Professional Growth and Development (Regulations)

In accordance with the policy of the board of education, the following regulation shall govern professional development.

Professional Development of Certified and Licensed Personnel

1. Membership in Professional Organizations

   The board of education feels genuine professional growth can be obtained by membership in the various professional organizations, but that membership should be on a voluntary basis and not compulsory.

2. Attendance at Required Meetings (all certified and licensed personnel)

   Certified and licensed persons are expected to attend all curriculum meetings planned by the professional development committee.

3. In-service Training
   1. A minimum of 75 professional development points shall be earned within a five-year period by each certified and licensed individual in order to maintain employment in this district. One point shall be equivalent to one clock hour.
   2. A minimum of 15 professional development points shall be earned annually by each certified and licensed individual in order to maintain employment in this district.
   3. At least once a year a program shall be offered on recognition and reporting of child abuse and neglect which all teachers will be required to complete. For those teachers who are unable to complete the program on the day offered, other arrangements will be made.
4. National Board Certification

   Teachers who have submitted an application for National Board Certification may receive two (2) professional days for certification portfolio development during which a substitute teacher shall be provided by the school district at no cost to the teacher.

Approved Professional Development Opportunities

1. Such workshops as shall be provided by the local professional development committee in response to analysis of needs assessments administered annually to all certified and licensed personnel.
2. Credit may be earned through the following alternatives:
   1. Professional Meetings (Sanctioned by State Department of Education or professional organizations where professional development points are awarded.)
      1. State and Zone O.E.A. Workshops and C.C.O.S.A. Meetings
      2. Summer and Saturday Workshops
      3. Coaches Clinics (for Summer Coaching Clinic in the absence of signed vouchers - 10 professional development points allowed with local voucher to be signed by superintendent)
      4. Vocational Workshops
      5. Teacher Visitation
      6. Etc.
   2. Professional Committees
      1. Textbook Committee
      2. Professional Development Committee
      3. Local certified personnel conducting workshops
      4. Local Teacher Association President (5 points/year)
      5. Curriculum Review Planning Committee
      6. Curriculum Review Chairpersons (1 point/year)
   3. College Courses and Credits (One semester hour of approved college credit shall equal 15 professional development points.)
   4. Additional kinds of experiences may be recommended as alternative activities to the professional development committee to be approved by the board of education.
   5. For each clock hour of participation in alternate activities, one professional development point will be awarded.

Record Keeping

1. Vouchers for workshops and individual records of professional development points will be kept by the Professional Development Representative in each building.
2. Turning in vouchers, evaluations, and signing the record of points is the responsibility of each individual.
3. Vouchers and evaluations must be turned in to the building representative no later than one week after a workshop. These points will be lost if this is not done during this time period.
4. An evaluation is to be filled out for every local workshop and returned to the building representative.
5. Lost vouchers result in points not being counted. Replacement vouchers will not be available.
6. A comparison check of each certified and licensed person's points will be made once each semester by the building representative and the representative from the central office.
7. Any questions concerning professional development should be directed to the building representative.
8. College credit earned during the summer must be turned in to the building representative no later than the end of the first full week beginning each school year. (A copy ofthe transcript or grades is needed to show the number of hours earned.)

Evaluation

1. Individual records of professional development points will be maintained as required by state statutes.
2. Cooperation of all certified and licensed personnel will be necessary to maintain an accurate professional development record for each person.
3. Failure to fulfill professional development training requirements result in action by the board of education according to state statutes.

Guidelines for Membership on Professional Development Committee

1. Classroom teacher and principal replacement members for the professional development committee will be elected for a two-year term. Terms for regular and alternate members will coincide.
2. The chairperson and co-chairperson will be chosen at the end of each school term to begin serving the following school year. The chairperson should be a professional development member with one year of experience on the committee.