Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Phone: (607)274-2101
FAX: (607)274-2271
Email: jpastel@icsd.k12.ny.us
Document
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION I:
INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW
The 2008-2011 Professional Development Plan for the Ithaca City School District
has undergone considerable revision. During the 2007-2008 school year, the Director of
Staff Development and the President of the Ithaca Teacher’s Association led a committee of
teachers and administrators through the process of developing a new Annual Professional
Performance Review. The Superintendent requested that the revision of the Professional
Development Plan (PDP) align with the new Annual Professional Performance Review
(APPR). This plan does so for teaching staff. At this juncture (spring 08), the APPR has
been completed for teachers. Yet, work remains on completing the APPR for related job
categories, such as librarians, mental health professionals such as counselors, social
workers, and psychologists, as well as professional developers. This working PDP serves as
a significant update to the 2004-2007 plan. We plan to continue to develop the APPR for
the additional job categories with specific performance rubrics for each. Alignment with
these objectives will be important for the final 2008-2011 PDP.
The revision of the 2004-2007 plan involved identifying alignment and overlap
between its goals and objectives and the criteria and performance indicators in the new
APPR. In addition, since the PDP addresses professional development for all staff and the
APPR affects only teaching staff, provision had to be made to maintain pertinent goals and
objectives for all staff. The PDP team considered and rejected separate goals and objectives
for non-instructional staff, believing that in order to bring all the efforts of adults in the
school system to bear upon student achievement, safety, and participation, it was necessary
to have a fully integrated approach to adult education. This plan is the result of that
thinking.
Also informing the development of this plan are the following data
• Action Research Reports
• School Development Plans
• Professional Development records from the professional development database
• Professional Development Plan impact report
• School Development Plans
• Social Norms data
• NYSED data
SECTION II:
The district will provide staff development to enable school and district staff to
provide safe, welcoming, respectful, and inclusive learning environments for all students,
staff, and families.
All staff will work together and individually to ensure a school learning environment
that is safe, respectful, and welcoming to each student and family in a diverse school
community.
GOAL 1 OUTCOMES
1a. Staff members will develop a caring learning community, which promotes
respectful interaction and communication characterized by trust and honesty, resulting in a
productive school and classroom atmosphere where high academic and behavioral
expectations are maintained and meaningful learning takes place.
1b. Staff members will understand personal and institutional racism and prejudice,
and will know and use strategies for promoting a bias-free environment in order to
overcome institutional and personal racism and bias.
1c. Staff will ensure that the school and classroom environments are safe, physically
and emotionally
1d Staff will establish, maintain, and fairly enforce clear, high, and appropriate
behavioral expectations for student conduct, consistent with school and District policies and
deal effectively with behavioral issues that may arise in the school, playground, or bus
environment. This includes:
1e. Staff will build positive relationships with students and families that support
learning while using positive reinforcement and valuing students and their work.
1f. Staff members will use a variety of effective strategies for engaging
parents/families in the school community. This includes relating in a culturally sensitive
way to diverse families and including families and community members in learning
activities with school staff.
1g. Staff will understand and apply knowledge of health and safety issues related to
their job responsibilities (examples include blood-borne pathogens, material handling,
mandated reporting of child abuse and child abuse in the educational setting, intruder and
weather related procedures).
The district will provide staff development to ensure that administrators, teachers,
and educational support professionals, as appropriate, are familiar with all NYS Standards
and ICSD District Exit Outcomes, and that they understand thoroughly NYS Standards and
Assessments and related ICSD curriculum in areas in which they teach.
GOAL 2 OUTCOMES
2b. Teachers will design and implement integrated standards-based curriculum units
to prepare students to understand concepts, content, and skills required for successful
achievement of NYS Standards. The units will incorporate anti-racist/anti-bias and
multicultural/multiethnic, school-to-career, arts, and/or technology integration as
appropriate.
2c. Teachers and administrators will engage in content and/or curriculum mapping
in order to promote consistent, integrated, and articulated curriculum implementation.
2g. Teachers and administrators will use techniques for analyzing disaggregated
data, e.g. gap analysis, from district and state assessments in order to make programmatic
and instructional improvements.
2h. Teachers will use assessments that guide instruction and monitor learning.
2i. Teachers will use ongoing formal and informal diagnostic testing and evaluation
to make instructional adjustments for individual students.
2j. Teachers will use alternative assessments based on the students’ learning styles.
2l. Instructional Staff will evaluate their instruction and/or programs and make
changes based on student assessment and educational research.
The district will provide staff development to support the use of effective and
appropriate instructional strategies, including appropriate use of technology, to maximize
learning for each student in a diverse population.
GOAL 3 OUTOMES
3a. The entire staff of the Ithaca City School District will maintain and clearly
communicate, through both words and actions, high, developmentally appropriate
expectations for all students for achievement and behavior.
3c. Teachers will provide instruction in the subject matter at a pace consistent with
needs of students, providing wait-time and opportunity to answer questions and share ideas.
3f. Teachers and educational support professionals will follow appropriate formal
intervention procedures to improve student learning, e.g. identified protocols, 504’s, IEP's,
etc.
3g. Teachers will integrate the teaching of reading, writing, and study skills into the
subject matter.
3h. Teachers will relate subject matter to career education objectives, whenever
appropriate.
3i. Teachers will supplement and enrich textbook subject matter with a variety of
available & current technology sources and resources, including a variety of media.
3j. Staff will use a variety of effective and developmentally appropriate instructional
strategies which:
• Are child-centered and capitalize on students’ strengths, interests, and personal
accomplishments, as well as and prior knowledge;
• Develop student literacy skills PreK-12;
• Are based on subject specific methods and resources;
• Promote critical thinking including synthesis, analysis, evaluation and problem-
solving;
• Promote students’ acquisition of technology skills;
• Support the development of a positive self-image.
The district will provide staff development to enable schools to develop effective
scheduling, organization, enhanced technology, and other structures and supports for
collaboration and communication to support the learning of all students.
Administrators, teachers, and support will effectively use strategies for organizing
staff and student time to promote learning.
Teachers and other instructional staff members will use preparation time effectively
in support of student learning.
The district will create, promote, and value opportunities for staff to pursue
individual and group learning, supportive of their roles as educators, throughout their
careers.
GOAL 4 OUTCOMES
4a. Administrators, teachers and support staff will be knowledgeable about a variety
of alternative scheduling options and grade configurations. Teachers directly involved in an
alternative scheduling or grade configuration option will be knowledgeable about the
implementation of that option.
4b. All staff will collaborate and share in a variety of district and building level
professional learning communities such as:
• Co-teacher planning meetings
• Department meetings
• Grade level teams
• Staff meetings
• New teacher/mentor meetings
• Action and Study Group Meeting
• Literacy Academy Meetings
• Team meetings.
4g. Staff and community members will have the knowledge and skills to participate
effectively and collaboratively in shared decision-making structures such as site-based teams.
4h. Teachers will understand how to base decisions about content, time allocation,
grouping, and teaching methods on the recognition of students’ developmental needs and
curriculum.
4i. Teachers will chooses instructional objectives consistent with subject matter
requirements and expectations.
4k. Staff will maintain and submit all required classroom and school records,
substitute plans, etc., in a timely manner.
4l. Staff members will develop and demonstrate knowledge of technology for
planning and organization.
4n. Staff will collaborate effectively with teaching staff, families, pupil support
services, community resources and administrators to support students.
4o. Staff will share information, materials, and ideas with colleagues concerning
curriculum and students.
4p. Staff will collaborate to implement special support for students (504’s, IEP’s, and
identified interventions).
4q. Staff will comply with existing building and District management plans
(behavior, safety).
4r. Staff will document and demonstrate student learning on a regular basis and
shares results with families.
4s. Staff will communicate with and involves families, in a timely fashion, regarding
student development.
4u. Staff will understand and be able to follow the communication, budgeting,
purchasing, and supervisory procedures as appropriate to their jobs in a learning
organization.
4v. All staff will use a variety of reflective techniques (journals, study groups, text-
based discussions, professional portfolios, action research, critical friends) to remain current
in subject-area, technological, and related professional research and to develop and refine
their professional knowledge and practices.
4w. Staff members will seek, offer, and accept professional feedback honestly and
constructively.
4x. All staff will have knowledge and opportunities related to health and wellness.
Goal 4: Collaborative and Organizational Skills and Structures to Promote Student Learning
Objective Professional Development Participants Timeframe Suggested Evaluation
Program Level and Artifacts
4a. Scheduling for Literacy Principals Principal Meetings 3. Schedules
4b., 4o. Professional Learning Instructional Staff Summer, Release 2. Surveys
Community Workshops Days, Superintendent’s 4. Products
Conference Days
4b., 4d., 4o., 4p. Co-teaching Training Co-teachers,Teaching Summer with School 4. Workshop Products
Assistants, and Teacher Year Release Days
Aides
4c.,4g., 4k., 4m., New Teacher, New New Teachers, New Summer 2. Surveys
4n., 4p., 4q., 4t., Administrator, and New Administrators, New
4w. Educational Support Educational Support
Professional Orientation, Professionals
Building Orientation
4f. Blackboard Instructional Staff, Summer, School Year 3. Blackboard Courses
Clerical Staff Release Days,
Superintendent’s
Conference Days
4h., 4i., 4j., 4n., Responsive Classroom, New Teachers, Teacher Summer, School Year 4. Surveys and Teacher
4r., 4s. Culturally Affirming and Mentor Training Release Evaluation
Effective Secondary
Classroom Management,
Mentor Training
4l. Technology Productivity All Staff Staff Meetings, Release 2. Surveys
Training Days, After-School 4. Teacher Evaluation
Workshops
4r. Report Card Training Elementary Staff Release Day, Summer 3. Report Cards
4s., 4t., 4r. Two-way home-school BOE, Administrative School Year Release, 2. Surveys
communication using Team, Instructional Staff Meetings, 3. Communication
Community: When referring to persons, this term applies to individuals who live in or provide services to
those who live in the District.
Educational Support Professionals: Staff members who are eligible for membership in the Educational
Support Professionals of Ithaca association. Educational Support Professionals include teaching assistants
and teachers’ aides, bus riders, and security team personnel.
Family: When referring to persons, this term applies to the parents, guardians, and caregivers of our
students.
Instructional Staff: Principals and Directors, Teachers, Teaching Assistants, and Teacher Aides.
Release Day: School day hours with substitute teachers or administrators employed to release teachers or
administrators from routine duties.
Service Staff: Staff members eligible for membership in the Ithaca City School District Service
Employees’ Association. These include secretaries, typists, account and library clerks, bus drivers, food
service workers, computer technicians, nurses, custodians, and maintainers.
Staff: Persons employed on a regular basis by the school district. Staff members include the
Superintendent of Schools and all other employees.
Summer: Between the end of one school year and the beginning of the next. Some summer activities earn
stipends. Such incentives are dependent on having an adequate budget.
Teachers: Staff members who are eligible for membership in the Ithaca Teacher’s Association. Teachers
include librarians, psychologists, counselors, social workers, speech therapists, etc. Some teachers are
administratively certified and have responsibility for the supervision of others. Leadership positions
among teachers are varied and include Teacher Mentors, Curriculum Chairs, Department Leaders and
Chairs, Chairs of Committees on Special Education, Support Teachers, Technology Mentors, Literacy
Coaches, Staff Developers, etc.
Page 29 of 42
APPENDIX A
All teachers certified beginning on February 1, 2004 must engage in 175 hours in
professional development every five years. It is this district’s expectation that new and
veteran teachers will engage in 175 hours in professional development every five years, or
roughly 35 hours per year. The ICSD is committed to providing opportunities for such
professional development. In addition, the district is committed to helping teachers
maintain complete records of their professional development. It is also required that
certified Teaching Assistants engage in 18 hours of professional development per year. The
district is committed to providing opportunities for such professional development and
maintaining pertinent records. In addition, the district is committed to providing
professional development for all other staff members within the constraints imposed by
budgets and collective bargaining agreements. The district is committed to maintaining
professional development records for all staff.
APPROVAL DECISIONS
on the part of the Director, the decision will be reviewed by the Professional Development
Plan Committee. The Committee will seek to make the decision by consensus. Should
this prove impossible, the ruling will be made as a result of a vote of members present. The
Committee’s decision is final and specific to the individual case only. No committee
decision may conflict with the provisions of the collective bargaining agreement.
APPROVAL RESPONSIBILITY
STIPENDS
This plan provides for the professional development of all staff members. While staff
members may participate in many professional development activities for which the district
provides a direct stipend, these do not accrue toward inservice credit. Prior to this plan,
these activities did not earn professional development hours either. In this plan, stipended
activities do earn professional development hours.
INSERVICE CREDITS
Inservice Credits
1. are intended as incentives for teachers to engage in professional development
2. accrue only for activities that take place outside of normal school day and year
3. may not accrue for activities that are among the normal and customary duties of the
teaching profession
4. are based on clock hours at a rate of 1 credit for every 15 clock hours of instructional
time
5. may or may not accrue along with professional development hours
1. One hour staff meeting, which the principal has had preapproved for one hour of
professional development (1 pdh/0 inservice credits)
2. One hour dept. meeting, which the dept. chair has had preapproved for one hour of
professional development (1 pdh/0 inservice credits)
3. Grade level meeting for which the principal or teacher member has sought
preapproval for 30 minutes (.5 pdh/0 inservice credits)
4. One hour evening lecture for which the teacher has sought preapproval (1 pdh/.06
inservice credits) or (1 pdh/0 inservice credits) depending on decision of director and
Prof. Dev. Plan Team. Decision will be based on value to district of activity. See
“Approval Decisions” above.
5. 5-day workshop, offered by district in summer for which the teacher is not paid (30
pdh/ 2 inservice credits)
6. Graduate course for which teacher has sought preapproval or which is required to
obtain permanent certification in teacher’s tenure area (45 pdh/3 inservice credits)
7. Study groups, which meet monthly for one hour, over ten months and have been
preapproved (10 pdh/ .66 inservice credits)
Inservice Credits are based on clock hours, but are a form of payment. Because they
represent payment by the district, they can accrue neither for activities during the school
day nor for activities that are part of the normal expectations of the person’s job. Because
inservice credit is a form of payment, there may be activities that meet one or more
objectives of the professional development plan, and therefore qualify as professional
development hours, but may not be deemed valuable to the district. Such activities may be
denied inservice credit even though they take place outside of the school day and outside of
the normal expectations of the staff member’s position.
Credit accrues along with Professional Development Hours for those activities that
meet the requirements for inservice credit. Inservice credit is awarded on the basis of 1
credit for every 15 clock hours.
Leadership: Staff development that improves the learning of all students requires skillful
school and district leaders who guide continuous instructional improvement.
Resources: Staff development that improves the learning of all students requires resources
to support adult learning and collaboration.
Process Standards:
Data-Driven: Staff development that improves the learning of all students uses
disaggregated student data to determine adult learning priorities, monitor progress, and
help sustain continuous improvement.
Evaluation: Staff development that improves the learning of all students uses multiple
sources of information to guide improvement and demonstrate its impact.
Research-Based: Staff development that improves the learning of all students prepares
educators to apply research to decision making.
Design: Staff development that improves the learning of all students uses learning
strategies appropriate to the intended goal.
Learning: Staff development that improves the learning of all students applies knowledge
about human learning and change.
Collaboration: Staff development that improves the learning of all students provides
educators with the knowledge and skills to collaborate.
Content Standards:
Equity: Staff development that improves the learning of all students prepares educators to
understand and appreciate all students, create safe, orderly and supportive learning
environments, and hold high expectations for their academic achievement.
Quality Teaching: Staff development that improves the learning of all students deepens
educators’ content knowledge, provides them with research-based instructional strategies to
assist students in meeting rigorous academic standards and prepares them to use various
types of classroom assessments appropriately.
Family Involvement: Staff development that improves the learning of all students
provides educators with knowledge and skills to involve families and other stakeholders
appropriately.
surmountable. challenging.
Setting Message unclear, Delivery inappropriate Results do not match No credit or stipend.
uncomfortable, condescending, to topic, participants stated outcomes. No “take away”
inappropriate boring. Rigid, too disengaged. No follow Participants experience materials. No
1 size audience. structured, up. frustration, anger and/or acknowledgment of
Numerous disorganized cynicism and do not participant’s
equipment pace, too fast or connect workshop topics motivation or
failures, no too slow. to their own practice. No learning.
snacks. opportunity to develop
connections with other
participants.
Date(s):
Presenter(s):
Number of participants:
Evaluation Plan:
Aim: Which is your purpose?
to raise awareness to develop skills to implement
curriculum to develop leadership?
Level: Please determine which level of evaluation you think you can
attain?
1. participant’s reactions (standard evaluation tool)
2. participant’s learning (workshop products or modified
evaluation tool)
3. organizational change or support (followup questionnaires or
interviews, planning documents)
4. participants’ use of new knowledge and skills (workshop
products, followup questionnaires)
The district will, subject to available funding, provide the following as part of
its mentorship and induction process. All teachers* new to the district will be
regarded as belonging to one of three cohorts: first-, second-, or third-year teachers.
Their programs follow.
First-Year Teachers and their Professional Development: are teachers who are new
to teaching in New York State. The induction program for these teachers comprises
two related components: mentorship and professional development related to
creating a safe, welcoming, inclusive, and respectful classroom and school climate.
The professional development program in classroom climate (Responsive Classroom
for Elementary Teachers and Culturally Affirming and Effective Secondary
Classroom Management for Secondary Teachers) begins during New Teacher
Orientation and is followed (or preceded in the case of those hired early) by a five-
day series. These series are offered both in the summer and in the school year. First-
year teachers also have a mentor assigned to them for the duration of the first year.
The purpose of the first year of induction is to support the new teacher in developing
effective classroom management and supporting his or her success in managing the
basic, yet wide-ranging, routine expectations of teaching as a profession.
Teacher Mentor Responsibilities and Compensation: Mentors will meet with the
first-year teacher at frequent intervals, at least once per week at the beginning of the
school year. Mentors will be responsible for initiating a program of peer observation
between themselves and the first-year teacher. Mentors will be responsible for aiding
first-year teachers in developing effective planning and reflective and responsive
practices within their curricular or other professional areas. Mentors help first-year
teachers comply with expectations for record-keeping, reporting, disciplinary
procedures and resource acquisition within their departments and buildings.
Mentors support the professional development first-year teachers undertake.
Mentors are paid for the required initial training of three-hours and they are paid for
voluntary training intended to directly support them in the discharge of their
responsibilities. Mentors also earn a stipend, stipulated in the teachers’ contract.
Teacher Mentor Selection and Qualifications: Mentors are volunteers and are
certified in the same area as the first-year teacher. The mentor will not have any
evaluative responsibility for the first-year teacher. Mentors will be solicited by the
(Included among teachers* for the purpose of mentorship, are all those within the
ITA bargaining unit, except psychologists, and including both long term substitute
and probationary appointments, etc. Psychologists are provided mentorship through
the process of licensure and are not included in the mentorship or induction
programs.)