• Presume positive intentions
• Active participation
• Inclusive discussion
• Focused discussion
• Solution oriented

• Professional learning that improves educator effectiveness is fundamental to student learning.
• All educators have an obligation to improve their practice.
• More students achieve when educators assume collective responsibility for student learning.
• Successful leaders create and sustain a culture of learning.
• Effective school systems commit to continuous improvement for all adults and students.

• Create a professional development plan that is tied to the District Strategic Plan and MSIP 6 Standards, based on identified needs, created in consultation with the administration, and submitted to the Board for approval.
• Promote the district’s professional development program.
• Evaluate the Professional Development Plan annually and make appropriate recommendations for change.
• Work with beginning teachers to coordinate and facilitate the mentoring program.
• Coordinate and facilitate assistance from the teacher education program where the teacher graduated, if such assistance is provided.
• Assist beginning teachers in developing and completing an individual Teacher Professional Development Plan (TPDP) required of all teachers with an Initial Professional Certificate (IPC). The mentor will initiate the plan's preparation and assist the teacher in tailoring the plan to his or her needs. Goals identified in the plan will align with the district's evaluation criteria, and copies of the initial plan and all subsequent revisions will be readily available to the teacher and mentor for review and revision.
• Work with all teachers to identify instructional concerns and remedies, serve as a confidential consultant upon a teacher's request, as allowed by law, arrange training programs for mentors, assess needs, develop in-service opportunities, and present the superintendent or designee staff suggestions, ideas, and recommendations pertaining to classroom instruction.
• Work with support staff to identify needs and develop in-service opportunities.
• Consult with district administration on all facets of the Professional Development Plan.
• Select programs that reflect the results of any needs assessment survey, coordinate with the District Strategic Plan and MSIP 6 standards, and are based on recognized standards for staff development, such as the Professional Learning Standards from Learning Forward.

• Identify instructional concerns and remedies for beginning and experienced teachers.
• Serve as a confidential consultant upon a teacher’s request.
• Assess faculty needs and develop in-service opportunities for certified school staff.
• Present to the proper authority, faculty suggestions, ideas, and recommendations pertaining to classroom instruction within the school district.

Training will be accomplished by March 31, and PDC service will begin on April 13.

• The program must be comprehensive and, at the same time, specific, as the individual needs of faculty members vary widely.
• All personnel, to stay current and effective, should be involved in in-service activities throughout their careers.
• Significant improvement in instructional procedures takes considerable time and is the result of a planned, long-range effort.
• New research findings and new technologies place continual demands on teachers to keep current.
• Professional growth requires both personal and group commitment to new performance norms.
• Constant changes in home, family, and society require educators to learn new approaches toward human relations as well as new methodologies.
• Effective change is the result of the cooperation and coordination of the individual and the district.
• Staff development activities should be directly linked to district and/or building goals, as well as to individual needs.
• No longer can school districts rely on colleges to provide teachers with the upgraded skills needed in today’s schools; hence, the greater need that exists for local districts to continue the training and development of teachers.

1. Standards within the Rigorous Content for Each Learner frame describe the essential content of adult learning that leads to improved student outcomes.
   1. Learning Practices - Educators understand their students’ historical, cultural, and societal contexts, embrace student assets through instruction, and foster relationships with students, families, and communities.
   2. Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction - Educators prioritize high-quality curriculum and instructional materials for students, assess student learning, and understand curriculum and implement through instruction.
   3. Professional Expertise - Educators apply standards and research to their work, develop the expertise essential to their roles, and prioritize coherence and alignment in their learning.
2. Standards within the Transformational Processes frame describe process elements of professional learning, explaining how educators learn in ways that sustain significant changes in their knowledge, skills, practices, and mindsets.
   1. Learning Drivers - Educators prioritize equity in professional learning practices, identify and address their own biases and beliefs, and collaborate with diverse colleagues.
   2. Evidence - Educators create expectations and build capacity for the use of evidence, leverage evidence, data, and research from multiple sources to plan educator learning, and measure and report the impact of professional learning.
   3. Implementation - Educators set relevant and contextualized learning goals, ground their work in research and theories about learning, and implement evidence-based learning designs.
   4. Learning Designs - Educators understand and apply research on change management, engage in feedback processes, and implement and sustain professional learning.
3. Standards within the Conditions for Success frame describe aspects of the professional learning context, structures, and cultures that undergird high-quality professional learning.
   1. Learning Foundations - Educators establish expectations for equity, create structures to ensure equitable access to learning, and sustain a culture of support for all staff.
   2. Culture of Collaborative Inquiry - Educators engage in continuous improvement, build collaboration skills and capacity, and share responsibility for improving learning for all students.
   3. Leadership - Educators establish a compelling and inclusive vision for professional learning, sustain coherent support to build educator capacity, and advocate for professional learning by sharing the importance and evidence of impact of professional learning.
   4. Resources - Educators allocate resources for professional learning, prioritize equity in their resource decisions, and monitor the use and impact of resource investments.

1. Qualification Goals
   1. Four years of teaching experience
   2. Bachelor’s degree
   3. Mentor teacher should be teaching the same or similar grade level (e.g., primary or intermediate) and/or the same subject area (e.g., social studies) as the beginning teacher he/she is assigned to help.
   4. Such other qualifications as deemed appropriate by the building administrator.
   5. An administrator certified at the same level and subject area as the beginning teacher could serve as a mentor. However, if this is the case, another administrator must do the beginning teacher’s evaluation.
2. Selection Procedure
   1. The principal may make mentor appointments.
   2. Teachers who are interested in mentoring and who meet the qualifications should communicate with the principal.
3. Duties
   1. To work with beginning teachers during the orientation workshops and throughout their first two years in the district to help them adjust to the building, district, and community.
   2. To initiate the preparation of the beginning teacher’s professional development plan (PDP) with help from the principal. The first section is to be ready by September 12.
   3. To help the beginning teacher redesign the initial PDP to better fit individual needs. This is to be completed by the end of the first semester. The principal will assist with this task.
   4. To work with the beginning teachers to help accomplish the goals identified in the PDP and acquire needed professional skills during the first two years.
   5. To observe and confer with beginning teachers a minimum of two times per year. Information collected during these observations is not to be used for the purpose of evaluation.
   6. To continue to provide assistance in the essential elements of classroom instruction.
   7. To continue to provide assistance with classroom/building procedures. Topics include, but are not limited to, grading, attendance, budget, and beginning and end-of-year procedures.
   8. To be available for training and classroom visitation.
   9. To make recommendations for workshops that could be beneficial to staff.
   10. To keep confidential the information gathered. Teacher performance from the mentor program will be kept separate from the teacher evaluation process.
   11. To work with the building to coordinate observations of model teachers for two half-day sessions that focus on classroom management and areas of concern/interest.
   12. To utilize the mentor/mentee checklists designed by FPS.
4. Mentor Resources
   1. Teachers
   2. Higher education institutions
   3. Central Office personnel
   4. Building administrators
   5. State Department of Education
   6. Others as needed
5. Mentor Training
   1. All mentors must complete a Mentor Training Program provided by the district beginning in early August.
6. Release Time/Compensation
   1. Mentor teachers will receive a stipend annually per mentee to be paid throughout the year. Mentors of a first-year teacher will be compensated $750, and mentors to a second-year teacher will receive $500 in compensation. Increased expectations will exist for mentors of 1st and 2nd year teachers. The responsibilities and expectations are available from the BTAP Coordinators.
   2. Mentors and beginning teachers will be granted two half-day sessions for classroom observations of other teachers and peer coaching. Observations and peer coaching will be provided through flexibility that includes, but is not limited to, providing a substitute teacher.
7. Length of Service
   1. A mentor will most often be assigned to a beginning teacher for a two-year period. However, in some cases, it may be advisable to reassign mentor teachers (e.g., the new teacher wants to strengthen his/her skills in a second area of certification; the PDC and/or principal believe a reassignment would be in the best interest of the beginning teacher and mentor).

1. Qualifications
   1. Any teacher who has two years of experience and is willing to serve may serve as a buddy with a $100 stipend.
2. Selection Procedure
   1. The principal may make buddy appointments.
3. Duties
   1. To work with new teachers in the orientation workshops and throughout their first year in FPS to help them adjust to the district and community.
   2. To utilize the mentor/mentee checklists designed by FPS.
4. Buddy Resources
   1. Teachers
   2. Higher education institutions
   3. Central Office personnel
   4. Building administrators
   5. State Department of Education
   6. Others as needed
5. Length of Service
   1. A buddy will be assigned for one school year to an experienced teacher new to the building/district.

1. Establish a Professional Development Committee (PDC) that will create and implement a Professional Development Plan (PDP) based on the District Strategic Plan. The PDP must be approved by the Board prior to implementation.
2. Allocate adequate funding for high-quality professional development activities as defined by law.
3. Provide leave and dismissal time for approved professional growth activities and reimbursement for expenses related to conferences and visitations.
4. Provide opportunities for increased compensation or advancement on the salary schedule with additional education or training in accordance with Board policies and procedures.
5. Provide opportunities for collective participation by staff members in the same school community, subject area, grade level, or department.

1. Be sustained over time.
2. Focus on specific content areas or instructional practices.
3. Support the collective learning of teachers.
4. Align with district, school, and teacher goals.
5. Be infused with active learning and provide teachers the opportunity to practice and apply new knowledge.

1. 1. The district may supervise a teacher in a local business externship for professional development hours. The externship must provide the teacher practical experience at a business in the local community in which the teacher is employed through observation and interaction with employers and employees who are working on issues related to subjects taught by the teacher (§ 168.024, RSMo.).
2. 2. District-offered training on dyslexia and related disorders will count for up to two hours of professional development (§ 167.950, RSMo.).

• Section One - The Mission, Mandates, and Regulations for Professional Learning
• Section Two - Professional Learning Roles, Responsibilities, and Standards
• Section Three - Professional Development Committee Budget
• Section Four - The Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation of Professional Learning
• Section Five - Resources
• Standards for High-Quality Professional Learning
• Mentoring Program Standards
• Mentoring Program Standards (Appendix A)
• Beginning Teacher Assistance Guidelines