PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
2013 - 2014
Objectives

Meet the increased rigor of SOLs


Achieve the School Board goal of 21st Century Skills


Prepare students for new assessments which focus on
application of knowledge
Connect learning of content and skills in relevant ways
Increase content knowledge and pedagogy of staff to
teach higher level skills

Build upon existing structure of collaborative learning teams
Process Used
Data collected/ analyzed to determine
needs
Group formed to create proposed draft
of Instructional Improvement Focus
Draft presented to stakeholders for
input and revision
Sub group formed to create project
plan
FCPS Instructional
Improvement Focus
Teachers will be able to:

Build relationships with students that support effort and self-efficacy in reaching
higher standards

Recognize the 21st Century Skills (Critical & Creative Thinking) within our
curriculum

Plan lessons that teach 21st Century Skills (Critical & Creative Thinking) by
designing instructional tasks that require high levels of thinking for the essential
skills
 Using instructional strategies that support and promote student thinking at
high levels
 Engaging students in intellectual discourse
 Raising students’ levels of metacognition
 Providing students multiple opportunity to problem solve

Choose assessments that allow students to demonstrate 21st Century Skills
(Critical & Creative Thinking) at high levels
Focus integrated into the Instructional Cycle
Implement a tiered
system of support
(RI)
Choose assessments
that allow students to
demonstrate the 21st
Century Skills at high
levels (ASSESSMENT)
Recognize the 21st
Century Skills within our
curriculum
(CURRICULUM)
Plan lessons that teach
21st Century Skills by
(INSTRUCTION)
Leadership Team Agreements






All teachers will engage in professional development
activities focused on FCPS’ instructional improvement
priorities and Teacher Effectiveness Standards
Countywide in-services will be offered on Designated
Mondays to elementary school teams
Efforts will be made not to schedule conflicting sessions
PD will support the FCPS definition (PD-Definition)
A Principal PLC will be formed to support principals in
leading the work
PD will be a coordinated effort among Departments,
Clusters and Schools.
Elementary PD Content

Teams will plan through the instructional cycle as they receive
resources that
 Highlight the essential questions that will focus teaching and
guide student learning
 Explain the essential skills students will know and be able to do
as a result of lesson/unit
 Engage students in activities that will be used to activate prior
knowledge
 Engage students in activities that will equip students to construct
and develop understanding
 Allow students to demonstrate their understanding of the
essential questions and essential learning
Elementary PD Logistics
Elementary

Designated Mondays dates are set (Designated Monday Calendar)

Professional Development will be organized by Clusters (locations being
secured)

Created by ISD, PLA and DSS with teacher input and data collected from
Principals and CAS

Instructional Coaches/ Classroom teachers will facilitate

Facilitators will be chosen with CAS and Principal input and approval

Summer training dates and locations have been secured

PLA/ ISD/ DSS subcommittee are planning these trainings
Logistics (continued)
Sessions will:

Begin with a "Start without a start“

Follow a distinct lesson format

Link for 3 days

Provide a structure for CLTs to continue the
learning about the “Designated Monday” PD
focus in between sessions

Offer OPTIONAL readings and articles, if
appropriate

Provide Exit Ticket to inform IS content
specialists of session feedback (i.e. "Gots and
Wants", 3,2,1 structure, etc.)

Take place from 2:00 – 3:30

Use the same location each time
Sessions will provide:

Information that will be posted on 24/7
Elementary Curriculum and Instruction
Community

Registration through MyPLT
Each session will include:

Balance of skills and content

Consideration for ALL learners

Connection to what teachers are currently
doing

Examples of high quality lessons that engage
students in intellectual discourse, raise levels of
Metacognition, provide multiple opportunities
to problem solve

Explicitly model strategies

Modeled instructional tasks that require high
levels of thinking

Examples of different forms of formative
assessment

Modeled use of existing resources

Practical application

Consideration that homework is in the form of
practical application

Integration of technology as applicable and
appropriate
Middle & High Schools

In-services Days


Explicit connection to Professional Development focus at all
in-services
 Cross-curriculum alignment
Department Chair Release Days

Build school level instructional leadership capacity
 Teacher leaders
 Shift agenda priorities from logistics to Professional
Development focus
Middle & High Schools


On-going Teachers Support

Provide instructional resources to promote intellectual engagement

Optimize use of technology

Highlight best practices in action
Collaboration Opportunities

Offer to assist school leadership in planning Professional Development

Partner with instructional coaches to further build capacity at the school
level

Work with CAS to support their existing cluster meetings
Communication

Principals

Singular Focus


Focus connects to




Teacher Effectiveness
Instructional Cycle
Responsive Instruction
Teacher




Structure


Cross departmental and cluster
collaboration

Maximizes Designated Mondays

Support



Encourage participation by team
Connect to Teacher Effectiveness
Reduce number of school meetings
to provide teachers with individual
planning time

Deepens the work of their CLT
Provides time to plan with team
Access to high quality resources,
instructional strategies and
assessments
Connects directly to grade level
standards (content/ higher level
skills)
Meets several Teacher
Effectiveness Standards
Provides opportunity to
collaborate with other schools in
cluster
Timeline (sample)
May
June
July
August
Communication of
Plan to all teachers
Updates on PD plans 8/8 and 8/9 Training for
facilitators
Finalize curriculum
updates
8/1 and 8/6 Curriculum
updates for district
Set up MyPLT for
teachers
8/28 Opening Day!
Determine PD components
Recommendations for
facilitators
Action/Task
Work plan complete
Finalize locations (56)
Overview of PD focus for each
grade level (big ideas)
Notify facilitators in schools (expect Finalize PD for year,
response by 5/31)
more detail for PD
plan by content
Responses from fall facilitators
specialists
Inform leadership, principals, Finalize PD curriculum for
LT, ALG
facilitators
Select facilitators
Set up MyPLT for facilitators
Communication of plan to
ISD, division leaders
Set up 24/7 community for
facilitators and coaches
Select facilitator training
dates for August
Note link for information on 24/7
community
Materials ordered for
all PD sessions