Professional Development 2013 - 2014

1. Professional Development 2013 - 2014

2. Objectives • Meet the increased rigor of SOLs • Prepare students for new assessments which focus on application of knowledge • Achieve the School Board goal of 21st Century Skills • Connect learning of content and skills in relevant ways • Increase content knowledge and pedagogy of staff to teach higher level skills • Build upon existing structure of collaborative learning teams

3. Process Used

4. FCPS Instructional Improvement Focus Teachers will be able to: • Build relationships with students that support effort and self-efficacy in reaching higher standards • Recognize the 21st Century Skills (Critical & Creative Thinking) within our curriculum • Plan lessons that teach 21st Century Skills (Critical & Creative Thinking) by designing instructional tasks that require high levels of thinking for the essential skills • Using instructional strategies that support and promote student thinking at high levels • Engaging students in intellectual discourse • Raising students’ levels of metacognition • Providing students multiple opportunity to problem solve • Choose assessments that allow students to demonstrate 21st Century Skills (Critical & Creative Thinking) at high levels

5. Focus integrated into the Instructional Cycle Recognize the 21st Century Skills within our curriculum (CURRICULUM) Implement a tiered system of support (RI) Choose assessments that allow students to demonstrate the 21st Century Skills at high levels (ASSESSMENT) Plan lessons that teach 21st Century Skills by (INSTRUCTION)

6. Leadership Team Agreements • All teachers will engage in professional development activities focused on FCPS’ instructional improvement priorities and Teacher Effectiveness Standards • Countywide in-services will be offered on Designated Mondays to elementary school teams • Efforts will be made not to schedule conflicting sessions • PD will support the FCPS definition (PD-Definition) • A Principal PLC will be formed to support principals in leading the work • PD will be a coordinated effort among Departments, Clusters and Schools.

7. Elementary PD Content • Teams will plan through the instructional cycle as they receive resources that • Highlight the essential questions that will focus teaching and guide student learning • Explain the essential skills students will know and be able to do as a result of lesson/unit • Engage students in activities that will be used to activate prior knowledge • Engage students in activities that will equip students to construct and develop understanding • Allow students to demonstrate their understanding of the essential questions and essential learning

8. Elementary PD Logistics Elementary • Designated Mondays dates are set (Designated Monday Calendar) • Professional Development will be organized by Clusters (locations being secured) • Created by ISD, PLA and DSS with teacher input and data collected from Principals and CAS • Instructional Coaches/ Classroom teachers will facilitate • Facilitators will be chosen with CAS and Principal input and approval • Summer training dates and locations have been secured • PLA/ ISD/ DSS subcommittee are planning these trainings

9. Logistics (continued) Sessions will: • Begin with a "Start without a start“ • Follow a distinct lesson format • Link for 3 days • Provide a structure for CLTs to continue the learning about the “Designated Monday” PD focus in between sessions • Offer OPTIONAL readings and articles, if appropriate • Provide Exit Ticket to inform IS content specialists of session feedback (i.e. "Gots and Wants", 3,2,1 structure, etc.) • Take place from 2:00 – 3:30 • Use the same location each time Sessions will provide: • Information that will be posted on 24/7 Elementary Curriculum and Instruction Community • Registration through MyPLT Each session will include: • Balance of skills and content • Consideration for ALL learners • Connection to what teachers are currently doing • Examples of high quality lessons that engage students in intellectual discourse, raise levels of Metacognition, provide multiple opportunities to problem solve • Explicitly model strategies • Modeled instructional tasks that require high levels of thinking • Examples of different forms of formative assessment • Modeled use of existing resources • Practical application • Consideration that homework is in the form of practical application • Integration of technology as applicable and appropriate

10. Middle & High Schools • In-services Days • Explicit connection to Professional Development focus at all in-services • Cross-curriculum alignment • Department Chair Release Days • Build school level instructional leadership capacity • Teacher leaders • Shift agenda priorities from logistics to Professional Development focus

11. Middle & High Schools • On-going Teachers Support • Provide instructional resources to promote intellectual engagement • Optimize use of technology • Highlight best practices in action • Collaboration Opportunities • Offer to assist school leadership in planning Professional Development • Partner with instructional coaches to further build capacity at the school level • Work with CAS to support their existing cluster meetings

12. Communication • Principals • Singular Focus • Cross departmental and cluster collaboration • Focus connects to • Teacher Effectiveness • Instructional Cycle • Responsive Instruction • Structure • Maximizes Designated Mondays • Support • Encourage participation by team • Connect to Teacher Effectiveness • Reduce number of school meetings to provide teachers with individual planning time • Teacher • Deepens the work of their CLT • Provides time to plan with team • Access to high quality resources, instructional strategies and assessments • Connects directly to grade level standards (content/ higher level skills) • Meets several Teacher Effectiveness Standards • Provides opportunity to collaborate with other schools in cluster

13. Timeline (sample)