with the one percent minimum guarantee of its revenue from the foundation program plus additional funds where needed to achieve district goals.

 

XI. MSIP Requirements for Professional Development (4^th cycle)

6.1 (2) Teachers receive training on the curriculum review and revision process, curriculum alignment, and classroom assessment strategies.

6.2 (2) Teachers use current assessment information to plan instruction and have received specific training on this process.

6.4 (3) Training in the use of instructional equipment and technology is provided.

6.7 Professional development is an integral part of the educational program and all school improvement initiatives.

1.     The district has a written plan for professional development that includes the following components:

·        PDC policies and procedures (including PDC membership criteria, reimbursement procedures, request procedures, etc.)

·        professional development program objectives aligned with the Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP)

·        evaluation criteria for the overall professional development program

·        descriptions of the planned professional development activities are directly related to areas of needed student improvement aligned with the district’s CSIP

·        specific mentoring provisions (including a scope and sequence for the program, allocated resources, a description of all participants’ responsibilities, and evaluation processes and procedures)

·        provisions for complying with specific professional development program requirements, and all rules, regulations, and legislation related to professional development funding

2.     The district provides intensive, on-going professional development activities that address curriculum and the instructional practices related to student achievement issues identified in the Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP).

3.     For all staff members, professional development is an integral part of their job responsibilities and expectations.

4.     The district has identified a set of instructional strategies designed to meet the assessed needs of students, and has made a long-term commitment to focus its professional development activities on implementing and reinforcing these strategies.

5.     The district collects and utilizes information regarding the effectiveness of its professional development program in improving instruction and student achievement.

6.      The district provides substantial time and resources for the professional development of all staff members.
 

XII. 2007-08 PD Calendar-Subject to change as year progresses.

June

July

August

September

 

 October

November

December

January

February

March

 

April

May

 

June

XIII. Projected PDC Budget for 2007-2008

Beginning PD budget=$52,832.00
 

                             ACTIVITY                                PROJECTED AMOUNT

 

District

2214-6,391.0               Services                                                                                          $4,853.00                     

TOTAL DISTRICT PD EXPENSES                                                   $4,853.00

Elementary School

2214-6391.1                Services                                                                                             $5,674.00         
2214-6,410.1              Supplies                                                                                              $2,476.80

2214-6,131.0              Stipend (Extra)                                                                                   $   833.34

2214-6121                   Substitute, Cert.                                                                                 $3,833.34

2214-6,211.0               Retirement                                                                                         $   583.34

2214-6,231.0               FICA                                                                                                $   237.67

2214-6,232.00            Medicare                                                                                           $     67.67   

2214-6343                   Travel                                                                                               $3,666.67

TOTAL ES REG PD EXPENSES---                                                      $17,372.80

 

Middle School

2214-6391.2                Services                                                                                               $3,546.25     2214-6,410.2              Supplies                                                                                                $1,548.00
2214-6,131.0              Stipend (Extra)                                                                                      $   833.34

2214-6121                   Substitute, Cert.                                                                                   $3,833.34

2214-6,211.0               Retirement                                                                                           $   583.33

2214-6,231.0               FICA                                                                                                  $   237.66  

2214- 6,232.00            Medicare                                                                                             $    67.66    

2214-6343                   Travel                                                                                                  $3,666.67

TOTAL MS REG PD PROJECTED EXPENSES---                              $14,316.25

 

High School

2214-6391.3               Services                                                                                                $4,964.75 2214-6410.3               Supplies                                                                                                 $2,167.20
2214-6,131.0              Stipend (Extra)                                                                                       $  833.33

2214-6121                   Substitute, Cert.                                                                                    $3,833.33  

2214-6,211.0               Retirement                                                                                            $   583.33

2214-6,231.0               FICA                                                                                                   $   237.66

2214- 6,232.00            Medicare                                                                                              $    67.66   

2214-6343                   Travel                                                                                                   $3,666.67  

TOTAL HS REG. PD PROJECTED EXPENSES---                              $16,353.95

 

GRAND TOTAL PROJECTED EXPENSES FROM PD                      $52,832.00