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TAUNTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Dr. Julie L. Hackett, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Christopher Scully, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction

2017-2020 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN

“ Academic excellence for every student, in every classroom,

in every school”

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

Rebecca Couet PK-7 Humanities Curriculum Coordinator

Elizabeth Duncan Educational Assistant, Friedman Middle School Carol Doherty

Member, Taunton School Committee Jessica Fernandes

Teacher, Friedman Middle School

Michael Kelleher Principal, Bennett Elementary School

Jessica Lampert Teacher, Taunton High School

Daniel McKenzie Teacher, Taunton High School, Friedman and Martin Middle Schools

Judith Mulrooney Director of Special Education

Ann Nunes Teacher, Friedman Middle School

Elizabeth Pawlowski PK-7 Science Curriculum Coordinator Lisa Penn Speech Language Pathologist Elizabeth Rodrigues

Principal, Martin Middle School

Dr. Christopher Scully Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction

Mary Wohler

Director of English Language Learners Program

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FOREWORD Any educator who has been around for more than a couple of years can easily rattle off multiple items from the “this is the way it used to be done” category. In some cases, these past practices were once widely recognized but have been overlooked through the vagaries of time. In most cases, however, schools work differently today than they did a generation ago – perhaps even ten years ago – because the world in which these schools operate has been going through a period of change unrivaled in human history. As our society, our culture, and we ourselves change, then it is inevitable that how we run our schools also changes. Just as the early-industrial world of brick factories and streetcars is a distant memory, so too is the school environment of chalkboards, inkwells, and rote memorization gone, never to return. The challenge, of course, is that change does not always give us a century to react and respond. Instead, school systems need to be as nimble as possible in recognizing and adjusting to the changing needs of their students. Educators today realize that they need to be learners as well as teachers, in part to stay current with changing content, pedagogy, and even the shifting identities of their classrooms, but also to ensure that our schools remain places where everyone – students and adults alike – is committed to continual learning. A college degree and a firm foundation from a teacher preparation program is an excellent start, but it is no longer enough: in order to remain effective, educators must practice continual self-improvement throughout their careers. The only way for us to do this effectively is through regular and high-quality professional development. And while this obviously is an important concern for the individual educator, it also needs to be a priority for school systems themselves. It is not enough to simply hope for the best and leave it to individual educators to chart their own course through improvement opportunities, for even when individual choices are excellent, they might not move an entire district in the most desired direction.

In that spirit, the Taunton Public Schools offers this Professional Development Plan. This plan attempts to provide a high-level overview of the priorities and mechanisms that the TPS foresees as being best means for our educators to maintain their already high professional standards. Aligned and inspired by the District Strategic Plan, this document outlines areas of need, opportunities for growth, and the various formats in which educators can get what they need. In doing so, it avoids getting bogged down too much in the minutiae of individual offerings; a grocery list model may be useful for programming a particular semester, but this plan’s three-year scope aims to both articulate priorities and recognize that specifics might best be handled closer to events themselves. It also acknowledges that others may offer specific possibilities within these broad priorities that this group has not yet imagined, an eventuality it looks forward to.

In the spirit of continuous improvement, and in proud recognition of the ongoing desire of Taunton educators to do so, the Professional Development Council presents this 2017-2020 Professional Development Plan.

Taunton Public Schools Professional Development Council

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWARD 3

STRATEGIC PLAN 5

A VISION OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN TAUNTON 6

MASSACHUSETTS STANDARDS OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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BEHAVIORAL NORMS FOR COLLEGIAL COLLABORATION 9

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS OF FOCUS 10

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRUCTURES 14

INDUCTION PROGRAM 17

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EVALUATION 18

USING THE TAUNTONPD WEBSITE 19

TRACKING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT POINTS 21

RECERTIFICATION GUIDELINES FOR MASSACHUSETTS EDUCATORS

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A VISION OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN TAUNTON

Professional Development in Taunton is defined as transformational learning experiences that change educators' knowledge, skills, and beliefs. This enables them to work more effectively, to improve all students' learning, and to close achievement gaps.

Professional Development for all educators (administrators, general educators, special educators, related service providers, school nurses, and educational assistants) in the Taunton Public Schools is characterized by the following elements: A focus on student learning needs as informed by classroom, school, and district data.

Engagement with self-assessment, making practice public to others, and giving and receiving feedback on authentic educator and student work.

Collaborative relationships and processes that provide opportunities for joint work and the accessing of collective knowledge.

Collegial dialogue that challenges individual thinking and introduces new perspectives on practice and beliefs.

A commitment to implementing new learning in classroom practice.

Professional Development in Taunton affords educators the opportunity to:

Contribute to crafting the learning experiences that fit their needs.

Receive multi-sensory information through reading a text, hearing an explanation, viewing a demonstration, or using materials.

Process information in more than one context and in more than one way, such as: journal writing, the analysis of case studies, role playing, small group discussions, interviews, lesson presentations, problem solving, manipulation of materials, and construction of objects.

Thoughtfully and thoroughly discuss questions. Reflect, wonder, suppose, and predict. Connect new concepts and information to current practice by drawing on previous

experience. Learn from their colleagues while respecting the ideas and perspectives of diverse

viewpoints. Use new information over time by testing, comparing notes, revising, and refining

understanding and practice. Access support and feedback from professionals they respect. Value what they are learning. Experience success.

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MASSACHUSETTS STANDARDS FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The Taunton Public Schools strives to ensure that all of its professional development offerings have clear objectives, result from careful planning, align with school and district goals, and are thoughtfully delivered by experienced professionals. To that end, and to the greatest extent possible, the district and its presenters use the following Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education standards for High-Quality Professional Development to guide the programming and delivery.

STANDARDS INDICATORS

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1. HQPD has clear goals and objectives relevant to desired student outcomes.

1.1 Professional development goals specify intended student outcomes.

1.2 Educator learning objectives specify changes in knowledge, skills, and practices necessary to achieve the intended student outcomes.

1.3 Learning objectives are written in SMART format.

Specific &Strategic

Measureable

Action-Oriented

Rigorous/Realistic/Results-focused

Timed/Tracked

2. HQPD aligns with state, district, school, and/or educator goals or priorities.

2.1 Professional development goals align with educator performance standards, individual professional growth goals, and/or state, district, or school improvement priorities.

2.2 Professional development prepares educators to address state, district, school, and individual goals or priorities.

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3. HQPD is designed based on the analysis of data relevant to the identified goals, objectives, and audience.

3.1 Student data from multiple sources inform decisions about professional development goals and learning objectives for the intended audience.

3.2 Educator data from multiple sources inform decisions about professional development goals and learning objectives for the intended audience.

4. HQPD is assessed to ensure that it is meeting the targeted goals and objectives.

4.1 Formative assessment using multiple sources of data measures progress toward professional development goals and learning objectives.

4.2 Summative evaluation measures the attainment of professional development goals and learning objectives.

4.3 Data from formative assessment and summative evaluations inform efforts to improve the quality and results of professional development.

5. HQPD promotes collaboration among educators to encourage sharing of ideas and working together to achieve the identified goals and objectives.

5.1 Professional development includes collaboration among educators to generate relevant, role-specific applications of their learning.

5.2 Skillful, prepared facilitators use protocols, processes, and Strategies to facilitate collaboration during and after professional development to support implementation of learning.

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Available at http://www.doe.mass.edu/pd

6. HQPD advances an educator’s ability to apply learnings from the professional development to his or her particular content and/or context.

6.1 Professional development includes multiple opportunities for educators to practice their learning and receive feedback.

6.2 Professional development supports educators to identify multiple applications of their learning within their everyday workplace responsibilities.

7. HQPD models good pedagogical practice and applies knowledge of adult learning theory to engage educators

7.1 Professional development uses effective, research-based, adult learning strategies.

7.2 Professional development incorporates strategies for active engagement of learners.

7.3 Professional development facilitators model the practices needed to attain goals and learning objectives.

7.4 Professional development includes personalization and differentiation to meet unique learning needs of educators.

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8. HQPD makes use of relevant resources to ensure that the identified goals and objectives are met.

8.1 Sufficient resources (time, funding, staff, materials, technology, etc.) are available to provide sustained support over time for full implementation of learning to attain goals and learning objectives.

8.2 Professional development resources are allocated equitably to address high-priority needs.

9. HQPD is taught or facilitated by a professional who is knowledgeable about the identified objectives

9.1 Skillful, prepared facilitators with content expertise lead professional development.

9.2 Facilitators of professional development seek and use feedback, coaching, and other supports to improve their knowledge, skills, and practice as leaders of learning.

10. HQPD sessions connect and build upon each other to provide a coherent and useful learning experience for educators.

10.1 Professional development incorporates strategies to connect new learning with learners’ past learning and experiences.

10.2 Individual professional development sessions or meetings link together in a logical and sequential manner to promote attainment of the goals and learning objectives.

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BEHAVIORAL NORMS FOR PRESENTERS AND LEARNERS

GROUND RULES

Be on time, be prepared, and stay involved.

Be positive about the process.

Take initiative and get clarification when needed.

Check your air-time.

Stay focused on the task.

Be a leader and offer different solutions.

Be courteous, open-minded, and respectful of others’ points of view.

NORMS OF COLLABORATION

1. Pausing - Slows down the "to and fro" of discussion.

2. Paraphrasing - Re-cast or translate into one's own words, to summarize or to provide an

example of what has just been said.

3. Probing for Specificity - Probing seeks to clarify something which is not yet fully understood.

4. Putting Ideas on the Table - It takes a degree of self-confidence and courage to put forward an

idea and it is vital that collaborative groups nurture such self-confidence and courage.

5. Paying Attention to Self and Others - Collaborative work is facilitated when each team member

is explicitly conscious of self and others - not only aware of what he or she is saying, but also

how it is said and how others are responding to it.

6. Presuming Positive Intentions - This is the assumption that other members of the team are

acting from positive and constructive intentions (however much we may disagree with their

ideas).

7. Pursuing a Balance between Advocacy and Inquiry - Highly effective teams are aware of the

necessity of inquiry and advocacy and self-consciously attempt to balance them.

Love, N., Stiles, K., and Mundry, S., eds. A Data Coach's Guide to Improving Learning for All

Students. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press, 2008.

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS OF FOCUS

All learning can be good learning, and anything that makes the fundamental transaction between educator and student more effective is worthwhile. Nevertheless, as an organization, the Taunton Public Schools has particular areas of training, study, and reflection which are of the highest priority for our educators and students. Through input gathered from a wide range of staff members, the Professional Development Council has identified the following general areas as those we most wish to focus on and support.

ACCREDITATION, MANDATES, AND EDUCATOR EVALUATION: Along with those areas that we determine on our own are priorities, we must also recognize that we are subject to the priorities of state and federal agencies. Many of these align with what we want to do as a district, while others might require an adjustment of our plans and a reallocation of our resources. A sampling of previous professional development of this sort includes:

Professional Development day session on high school NEASC accreditation

Ongoing training for principals in requirements of NAEYC accreditation

Annual Civil Rights presentation for all faculty members

Training in Massachusetts Ethics regulations for all faculty members

Annual MCAS-Alt trainings run by DESE

Professional Day in-District workshop of completing MCAS-Alts

Multiple principals attending annual MCAS security workshop

Building-based training in computer-based testing

CONTENT KNOWLEDGE: Deep knowledge of content allows instructors to better illuminate the connections both within a discipline and among the different disciplines. Educators almost universally crave further information in their areas, and are perpetually creative in finding ways to increase their knowledge. Some past ways of doing this include:

Multiple national summer institutes for high school instructors attended by high school social studies teachers

Math and Science content Term Time courses

Multiple Professional Development day offerings at all levels

Participation by Advanced Placement teachers in MAAP, a multi-district organization which offers opportunities for teachers of the same course to meet and work together

Innumerable teacher-selected outside workshops and conferences, supported through the Taunton Public School Professional Leave forms

PLC work on various topics at the different grade levels, looking at topics such as the Common Core standards for mathematics

Data meetings based on district-wide literacy and mathematics common assessments

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EARLY LITERACY: Recent research has made it more and more clear that being an effective reader by grade three might be the single most consequential benchmark for young students. Increasingly, the gaps that open up in the achievement of at-risk students in the very first years of their formal education (and, in a similar way, even before they begin school) are a hugely important target for our efforts. Accordingly, the Taunton Public Schools have made early literacy a priority area for our professional development. Previous efforts include:

On-site coaching of school-based TPS instructional coaches on both pedagogy and the use of data

Coaching from outside consultants

A broad range of early-literacy offerings, including Project Read, Telian Lively Letters, Vocabulary Instruction, Enhanced Core Reading Instruction, Rewards, Debate, and Comprehension Toolkit

Professional Learning Communities focused on literacy instruction

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS: The number of English Language Learners in Taunton continues to experience significant growth; anecdotally, a greater percentage of these students now enter our schools with multiple other factors that put them at risk of poor educational outcomes. As with students of disabilities, the Taunton Public Schools philosophy calls for including ELL students in the workings of the normal school day as much as possible. To do this, we have begun and will maintain a commitment to training as broad a range of staff as possible in instructing ELL students, using offerings such as these:

WIDA training customized for various grade spans

SEI endorsement courses and “Topics in ELE” multi-week courses

ACCESS test training for all English Language Learner staff

Cultural Proficiency courses focused on language difference

INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES: Along with content knowledge, educators are also perpetually searching out ways to better connect with their students, whether that means a teacher learning ways to make their class run more efficiently, or a support provider studying new ways of delivering their services. This is an area that needs to be an ongoing priority, since techniques must continually change to best meet the needs of every generation of students. Past efforts in this area include:

Multiple teacher-selected workshops and conferences supported by Taunton Public Schools Professional Leave forms

PLC work on various topics, such as a study of Teach Like a Champion, by Lemov

Walk-throughs by TPS instructional coaches to provide feedback on best practices

Teacher training in the new Educator Evaluation System, featuring a high-frequency, short-duration observation protocol designed to improve pedagogy

Term Time course on implementing learning centers in the middle grades, questioning, and teacher table practices

Professional Development day offerings on small group instruction at the middle grades

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INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY: The pace of technological change is rapid, and the professional development made available to our teachers needs to match that pace. As the district continues to strive to provide educators with the most effective technological resources available, it also needs to provide teachers with the knowledge and skills necessary to take full advantage of these resources, ensuring that new technology actually results in new instruction. Ongoing work includes:

Building-specific offerings on utilizing Chromebooks in the classroom

Google classroom summer workshops

Outside trainer for high school language lab

Regular schoolBrains trainings and workshops

NON-LICENSED PERSONNEL: In addition to ensuring that our educators are as prepared as possible to provide a world-class education to our students, the Taunton Public School is also committed to providing quality professional development to our non-licensed staff, who support the work of the district in so many ways. In some cases, the areas of focus for our Educational Assistants, Secretaries, Food Services staff, and Custodians will overlap with those mentioned above; in other cases, each specific set of employees will have their own needs and requirements for training. Along with annual, mandatory training required of each group, the following offerings from the recent past suggest areas of emphasis for the District:

Training in Inclusionary techniques for Educational Assistants

Free and Reduced Lunch eligibility training for Food Services Staff

Nutrition, Health, and Safety training for Food Services Staff

SchoolBrains training for Secretaries

Vendor-led workshops for Custodians using new products

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL NEEDS AND CULTURAL PROFICIENCY: It is increasingly important for us as educators to understand our students’ social, emotional, and cultural needs and differences if we are to educate them effectively. In a community that is more culturally and economically diverse than it once was, it is incumbent upon us to ensure that all Taunton Public Schools educators are prepared to recognize and address their students’ needs. Previous efforts in this area include:

Training for AHS staff in understanding the effects of childhood trauma

Training for high school educators in suicide prevention

Taunton Lenses workshop at new teacher orientation, Professional Development day, and Term Time Series

High School Guidance PLC investigating causes behind and strategies for addressing students who dropout

Training for administrators in most current thinking about school security

Professional Day trainings for School Nurses in current areas of emphasis

Building-based PBIS training and support

School-based book studies focusing on working with students in poverty

Teacher- and Administrator-focused sessions on behavior from Jessica Minahan

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SPECIAL EDUCATION: The Taunton Public Schools prides itself on being a fully inclusive district. In Taunton, we take great pains to ensure that every student with disabilities is taught in the least restrictive environment whenever possible. Beyond this, we strive to find new and creative ways to go beyond the merely necessary and include students with disabilities in all aspects of a school’s life. Doing this effectively requires a commitment to training all staff members, both general and special educators, which we have addressed in past years through:

Multiple trainings through nationally-recognized expert on inclusion Lisa Dieker

Week-long summer course in inclusive techniques and strategies

Content training for high school special education math teachers

Term Time course on brain development and impact on the inclusion classroom

Consultations at various schools by Special Education Coordinators

Co-teaching workshops for teachers and assistants

Workshops on how to develop and read IEPs

UNIT DESIGN: Designing thoughtful units that emphasize the importance of Essential Questions and Enduring Understandings is the single best way to ensure that our teaching goes beyond the mere rote or technical and engages with the big ideas that are embedded in the Common Core standards for English and Math, as well as in the forthcoming “Next Generation” Science Standards. With an eye towards the DESE’s efforts in creating and publishing Model Curriculum Units, our work in Taunton began with offerings such as these:

Summer seminar on unit design for high school and elementary school Social Studies instructors

Term Time course on the principles of collaboratively designing units

Book study program which puts copies of Understanding by Design, by Wiggins and McTighe, in the hands of curriculum leaders in the district

Fifth-grade science study group to collaboratively design new unit on weather and the water cycle

High School English PLC work on designing common units

EMERGING AREAS OF FOCUS:

ASSESSMENT LITERACY: As educators have grown more familiar and comfortable with generating and analyzing data on student performance, schools have become more savvy and nuanced in their use of this data. Increasingly, educators understand the need to look at more than just the results of state-mandated tests, and narrow their focus through the use of common district assessments aligned to our own curriculum. The PD Council recognizes the need to continues these efforts and support them by increasing the assessment literacy of all TPS educators, allowing them to better create, administer, and analyze the results of authentic and reliable student assessment.

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WRITING ACROSS THE CURRICULUM: Educators in Taunton have always thought about how best to teach their students to write, but the current moment gives us an opportunity to go further. Given the recent completion of new Science and Social Studies curricula, along with the impending revision of the district’s English curriculum (set to be finalized during the life of this plan), the PD Council recognizes the opportunity to support a more fully articulated PK-12 approach to writing in the district utilizing a range of in-school and out-of-school structures.

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRUCTURES

High Quality Professional Development comes in many forms: the intense graduate school class can often be a paradigm-shifting experience, but the collegial conversation with the teacher through the door from us can also change our perspective. In recognition of the fact that learning looks different at different times, and that adults, just as students, learn in different ways, the Professional Development Council has identified the following structures as the primary ways in which we will support our educators’ growth.

COACHING CYCLES: Educators at the elementary and middle schools receive direct, individualized, and timely professional development from their instructional coaches. These trained professionals work with educators to identify areas of need, collaboratively develop short- and long-term goals, and then deliver support and follow-up through regular classroom visits and data analysis.

COURSE REIMBURSEMENT PROCESS: The course reimbursement process is an often overlooked but highly effective structure for the delivery of Professional Development. Educators in Taunton can take courses at area colleges, including hybrid and fully on-line courses, and be reimbursed 50% of their cost. This benefit has allowed countless Taunton educators to take courses at dozens of institutions, in many cases allowing them to earn degrees that they might otherwise not have been able to achieve. This process has the added benefit of allowing educators to completely personalize their professional development.

DISTRICT-WIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAYS: The three annual Professional Development days are the most obvious and the most public form of professional development in the District. Their regularity and their universality make them particularly suited for offerings in which the entire District partakes. Recent focuses of District-wide Professional Development days include:

Educator Evaluation system: Self-Assessment and Goal Writing

Educator Evaluation system: Overview, Rubric, and Goal Writing

Reading Street training for early grades

Keynote speakers: Team Hoyt, Alan November, Ron Ferguson

Elementary Report Card: Study and Norming

Professional Development days can also be useful for establishing a range of sessions that allow small groups to work together, or encourage educators from different buildings or different departments to engage in work that is of a common interest. Of late, the March Professional Development day has been reserved for this purpose, and has seen a wide range of department- or grade-level specific offerings.

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EDUCATOR-INITIATED AND OUTSIDE OFFERINGS: Opportunities exist for educators to initiate offerings or study groups on their own, based on their specific needs and desires. Pending available resources, these offerings may include attendance at workshops or conferences, participation in seminars, or even teacher-led study groups. The Professional Leave form allows teachers to search out and request training that best fits them.

MASSACHUSETTS FOCUS ACADEMY: The Massachusetts Focus Academy (MFA) is a program organized and managed through the District Support and Assistance Centers, regional branches of the DESE that concentrates on helping Districts to achieve their goals. Each semester, the MFA offers approximately a dozen free, online graduate-level courses to educators; these have proven to be invaluable resources for our District. In recent semesters, approaching one hundred Taunton Public Schools educators have signed up for one of these courses. Recent offerings have included:

Differentiated Instruction

Partnering with Families of Students with Disabilities

Assessment of Students with Disabilities who are English Language Learners

Universal Design for Learning

Collaborative Co-Teaching in Inclusion Classrooms

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES: Professional Learning Communities have become an outstanding way for teams of teachers to work on topics of their own choosing, at a pace of their own selection, and to generate results that benefit them directly in their classrooms. Topics have varied widely, but some notable focuses have included:

Creating common assessments and curricular materials for fourth grade math

Studying and implementing techniques from Teach Like a Champion

Applying strategies gained at a summer institute to student writing assignments in a social studies class

Small group math instruction

Developing a system of positive referrals at the middle school

Creating a warm-up exercise book for vocal music instruction

Forming a system of peer support for Biology students

SUMMER SERIES: The summer allows some educators to engage in longer days of instruction or study, encouraging the week-long format of intense engagement. Summer courses work best for narrowly-focused instruction, sometimes through an outside provider, during which participants can have opportunities to both follow instruction and discuss with their colleagues. Some recent summer offerings include:

Math practices at the elementary level

Math practices at the middle and high school level

Math content for the special educator

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Aligning standards and assessment in the mathematics classroom

Managing and changing behaviors in the classroom

Teacher assistants in the inclusive setting

Unit design in Social Studies

BSRI summer institute

TERM TIME SERIES: The Taunton Public School Term-Time Series consists of mini-courses offered each semester on topics of interest to educators and of priority to the District. These courses are usually led by District personnel who are experienced in a particular area. Recent offerings have included:

WIDA training for general education teachers

Brain Development and Inclusionary practices

Model Curriculum Units and Unit Design

Math Practices at the elementary level

Small group instruction at the middle level

Science content workshop for elementary level

“Taunton Lenses” Cultural Proficiency series

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INDUCTION PROGRAM

Starting a career as an educator can be a daunting task: the challenges can range from the profound (How do I best serve the mission of this district and the needs of my students?) to the ridiculous (Why won’t this copier turn off?). The aim of the Taunton Public School Induction Program is to first welcome new educators to our district – whether they are new to the field or just new to Taunton – and then guide and support their development through their first three years. While the TPS strives to continually improve its efforts in these areas, the following information is offered as an overview of how the district meets the unique professional development needs of new educators.

INDUCTION OFFERINGS: The following offerings, ranging from multi-day trainings to single-afternoon workshops, are intended for educators at the start of their careers:

New Educator Orientation: Three-day welcome to the district

New Educator Drop-in Office Hours: Once a month, presenters from the New Educator Orientation will be available for consultation and conversation

TPS “User Guide” Sessions: Targeted presentations on general topics of interest

Quick Start Workshops: Brief introductions to the fundamental elements of TPS pedagogy

Mid-Year Reflection for First Year Educators: An opportunity for first year educators to reflect, celebrate, and re-connect

End of Year Celebration for First Year Teachers: An opportunity to reflect on the first year and celebrate their accomplishments

Second and Third Year Teacher Institute: A one-day offering intended to help educators entering their second or third year to refine their approach to the year

MENTORING SUPPORT: The Taunton Public Schools provides trained mentors for all first-year educators, and to second-year educators upon request. Highlights of the program include:

Mentors and mentees aim for a minimum of 30 hours of training, contact, and observation

Mentors attend the afternoon session of the New Teacher Orientation, bringing mentees back to their buildings for introductions and tours

Mentor teams meet formally about every other week, while informal meetings will likely take place more frequently than this

Mentors and mentees have the opportunity to observe each other’s classroom at least once per marking term

Mentor teams attend the mid-year reflection and end of year celebration as a team

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EVALUATION

To the greatest extent possible, the Professional Development Council wants to know how effective the many opportunities in the District are towards reaching their stated goals. While the ultimate measure of all Professional Development should be its effect on student learning, behaviors, and academic success, interim measures, both formal and informal, are also very important.

EVALUATION OF OFFERINGS: The Professional Development Council also desires to gather formal feedback on its offerings whenever possible. To that end, it has developed a feedback form that is accessible through the TPS Professional Development website; all participants in professional development are required to complete an evaluation form in order to be awarded PDPs for their offering. The Council remains committed to continually revising this tool.

FOLLOW-UP EVALUATIONS: In addition, the Council is also committed to using formal and informal means to determine how well the District’s offerings have “stuck” with educators; even if they enjoyed the workshop on the day it was offered, has it made a difference to their practice? Do they feel the same about it six weeks after the fact as they did on that day?

GATHERING SUGGESTIONS: The Professional Development Council solicits suggestions for what teachers feel they need, what they would like to have offered, and in what format they feel it would best be delivered. Part of the purpose of having a diverse group of educators on the Council (currently educators and administrators from all levels and a wide range of disciplines sit on the Council) is for those members to be ambassadors to their schools, fanning out across the District to connect with their colleagues, find out what they want, and help assess how they feel they are or are not benefitting from what is being offered. Multiple offerings, particularly in the Term Time series and on the final district-wide professional day of each year, have come about as a direct result of educator input.

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USING THE TAUNTONPD WEBSITE

The Taunton Public Schools professional development website, accessible through the general TPS website or directly at https://app.smartedu.net/taunton/pd/default.cfm, is the primary means for educators to sign up for specific professional development opportunities or to check how many Professional Development Points they have earned through TPS-sponsored offerings (PDPs earned through other providers must be tracked and recorded by the educator).

Educators should use their individual login information to access their information or to sign up for District-sponsored professional development opportunities. After logging in, educators can use the “Offerings” link on the left to bring up a menu of the school year’s offerings:

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Selecting the “Records” link from the list brings up a list of all PDPs earned by that educator through Taunton Public School District offerings during the current reporting period; educators who need information dating back further should contact the Office of Curriculum and Instruction. Educators may also print out official PDP certificates for the entire list shown or for the current year only.

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TRACKING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT POINTS

For most educators in the Taunton Public Schools, the majority of their PDPs will have been earned through TPS-sponsored offerings. Nearly everyone, however, will have earned PDPs through outside offerings or through other providers, sometimes because of their interests and sometimes because of their specific requirements for licensure. It is important for educators to remember that neither the TauntonPD website nor the Office of Curriculum and Instruction maintains records of these PDPs, and thus it is important for individual educators to retain and track and PDPs earned through these providers.

The DESE has created a number of resources to assist educators in this process, all of which can be found at http://www.doe.mass.edu/pd/educators.html. Some of the most useful documents specific to tracking PDPs are reproduced on the following pages.

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RECERTIFICATION GUIDELINES FOR MASSACHUSETTS EDUCATORS

Available at: http://www.doe.mass.edu/recert/2000guidelines/appd.html#

The following options and examples outline professional development activities that count toward license renewal.

Additional examples are listed in Appendix B. Options for license renewal will assist each educator in developing an

ongoing individual professional development plan consistent with the educational needs of the school and/or district,

while providing flexibility in the kinds of activities that are eligible for professional development points for license

renewal.

Undergraduate & Graduate Courses, Seminars, or Institutes

ELIGIBLE ACTIVITY ELIGIBLE PDPS DOCUMENTATION

Participants who successfully complete undergraduate or graduate level courses through an accredited college or university may be able to equate credits earned to PDPs.

Undergraduate Course 1 credit = 15 PDPs Official Transcript or Grade Report

Undergraduate Course or approved equivalent (Only when substantially new to the educator)

1 credit = 22.5 PDPs Official Transcript or Grade Report

For example: an elementary generalist teacher taking an advanced math course at the undergraduate level, such as a calculus or geometry course, may count each credit as 22.5 PDPs .

Graduate Course or approved equivalent

1 credit = 22.5 PDPs Official Transcript or Grade Report

Audited Course (undergraduate or graduate course or equivalent audits)

1 credit = 7.5 PDPs Official Transcript

Seminar or Institute 1 clock hour = 1 PDP Certificate of Completion

Instructor of an undergraduate/graduate-level course or approved equivalent

1 credit = 45 PDPs PDPs may be awarded for the first time the course is taught in a five-year cycle

A letter, on official letterhead, signed by the Dean or Registrar

1 CEU = 10 PDPs

Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

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Department-Sponsored Professional Development Offerings

The Department will offer 1.5 PDPs per clock hour for ESE-sponsored professional development programs that:

a) total at least 10 hours; b) include a product or pre-and post-content assessment; and c) include a follow-up component .

For Department-sponsored activities that do not have a pre - and post-content assessment, 30 PDPs may be counted

towards license renewal in a five-year cycle. Additional information about professional development opportunities

sponsored by the Department can be found on our website at http://www.doe.mass.edu/pd/offerings.html.

NOTE: The Department will not offer PDPs for one-day workshops or conferences, informational sessions, or

meetings.

Massachusetts Test for Educator Licensure (MTEL) Content Test: General Curriculum Math:

Educators with the following licenses are eligible for 15 PDPs after successfully passing the General Curriculum Math

subtest: Elementary, Teacher of Students with Moderate Disabilities, Teacher of Students with Severe Disabilities,

Teacher of the Visually Impaired or Teacher of the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing. NOTE: Educators are only able to count

these PDPs towards license renewal if they did not previously pass the General Curriculum Math subtest for licensure

and took the test as an option for professional development. These PDPs may be applied in the content area of the

above licenses.

MTEL Content Test: Sheltered English Immersion (SEI):

Educators with a Professional level license who pass the SEI MTEL to obtain the SEI Endorsement are eligible for 15

PDPs.

Performance Assessment for Leaders (PAL):

An educator renewing a Professional Principal/Assistant Principal license who has not previously completed any of

the tasks in the PAL is eligible to receive 15 PDPs for each of the four performance assessment tasks that are

successfully completed (http://ma-pal.com). NOTE: An educator who had previously completed a PAL task prior to

their renewal cycle is not eligible for PDPs.

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Initiatives Sponsored by Districts, Collaboratives, or Registered Providers

Awarding PDPs upon successful completion of a Professional Development Program/Series:

School and district-based in-service professional development programs must offer a minimum of 10 hours on a topic

in order to award PDPs. Educators may receive 1 PDP per clock hour upon successful completion of such programs. If

the activities include 10 or more hours on topics that are related or similar, PDPs may be awarded. Such programs

must focus on strengthening content knowledge and/or professional skills with an observable demonstration of

learning that could include a written or other documentable product.

Maximum Number of Points Allowed Per Year for Some Professional Development Programs:

Some professional development programs are not readily measured in clock hours or may result in a large number of

hours. The Department has established the maximum number of points per year for some programs in an effort to

encourage educators to participate in a variety of professionally relevant and academically meaningful activities.

Educators may apply the earned PDPs toward either content knowledge, professional skill or other educational

electives.

Presenters/Trainers:

Educators who develop and present a minimum of three separate sessions in a professional development series are

eligible to receive twice the number of PDPs given to participants, with the presenter receiving a minimum of 10 PDPs

and a maximum of 24 PDPs. These points may be counted the first time the training is provided in a five-year cycle.

Micro-credentials:

Micro-credentialing is a new and exciting area of learning where educators can demonstrate proficiency in a variety

of topics through competency-based models. For example, an educator can identify a specific skill for which they

want to earn a micro-credential, submit the required evidence of their competence, and have it assessed by a trained

reviewer from the registered PD Provider. If the reviewer assesses the evidence favorably, the issuer will award the

educator a micro-credential, which can be shared in the form of a digital badge that proves the educator has

demonstrated competence in a specific skill. Bloomboard is an example of a registered PD Provider in the

Commonwealth that offers micro-credentials.

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ELIGIBLE ACTIVITY ELIGIBLE PDPS and the

Maximum Number of Points per Year

DOCUMENTATION

Micro-credential

2 badges = 10 PDPs as long as the badges are in a related topic area 1 badge = 10 PDPs when bundled with other PD activities in the related topic area.

Digital badge in the form of a hard copy.

Educators who participate in the following professional development programs within a five-year cycle are eligible to

receive 1 PDP per contact hour but may not apply more than the identified maximum number of points per year:

ELIGIBLE ACTIVITY ELIGIBLE PDPS and the

Maximum Number of Points per Years

DOCUMENTATION

Mentoring 15 PDPs Certificate of Completion issued by the school or district

Peer Coaching 15 PDPs Certificate of Completion issued by the school/ district

Supervising Practitioner

Up to 20 PDPs may be awarded for serving as a supervising practitioner. Up to 10 PDPs may be awarded to the individual completing the supervising practitioner training. NOTE: The minimum required hours for training to earn 10 PDPs is 6 hours.

Certificate of Completion issued by the school or district or sponsoring College or University

Peer Assistance and Review Programs

15 PDPs Certificate of Completion issued by the school/district

Team for State Program Approval, Accreditation or Inspection: NOTE: PDPs for accreditation or inspection visits may be used for points not subject to supervisor approval

Team member 30 PDPs in five-year cycle Certificate of Completion

School faculty member preparing for visit

30 PDPs in five-year cycle Certificate of Completion

National Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS)

120 PDPs for successful program completion (30 PDPs in content, 60 PDPs in pedagogy, and 30 PDPs as elective)

Certificate of Completion

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Educator-Designed Activities

The following is a listing of some eligible activities. Educators may, however, participate in other innovative activities

that are worthy of earning PDPs. Educators should contact the Office of Educator Licensure at 781-338-6600 to

determine if an activity that is not listed below is eligible for PDPs.

ELIGIBLE ACTIVITY ELIGIBLE PDPS and the

Maximum Number of Points per Years

DOCUMENTATION

Curriculum Development 15 points per curriculum unit and may accrue up to 60 points in five years

Certificate of Completion from school/district where formally shared

Doctoral dissertation 90 PDPs in five years A letter, on official letterhead, signed by the Dean or Registrar

Master’s or CAGS thesis 45 PDPs in five years Official Transcript

Book(s) 90 PDPs per book Copy of book and/or ability to view that product

Professional journal articles or chapters in a professional book

30 PDPs per chapter or article in a book or journal

Product

Published results of action research 30 PDPs in five years Product

Presenter at a Professional Conference

30 PDPs maximum in a 5-year cycle as a first time presenter

Certificate of Completion or letter from organization

Attending a Professional Conference (Attendance at a series of sessions/workshops must span two or more days)

10 hour minimum on the same/similar topic= 10PDPs

The final product that serves as an assessment of learning

School-Based Activity: The development and implementation of an activity for students, parents, or teachers that incorporates the learning standards of the curriculum frameworks

1 PDP per clock hour with a maximum of 30 points in all, over a 5-year cycle

Certificate of Completion or a letter from the school/district

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Curriculum Development: Educators who author a new or innovative curriculum unit that is published in a school or district guide or formally shared in other ways, including software, student textbook or professional resource, may earn 15 PDPs per curriculum unit and may accrue up to 60 PDPs in a five-year renewal cycle. Published Written Materials: When a professional development activity includes the development of work to be used, distributed, or published, legal issues concerning ownership and copyright protection may arise. Educators who write copyrightable material while “on the job” should discuss these issues with their employers. Professional Conference: Educators who attend a professional conference for less than 10 hours in a given topic may extend their learning to reach the required 10 hour minimum by developing a school-based activity or curriculum, or by publishing written material. For example, educators may bundle a one-hour conference and combine the 1 hour with one or more related topics for a minimum of 10 or more hours. School-Based Activities: Educators may count PDPs from school-based activities toward the license renewal content requirement when the activity is directly related to the content area of the license. Educators may earn PDPs for a school-based activity when it is distributed or implemented within a local school, district, or university.

Types of School-Based Activities:

Design and coordinate a series of Family Mathematics Nights within a school.

Design and coordinate extended learning activities for students.

Design and implement a series of seminars for teachers and/or parents.

Training topics might include:

Developing and implementing standards-based units

Designing instructional practices that support learning in a standards-based classroom

Supporting special needs students within a standards-based classroom

Supporting gifted and talented students within a standards-based classroom