D.+Professional+Development

Link to ET-IL 2009-2012 = = =D. Professional Development=

//The ET-IL plan must include strategies for providing ongoing professional development for district staff in the integration of technology and information literacy with curriculum and school management, and in the use of technology for delivery of library services and access to information. Future federal reporting requirements request states to report the number of teachers deemed technologically proficient.//

Guiding Questions:
1. //Describe how the district’s professional development plan provides ongoing sustained professional development for teachers, principals, administrators, and school library media personnel serving the district.//

The Thompson School District details its plan to provide ongoing, sustained professional development for teachers, principals, administrators and school library media personnel serving the district in the Goals, Objectives, and Strategies section of the 2009-20012 ET-IL plan. The specific strategies to embed a comprehensive continuum of learning opportunities are outlined in that particular section of the document.

The Thompson School District Technology Steering Committee and the Technology Advisory Committee will continue to provide oversight and input regarding the design, funding allocation, feedback and evaluation of professional development for all stakeholders. The director of curriculum and instruction, director of elementary, director of secondary, and the director of instructional and informational technology services will collaboratively coordinate the implementation of sustained professional development for teachers, principals, administrators, and school library media personnel serving the district. Funding streams from the department of instructional and informational technology services, curriculum and instruction, and media services provide integrated professional learning support to all stakeholders.

//2. Describe how the district will begin to determine the technological proficiency of teachers.//

The Thompson School District's Teacher Evaluation systems alignment work group is currently studying the teacher evaluation tool. One critical aspect of review is the integration of technological proficiency standards for teachers. The goal of the work group is to create 21st Century Teacher Standards of which technological proficiency is seamlessly embedded. This tool will be utilized by school building administrators to annually evaluate the skills and abilities of their teaching staff. The Teacher Evaluation systems alignment work group estimates that it will begin piloting a new teacher evaluation tool which will embed 21st Century teaching strategies during the 2009-2010 school year. The target date for universal implementation is 2010-2011. The Thompson School District will begin formally determining the technological proficiency of teachers. At this time, principals informally monitor the proficiency of their teachers through the current teacher evaluation tool. Thompson will also explore use of the Instructional Staff Technology Literacy assessment tool in design by the Colorado Department of Education with a three-year implementation plan.

//3. Describe the district’s plan to provide staff development that supports the integration of technology/21st Century tools into their daily educational practice.//

In addition to offering a wide array of interest-based professional development opportunities, the Thompson School District will use the coordinated skills of the school media specialist, technology coach and instructional coach to provide job-embedded, just-in-time support to all school based staff. The department of curriculum and instruction sets aside $10,000 to $15,000 annually to support district-wide technology integration training.

The Thompson School District supports a system where site-based teacher leaders can write a proposal to teach a Thompson Incentive Credit (TIC) class which allows teachers to move ahead on the salary schedule and meet the guidelines for Colorado Department of Education recertification guidelines. The Thompson School district will support a full time Technology Integration Coordinator to support technology integration training through general funds, and also a .5FTE and a .12FTE technology integration TOSAs funded with Mill and Title II dollars to support district-wide training as well.

The coordinated efforts of the site-based media specialists, site-based tech coaches, site-based instructional coaches, and district-based technology integration staff allow for a systems approach to providing both job-embedded, just-in-time support as well as cross-pollinating cross-district workshops to increase targeted skill areas for professional growth. It is this comprehesive support system which increases teacher's ability to embed and refine the use of technology and other 21st Century tools into their daily practice.