Development

= Welcome to the RVIS Professional Growth Wiki = = =


 * [[image:RVIS.PLC.png width="338" height="323" align="center" caption="Aligning Learning"]] ||
 * Aligning Learning ||

Our Task
Facilitate the development of a professional growth process that focuses on each individual teacher’s professional development within a supportive professional learning community. Integral to the process will viewing professional practice through the four domains of the Danielson Framework for Teaching.

Domain 1 - Planning and Preparation Domain 2 - The Classroom Environment Domain 3 - Classroom Instruction Domain 4 - Professional Responsibilities

The system will have the following outcomes:

 * Improving student learning by promoting quality teaching
 * Recognizing and celebrating good practice
 * Fostering professional collaboration and community
 * Encouraging professional learning

Purposes of the Proposed System

 * Provide constructive feedback to individual teachers
 * Recognize and reinforce good practice
 * Provide direction for professional development
 * Provide evidence of the professional qualities of teachers
 * Unify teachers and administrators in their collective efforts to educate students

The Professional Growth Committee articulated the following assumptions (9/15/09)
 * RVIS here to support our professional development
 * The system will be peer supported
 * It needs a plan
 * The plan needs to balance structure and flexibility
 * It will reflect best practice
 * It will require time for collaboration
 * There will be a need for differentiation (novice/experienced, but new to RVIS/experienced returning etc)
 * Needs to consider the role of school wide goals in individual plans
 * Will be a respectful process - required trust and a supportive climate
 * from both the perspective of the school and the perspective of the teacher, requiring authentic engagement from all concerned
 * Will be planned and implemented with input from all stakeholders. Individual teachers will be supported in achieving their goals by peers and admin
 * Will promote professional growth and student learning
 * Will involve lots of reflection on every day practice
 * Will provide opportunity to praise good practice
 * Will highlight where you have been and where you are going
 * Will be a focused process - not a fragmented one

We agreed to consider and revisit the role / goal of student learning in the process. = DEVELOPING OUR PLAN =

These are the 'givens'
 * Use of the //Framework for Teaching//
 * Inclusion of the framework self-assessment tool
 * Inclusion of formative and summative elements
 * Reflection
 * Goal setting
 * Professional growth plan
 * Begin this year

= ISS Requirements =


 * Essential Elements of the System**
 * Ultimate goal is to student learning
 * Systematic and on-going conversations over time
 * Formative (informal: both oral and written) and summative (formal:written and conferenced) feedback
 * Flexible focus/Choice of Instrument: dependent on tenure, experience, professional competence

= Considerations to Guide the Development of Our Plan =

Stage 1 – Designing the Process
The process of designing the system should be as inclusive as possible

Form a professional development committee  = Developing the Process = Procedures to consider
 * Open membership
 * Develop schedule
 * Define decision-making process
 * Generate input from the whole faculty
 * Process in committee
 * Report back to faculty
 * Time lines for professional growth activities
 * Roles and goals of personnel involved
 * Roles within the process (observer/observe, coach, mentor, supervisor)
 * Differentiated procedures for different groups of teachers (homeroom/specials/new/veteran)
 * Due process
 * Teacher developed individual professional growth plan
 * Digital professionalportfolios
 * Self-reflection
 * Planning documents – unit plans, lesson-plans etc.
 * Teaching artifacts such as assessment tools, student work samples etc.
 * Samples of student work or other evidence of student learning
 * Parent and community communications
 * Log of professional development activities or engagement in school projects
 * Student and parent surveys

Stage 3 Using the Process
1. Determine the Detailed Instruments and Procedures 2. The instruments and procedures used should:
 * Document all four domains of the framework
 * Represent to the greatest extent possible, a ‘natural harvest’ of teachers’ work, rather than consisting of extra work that teachers must do solely for the professional development process
 * Constitute valuable professional development by, for example, encouraging self-assessment and reflection on practice
 * Consist of reasonable workloads for individuals, both teachers and administrators
 * Contain clear and unambiguous directions and question
 * Apply to the full range of teaching contexts
 * Include an appropriate degree of differentiation and choice for teacher

Stage 4: Training
Effective use of the //Framework for Teaching,// observations of classrooms, professional conversations about practice, coaching, mentoring, and sustaining a collaborative professional learning community requires ongoing training and support. The primary need will be to mentor/coach individual teachers in their efforts to compile evidence of their professional practice through a digital professional portfolio, to complete and reflect upon self-assessment instruments and other evidence contained therein, to facilitate goal-setting and the development of a professional development plan.

The secondary need will be to to guide and support differentiated professional development. Training will therefore focus on the coaching skills required to facilitate a collaborative culture and support adult learning. **Possible Elements of Training Program** Facilitate a series of training sessions for teachers on the following topics:
 * The //Framework for Teaching//
 * Self-assessment of practice
 * Goal-setting
 * Creating a professional development plan
 * Participating in professional community
 * Peer observation
 * Seven norms of collaboration
 * Peer coaching
 * Professional conversations
 * Observing teaching
 * Group development