GCL-R: Professional Staff Development

INTRODUCTION

School-based

In order to offer a comprehensive staff development program, the district ensures that a wide variety of opportunities and approaches are offered to both individual teachers and school staffs.  Opportunities for the professional growth of individual teachers, historically called professional development, are a key ingredient in the on-going development of the school and the instructional program, and a shared responsibility of the individual, the professional associations, and the Board of School Trustees (the “Board”).  Opportunities for the growth of the school staff, often called school-based staff development, are critical to an effective school-wide approach to curriculum implementation, instructional improvement, and overall school development.

The School

• The school is the primary unit of change and, therefore, determines and articulates a direction and focus.  A collaborative decision-making process results in a concise summary of the school's plan for school-based staff development.  The plan includes both long and short term goals and a mechanism for periodic review and revision. 
• The school's staff development plan takes into consideration the unique characteristics and needs of the students and staff, district and provincial expectations, and current educational research. 
• The school recognizes the essential stages of effective staff development -readiness, planning, training, implementation, maintenance - and plans for, and adequately supports, each stage. 
• The school recognizes the need for a long term process which develops the capacity of the staff to sustain the change or innovation over time.

 The Principal

• The leadership of the principal is key in initiating and sustaining educational improvement.  The principal is knowledgeable about, and supportive of, effective staff development practices and demonstrates commitment to innovation and improvement. 
• The principal, in consultation with the staff, ensures that a process is established to plan collegially for school-based staff development. 
• Recognizing the complex and long-term nature of the change process, the principal plans, organizes, and endeavours to obtain available time and resources for teachers involved in staff development. 
• The principal participates actively in all phases of school-based staff development and assumes specific responsibility for ensuring the implementation of the staff development plan.

The Teacher

• Teachers, to stay current and effective, are involved in professional and staff development throughout their careers.
• Teachers attend to their own professional growth and support the development of the staff as a whole.
• Teachers demonstrate commitment to the collaboratively developed school plan by participating actively in planned in-service activities.
• Teachers are aware of the complexity and potential difficulty of the change process and seek and provide peer support.

The District 

• The district demonstrates commitment and leadership in the provision of staff development for personnel within the system. 
• The district engages in long range planning to ensure a wide variety of programs is available to schools.  These programs support instructional improvement, school development, and curriculum implementation. 
• District staff collaborate with administrators and teachers in formulating plans for staff development.
• Through recruitment and training, the district develops the capacity of principals, vice-principals, department heads, and other teacher-leaders to provide instructional leadership and to act as agents of change. 
• The district offers well-researched and credible staff development programs, presented by well-qualified trainers.  In order to sustain innovations, the district invests in the development of local facilitators when possible. 
• The district defines and develops the roles of district staff in support of school-based staff development. 
• The district encourages wide participation of teachers and administrators in staff development programs and initiatives by providing appropriate resources. 
• The district recognizes the long-term nature of the change or improvement process and endeavours to provide the resources and support required by the school in sustaining the focus. 
• The district collaborates with the professional associations to support and enhance school-based staff development.

GUIDELINES FOR THE USE OF NON-INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS

Statement of Purpose 

The primary purpose of non-instructional days is the development of the school and its instructional program. 

Guidelines 

The activities planned for non-instructional days reflect the school's annual staff development plan that has been planned collaboratively by the administration and staff and has a long range focus and established priorities.

The objectives for the non-instructional day are written and clear.  The selection of activities and resource personnel are congruent with anticipated outcomes.

The school has flexibility in establishing dates for non-instructional use, from half-day use to a clustering of days, in consultation with the associate superintendent - area,  Schools wishing to select days outside the traditional pattern must consult with the associate superintendent - area well in advance of the deadlines for announcing non-instructional days.

When planning for non-instructional days, the administration staff build on the guiding principles for school-based staff development.

DMT Responsibility: AS-DLS