Older Draft

All is subject to change! Thank you, dar

Professional Development Plan

Table of Contents

Plan Reporting Cover Page 2
Introduction; team composition 3-4
Guiding Principles 5-6
Needs/Data Analysis 6
Goals/Objectives 6-7
Effective Professional Development Activities 7
Effective Professional Development Resources 8
Expected Participation 8
Record Keeping 8
Evaluation 8-9
Mentoring 9
Framework for Professional Development Appendix A
Mentoring Plan Appendix B









ONC BOCES
Professional Development Plan


BEDS Code: 199000000000

Mr. Nicholas J. Savin
District Superintendent

ONC BOCES
2020 Jump Brook Road
Grand Gorge, NY 12434

­Telephone: (607) 588-6291

Fax: (607) 588-

Email: nsavin@mail.oncboces.org

Years Plan is to be effective: 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 school years.












Introduction:
Composition of Professional Development Team for ONC BOCES – July, 2013


The ONC BOCES school district is compromised of two career and technical educational centers and several classrooms located throughout the ONC BOCES region. The two centers house an alternative education program, a GED preparation program, several innovative programs classrooms (i.e. special education) and 21 career and technical education programs. Should we add somethingn to address the multiple locations of our itinerant staff? Approximately 115 professional staff provide services to the students of the nineteen component school district served by ONC BOCES.
A district-wide team was established by the ONC BOCES Board of Education, in conjunction with the ONC BOCES Teachers’ Association. The team collected data, analyzed survey results, and finalized a needs assessment. The resulting Professional Development Plan is intended to serve the needs of diverse adult learners who comprise the faculty and staff at ONC BOCES.
Team members include:

Name Role Site












NYSED Statement on Professional Development for Certification Holders






Professional development opportunities are important to helping teaching professionals integrate new knowledge and state-of-the-art techniques and technologies into their practice; to make new and innovative contributions to the school community; and to positively impact student outcomes. Recognizing this, NYSED’s new certification structure that went into effect in 2004, requires that teachers with Professional certificates and Level III teaching assistants complete ongoing professional development.

To help students in New York State achieve high learning standards, it is important that all teaching professionals remain highly qualified throughout their careers. This is consistent with the goals of the Regents 1998 teaching policy. Through ongoing professional development, teaching professionals maintain the knowledge and skills they need to help all students succeed.


What about Administrators?




















175 and 75 Hour Professional Development Requirement FAQ


What is the NYSED Professional Development Requirement?

• Holders of a Professional certificate for administration, classroom teaching, and Teaching Assistant III certificates, are required to complete professional development hours to maintain the validity of their certificates. Professional certificate holders must complete 175 hours every five years; Teaching Assistant III certificate holders must complete 75 hours every 5 years.

When does the first professional development period for a an individual certificate holder begin?

• The professional development period for the certificate holder begins on July 1 following the effective date of the certificate.

What happens when a Professional or Teaching Assistant III certificate holder takes an approved leave of absence and does not teach for a portion of the 5-year professional development period?

• For either of these certificates, if the certificate holder teaches less than 90 days, a given school year for any reason, including an approved leave, the required hours are reduced by 10% for each school year during which this is the case.

How does an individual meet the professional development requirement if he or she leaves the State during the professional development period or is unable to find employment in New York State?

• If the certificate holder wishes to maintain the validity of his/her New York State Professional or Teaching Assistant III certificate, he/she must satisfy the professional development requirement. If he/she is not employed in a NYS public school, the required hours are reduced by 10 percent for each year that this is the case.

How does a certificate holder who is employed by a non-public school, pre-school or day-care center meet this requirement?

• For all certificate holders who are not employed in a public school district during the 5-year professional development period, the hourly requirement is reduced 10 percent for each year of the 5-year professional development period that the certificate holder is not employed by a public school district. This holds true regardless of the circumstance, be it illness, inability to obtain a position, employment in a non-public school, employment as a teacher in a non-profit community-based preschool or day-care setting, etc.
• The certificate holder who is not employed by a public school may receive such professional development from a non-public school, a public school district, BOCES, New York State Teacher Center, college or university, or Special Education Teacher Resource Center (SETRC).

For Level III teaching assistant certificate holders, do the required professional development activities need to focus on a particular content area or pedagogy skill?

• No, it is recommended that the certificate holder and district jointly determine the activities after consideration of the teacher assistant's and the district's needs relative to instruction.

If a "non-public" school employs me, must the school provide professional development for me so that I can fulfill the professional development requirement?

• No, but it would be in the school's best interest to do so. It is recommended that the non-public school consult with the local public education entity about the possibility of participating in the school district's professional development activities.

Do non-public schools need to obtain approval of professional development activities for their teachers from the local public school district in which the non-public school is located?

• No.

Can I complete the 175 hours at any time during the first 5 years, or must I complete 35 hours each year?

• Regulations do not specify that any portion of the required hours be completed annually. However, it is recommended that certificate holders maintain a steady progression of professional development activities over the five-year period and not take on an overwhelming number of activities in any one year.

If I complete more than the required number of professional development hours during a 5 year professional development period, may I "roll over" the extra hours to the next 5 year period?

• No.

What if I hold two Professional certificates in different areas? Do I have to do double the hours?

• No, you need only complete total of 175 hours for each 5-year professional development period. The cycle begins on July 1 following the issuance of your first Professional certificate and continues on that 5-year cycle.

What if I am National Board certified-must I still complete 175 hours of professional development every 5 years?

• If you obtain your National Board certification in the area of your Professional certificate during a 5-year professionaldevelopment period, the National Board certification process satisfies the entire requirement for that cycle. However, if you obtained National Board certification prior to the 5-year period, you are not exempted from the required 175 hours for that period.

If I volunteer in a public school, pre-school or day-care center and am not employed in a public school, can this service accrue towards my continuing professional development obligation?

• No.

If a public school district employs me, may I use college coursework to satisfy the professional development requirement, or am I restricted to district professional development offerings?

• If your district approves the college coursework, the hours may accrue toward the professional development requirement.

How far back do we have to go in logging professional development hours?

• Counting of professional development hours begins on the July 1 after the issuance date of the individual's Professional or Teaching Assistant III certificate. Activities on and after this date are applicable toward satisfying the certificate holder's professional development for the five-year professional development period, which runs from July 1 to June 30 of each subsequent year.

Can we report professional development activities that were completed by the individual before this July 1 date?

• No, hours completed before the beginning date of the professional development period are not applicable toward meeting the requirement and should not be reported.

Is it a requirement to log professional development hours on-line?

• Public school districts are required to report professional development hours for their employees online. Individuals not employed by a public school district are encouraged to report their professional development hours using the online TEACH system, but are not required to do so.

Are individual teachers responsible for making sure their professional development hours are entered into their records by the school district?

• While it is the district's responsibility to report hours, it is in the interest of every Professional certificate and Teaching Assistant III certificate holder to verify that their professional development hours are reported and that their individual record is complete.
• We suggest that certificate holders:
• Develop their personal professional development plan in consultation with their district, and obtain the district's approval before embarking on professional development activities.
• Check their individual record periodically to verify that the completed hours are being reported by their school district (at least annually). Questions or discrepancies should be resolved with the district immediately. Certificate holders should not wait until the end of their five-year professional development cycle to resolve any issues.

What counts as a professional development hour? Is an hour spent in a professional meeting comparable to an hour spent on research, or an hour in an inservice workshop, etc.?

• Generally, professional development activity may be considered to accrue according to the number of clock hours spent in the activity, e.g., inservice workshop, conference session, etc. However, the employing public school district has the discretion to set the number of hours awarded for research, attendance at professional meetings, etc.
• For individuals not employed by a public school district, the professional development hours should equal the clock hours spent in the workshop, course, etc

Can I report partial/fractional hours of professional development?

• No, the TEACH system will only accept professional development reported as full hours.

What records of professional development are teachers with Professional certificates and Level III teaching assistants required to maintain and how long are they required to keep them?

• All certificate holders must keep records of all of their approved professional development activities/programs/coursework, regardless of the provider, for seven years.

Certificate Holder Responsibilities

Professional Certificate HoldersIf you are employed in a public school for 90 or more days of any school year: You must complete 175 hours of professional development every five years. The professional development period begins on July 1 following the effective date of certification If you are not employed in a public school: The hourly obligation of 175 hours every five years is reduced by 10% for every year of your professional development period you are not employed in a public school The professional development period begins on July 1 following the effective date of certification

Teaching Assistant Level III Certificate HoldersIf you are employed in a public school for 90 or more days of any school year: You must complete 75 hours of professional development every five years. The professional development period begins on July 1 following the date of certification If you are not employed in a public school for 90 or more days of any school year: The hourly obligation of 75 hours every five years is reduced by 10% for every year of your professional development period you are not employed in a public school The professional development period begins on July 1 following the effective date of certification

Certificate Holder Record Keeping Responsibilities

Professional Certificate HoldersIf you are employed in a public school: You must keep a record of professional development completed during your professional development period, including that provided by BOCES. Required documentation includes: Program/event title Accrual of program/event hours Provider name Attendance verification Date and location of the program/event Records should be up-to-date. Records must be kept for seven years and be made available to NYSED in the event of an audit If you are not employed in a public school: You must keep a record of professional development completed during your professional development period. Required documentation includes: Program/event title Accrual of program/event hours Provider name Date and location of the program/event Hours completed and attendance verification Content areas of the professional development Records must be kept for seven years and be made available to NYSED in the event of an audit

Teaching Assistant Level III Certificate HoldersIf you are employed in a public school: You must keep a record of professional development completed during the reporting cycle. You should seek approval from ONC BOCES for any professional development activity not sponsored by your school district. Required documentation includes: Provider name Date and location of activity Activity description Hours completed Attendance verification Records should be up-to-date. Records must be kept for seven years and be made available to NYSED in the event of an audit If you are not employed in a public school: You must keep a record of professional development completed during the reporting period. Required documentation includes: Provider name Date and location of activity Activity description Hours completed Attendance verification Records should be up-to-date. Records must be kept for seven years and be made available to NYSED in the event of an audit

Certificate Holder Reporting Responsibilities

Professional Certificate HoldersIf you are employed in a public school:* The BOCES reports professional development hours on your behalf. It is recommended this information be reported annuallyIf you are not employed in a public school:* If you are not employed by a public school district or BOCES during any portion of your professional development period, you must report completed professional development hours directly to the Office of Teaching Initiatives annuallyTeaching Assistant Level III Certificate HoldersIf you are employed in a public school:* The BOCES reports professional development hours on your behalf. It is recommended this information be reported annuallyIf you are not employed in a public school:* If you are not employed by a public school district or BOCES during any portion of your professional development period, you must report completed professional development hours through TEACH online services: http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/teach/index.html

BOCES Responsibilities

School districts and BOCES are responsible for: Planning and provision of appropriate professional development for Professional and Level III teaching assistant certificate holders Maintaining record of professional development completed by regularly employed (employed more than 90 days per school year) individuals subject to professional development requirements. Records must include: Name of certificate holder Teacher certification identification number Program/event title Clock hours or equivalent completed for each program/event Verifying with the certificate holder and report annually to the Office of Teaching Initiatives, completion of professional development by all regularly employed certificate holders who are subject to the professional development requirement for certification

Steps to Attain Approval of Professional Development Activities by BOCES for Certification Maintenance

The following pages contain professional development guidelines and activities that may be used for maintaining your professional or certified teaching assistant certification. Regard the list as ideas you may consider implementing and not as pre-approved activities. All activities, conferences, meetings, coursework, presentations, etc. must be pre-approved by your BOCES Supervisor prior to attendance. After gaining approval from your direct supervisor, the ONC BOCES Department of Human Resources will then review and approve or negate proposed activities for use as professional development hours towards certificate maintenance. Please note that the computation of hours recorded while attending meetings and conferences must be inked to agendas or schedules. For example, travel, lunch and down-time are not acceptable clock hours. Time spent in meetings and workshops are acceptable clock hours. For this reason, please be certain to maintain copies of all agendas and conference schedules for documentation purposes. The steps to maintain professional development hours are as follows: Choose activity to be counted towards maintaining professional development clock hours Have activity approved by direct BOCES Supervisor Engage in activity Maintain personal records of professional development activities on form provided in this packet At the end of each school year, return professional development form along with all documentation to ONC BOCES Human Resources Department Human Resources will contact NYSED to have your hours documented in Albany Should we add the use of WinCap?

Professional Development Guidelines and Activities

Guiding PrinciplesThe design of professional development should be a result of a district's professional development planning process. Enhanced teaching and learning is the foundation upon which individuals and districts should plan the content of all professional development. The Professional Development Planning Team for ONC BOCES has developed guiding principles, based on data and research, to inform our decisions and direct the formation of the Professional Development Plan (PDP). Subject matter content of professional development activities/experiences is clearly connected to student achievement of the NYS Learning Standards. Professional development activities/experiences are planned with the NYS Teacher Standards as underpinning. Professional development activities/experiences should respond to student achievement data including State and local assessments and School District Report Cards; and should be designed according to data-driven goals and objectives, which should also establish the measurable outcomes. Professional development is shaped by teaching staff needs, as evidenced by such data as aggregate results of annual professional performance reviews; should include ways to collect data on strategies in order to make future decisions. The professional development planning process is dynamic, reflecting teaching staff and student performance benchmarks of increasing rigor as skill levels are attained as follows: Should be engaging Should contain an exchange of ideas that includes ways to apply, implement, and document effective strategies Must include practical skills/strategies that can be used in the classroom or service setting. Should be hands-on, allowing time for practice and discussion. Professional development results in a demonstrated increase in teaching staff knowledge and understanding, teaching staff skillfulness, and teaching staff professional values. Professional development activities/experiences are assessed on an on-going and continuous basis for intended impact.

Guiding Principles (Cont’d)* Professional development enables the teaching staff to deepen their knowledge base and remain current in their content area and instructional strategies. Includes expectations of stakeholders (teachers, LTA’s, and administrators). Stakeholders should be active participants who are: attentive appreciative contributors to the discussion willing to apply; implement; and document professional development strategies able to analyze and share data. Includes expectation of leaders, who should: Provide meaningful professional development, planned in advance, along with faculty participation in the process. Ensure that professional development strategies are being implemented in the classroom or service setting. Facilitate professional development with effective communication to staff. Offer professional development that is well-planned, sustained and offered with appropriate frequency and effective follow-ups. (This recognizes that new staff may require more frequent professional development.) Teaching staff learning opportunities are clearly constructed, based on effective teaching research, and involve educators in the design and implementation of opportunities. Such as: Must be delivered in many modalities. Should use technology (PowerPoint, webinars, etc.) when appropriate. Should allow time for team work. Content of courses, workshops, and other professional development experiences should be directly related to: Enhancing teacher/teaching assistant subject matter knowledge and requiring gathering information about targeted programs Teacher/teaching assistant knowledge, use and application of appropriate teaching techniques,

Guiding Principles (Cont’d)* Broadening and enhancing teacher/teaching assistant abilities to apply more accurate and appropriate assessment methodologies, and Enhancing teacher/teaching assistant skills in effectively managing individual students and classroom in both heterogeneous and homogeneous settings. This should include understanding of the specific needs of the audience it is meant to serve. Needs/Data AnalysisThe team who developed the Professional Development Plan carefully analyzed an expansive set of survey results given to all faculty at ONC BOCES. It was a significant reflection of the belief and concern of the professional staff, as the survey had a 64% response rate. The team also consulted the “Framework for Professional Development”, (see Appendix A) a document recently released by NYSED to provide an understanding of and a means to evaluate professional development.In the coming months and years, the team enumerated many sources of data to gather in order to analyze needs and effectiveness of professional development provided. The list includes:* NYS Standardized Assessments (e.g., RCTs/Regents, 3-8 ELA/Math) and program-specific assessments (e.g., NOCTI, CNA). Student performance data (e.g., progress reports/report cards, samples of classroom work, projects/assessments) Attendance and health records. Observations of students. Completion rates for all students. APPR data/results. Discipline referrals, planning or crisis room use data, PBIS data. Curriculum maps and lesson plans. Responsiveness to Intervention data. Post graduation placement for all students. Teacher needs survey. BOCES School Report Card. Individual professional development logs. Perkins grant data. Improve the quality of instruction for all students while recognizing the diversity of their needs. Provide a safe and nurturing learning environment for all students.

Goals and ObjectivesThe Guiding Goals by the PDP team focus on the needs of students and adults. They include:# Improve the quality of instruction for all students while recognizing the diversity of their needs. Provide a safe and nurturing learning environment for all students. Improve the quality of service to students and component districts. Develop the collaborative skills and knowledge base of faculty to enhance effectiveness. Objectives for 2010-2012, based on the stated goals, include:# Increase knowledge base of faculty regarding the NYS Curriculum Learning Standards and Assessments (especially in light of adoption of Common Core Standards), NYSED regulations and graduation requirements. Improve the ability of faculty to increase students’ motivation and engagement through increased rigor in lessons and improved behavior management strategies. Educate faculty about impediments to learning; e.g., bullying, drug and alcohol use and abuse, sexual harassment, effects of prescription medication on students and mental health disorders. Strengthen the individual skills of teachers, including: the use of instructional technology, the use of assistive technology, time management and organizational skills, and effective inclusive practices. Facilitate collaborative efforts among faculty with achieving all goals established (e.g. peer↔peer shadowing and planning, co-teaching, sharing best practices, etc.). Develop an awareness of the values, practices and attitudes necessary to promote a positive teaching and learning environment. #

Field Experiences Classroom visits Out-of-district observations Mentoring, shadowing and coaching Teacher collaboration Conference and Workshops Book reviews and article studies of academic works Portfolio presentations College coursework Effective Professional Development Resources should include:* Regional Information Centers NYSED Community Agencies (including, but not limited to, DOH, DEC, OSHA, EPA, ARC, OFO, CDEO, DSS, etc.) Professional Memberships and Organizations (including, but not limited to, ACTEA, NYASP, NYSSBA, NYSSCA, etc.) Unions (NYSUT, etc.) Colleges and Universities Local Organizations (Catskill Regional Teacher Center, Museums, County Councils, DSS, etc.) Community Businesses, professionals and other local resources BOCES staff development specialists and other professional development specialists Internet resources Colleagues. Expected ParticipationTeachers are expected to participate in ongoing professional development focused on the plans’ goals and objectives. The BOCES may require specific training based upon A.P.P.R. (Annual Professional Performance Review) results. Teachers will also be given choices of activities to improve the quality of their teaching and learning to better meet the learning needs of their students. In order for educators to grow professionally and be models of lifelong learning, substantial staff development is essential. Our students depend on it. It is understood that all new teachers with professional certificates must complete the required number of hours (175 hours) every five years. The expectation is that all teachers should follow similar guidelines in completing a substantial number of hours of staff development each year.

Record KeepingONC BOCES teachers have recording forms for Professional Development available on the ONC BOCES Website. Teachers under the 175 hour requirement are expected to self-track their professional development hours each year and to provide appropriate documentation to NYSED to maintain certification.EvaluationA professional development planning team should be convened at least yearly to evaluate the effectiveness of the professional development offered during the year.A survey should be written and distributed to staff on a yearly basis to gather data regarding that effectiveness and to determine new needs.If necessary, goals/objectives may need to be revised accordingly.MentoringCommissioner’s Regulation 100.2 (dd) for 2000-2001 requires local school districts and BOCES to develop mentoring plans to ensure high quality mentoring for new teachers. The approved plan for ONC BOCES is found in Appendix B.

Approved Professional Development Activities

The following categories of activities are suggestions for meeting the needs of school districts in administrative, building teacher and teaching assistant capacity: (Not all suggested activities are intended for Level III teaching assistants) Participating in courses and other learning opportunities delivered from many providers, such as institutions of higher education, teacher centers, BOCES, school districts and independent professional development service providers. Coursework linked to improvement of instructional technique or content knowledge, which may or may not be in pursuit of a teaching or advanced teaching degree. A wide range of activities should be made available, including: A wide range of activities should be made available, including: Use of Technology and 21st century literacy and skills Webinars PowerPoint presentations Distance Learning/Video Conferences On-line courses List serves, email Mentoring, shadowing and coaching Teacher collaboration Conference and Workshops Book reviews and article studies of academic works Portfolio presentations College coursework Completing coursework for more advanced certification or certificates in additional areas or in accordance with teaching assignment requirement for extension to certification. Including: Collaborating with other teachers and teaching assistants to examine case studies of student work and development. Including: Field Experiences Classroom visits Out-of-district observations Participating in regional scoring of State assessments, assessing student portfolios Creating and assessing teacher or teaching assistant portfolios including portfolio presentations (continued on next page)

Providing Mentoring Service including mentoring, shadowing and coaching Engaging in research projects (includes online research) Participation in study (collegial) circles such as "Critical Friends" activities, structured guided reflection activities focused on student learning Participating in formal programs of peer coaching or participation in peer review. Curriculum planning and development committees. Pursuing National Board certification or re-certification (either as candidate or provider of support) Sabbaticals (related to content specialty or enhancement of teaching strategies) Participating in reviews of class performance data over time to make decisions about one's own professional development, based on student outcomes Developing or collaborating on the development of new programs and instructional methods Teacher of the Year activities NYSTCE "assessor" or test development committee member Delivering professional development (e.g. conducting workshops) Development of Statewide curriculum Service as support teacher, helping teacher, or coach Service as a cooperating teacher for a student teacher or field internships; including attendant meetings and processes. Service as an elected officer in professional organizations Service as teacher center director Service/designation as Master Teacher Service on the State Professional Standards and Practices Board (continued on next page)

Participating in Professional Development School activities or other school-college teacher development partnerships Publishing in educational journals Developing and presenting a major paper Serving on CDEP (Comprehensive District Education Plan), or School Leadership committees.