Professional Development
Goals
Professional Development Plan
Each year the district's Professional Development Committee (PDC) develops a plan for professional growth and development for the certified staff members which addresses the needs as identified through survey of staff, analysis of student performance data, the Missouri School Improvement Program, and the district’s Strategic Plan. The District PD Plan for the 2024-25 school year was approved by the school board on June 12, 2024.
Professional Development Plan Goals for 2024-25
All professional development will support the District Mission, Vision, Strategic Plan, and MSIP 6 standards. The FPS Professional Development Goals are designed to support the goals, strategies, and action steps outlined in the Strategic Plan and the MSIP 6 comprehensive guide.
Goal 1: Establish a collaborative process to study and train educators on the MTSS framework with the goal of systematic and full implementation to determine how to phase in the practices of MTSS (universal screening, data teams, high-quality Tier 1 instruction, interventions, including behavior, etc.). (MSIP, TL7, DB4)
Goal 2: Establish a process that reviews the behavior and socio-emotional support systems that have been and are being implemented and research various systems to determine an evidence-based approach to supporting the behavior of students beginning with early education through high school. This process will be utilized on a District-wide basis. (MSIP, CC2)
Goal 3: The school system ensures all instructional staff participate in scheduled, ongoing, job-embedded, and content-appropriate professional learning focused on evidence-based instructional practices, staff growth goals, and student performance goals outlined in the CSIP. (MSIP, TL8)
Goal 4: Facilitate educator collaboration to develop and share best practices for nurturing assessment-capable learners (DACL) and leveraging data to inform instructional decisions. By May 2025, 80% of staff will be proficient in the practices of DACL Essential Functions 1, supported by the practice of coaching as measured by the end-of-year CWIS and SAPP surveys, and walkthrough data. (MSIP, TL1; DCI Action Plan).
Professional Development Focus Areas
Onboarding Supports
Beginning Teacher Assistance Program
- BTAP Meetings will be held quarterly for Year 1 and Year 2 participants. Meetings will be held during the workday and will last three hours. Meetings will alternate between morning and afternoon sessions each quarter.
- PreK/Elementary meetings are held in room 103 at Bush Elementary. Secondary meetings are held in the FMS Library.
- Four teacher leaders will serve as BTAP facilitators during the 2024-25 school year.
- Abby Quick (PreK-Grade 2)
- Travis Reger (Grades 3-5)
- Cami Webb (Grades 6-8)
- Genna Galluzzo (Grades 9-12)
- Agendas and resources will be shared through Canvas (FPS Staff Induction Course).
- BTAP meetings will include content from The Joyful Teacher by Berit Gordon.
- Completion of the 2-Year BTAP program is a certification requirement in Missouri.
Mentors & Buddy Teachers
- Each 1st and 2nd year teacher is assigned a mentor by their building principal. The same mentor stays with the new teacher for both years when possible.
- Experienced teachers joining the district will be assigned a buddy teacher to support their onboarding during the fall semester.
- Mentors are not evaluators. Mentors are required to complete a list of duties each month to support your successful induction into the profession.
- Mentors will meet with beginning teachers throughout the year to cover a variety of topics. They will assist in the development and completion of an individual professional development plan.
Building Meetings
- New teacher meetings will be scheduled with building principals throughout the year.
- Monthly meetings may be scheduled before or after school.
Continuing Education
Continuing Education Reimbursement
Fulton Public Schools believes in supporting the professional development of its employees. Professional staff, as defined by Board Policy GCA, who seek reimbursement for earned college credit, professional licensure (e.g., supervision, licensure examination), additional DESE certifications, and/or continuing education units that are either related to the field of education or are related to assigned job duties may be eligible for reimbursement.
MPER Early Career Scholars Program
Beginning teachers (Years 1-3) have a unique graduate learning opportunity at the University of Missouri as part of our district membership in the Missouri Partnership for Educational Renewal (MPER). The MPER Early Career Scholars Program is a two-year, online master’s program designed to support early career educators during the beginning phase of their career. This program is open to new teachers as well as rising 2nd and 3rd year teachers who are graduates from any institution. MPER Scholars are full-time teachers in MPER districts and are eligible to receive a 50% tuition sponsorship for all program courses.
Network for Educator Effectiveness
Fulton Public Schools uses the Network for Educator Effectiveness (NEE) platform for teacher development and evaluation. A library of resources known as the EdHub Library is available on the NEE platform. EdHub provides more than 300 online professional learning resources within the NEE Data Tool for easy access to educator professional development.
Virtual Learning Platform
The Virtual Learning Platform (VLP) is an online portal that provides access to free professional learning modules and supporting materials to all Missouri public schools and their teachers. The system is available to teachers and school administrators through the DESE Application Sign-in (DAS) system and can be accessed at any time and used as a reference for users once the courses are complete.
Request for Professional Leave
Request for Professional Leave
Slate
First, staff should enter their leave into Slate.
TalentEd Records
Once leave has been requested through Slate, staff need to submit a request for professional leave in TalentEd. Please note that each school has a building-specific request for professional leave (e.g. Bartley Request for Professional Leave). Certified staff can submit a request for professional leave through TalentEd Records using the following steps:
Step 1: Click on https://fulton.tedk12.com/sso/Account/Login?pid=9
Step 2: Click on ‘Available Forms’
Step 3: Click on ‘Request for Professional Leave’
Leave requests in TalentEd will be reviewed in the following order: Building PDC Representative, Building Principal, and Assistant Superintendent.
Both steps in Slate and TalentEd must be completed for final approval.
Reimbursement Procedures
The following steps should be followed to receive reimbursement for out-of-district PD:
Step 1: Complete request for professional leave through TalentEd.
Step 2: Attach all original, finalized receipts to this form with your approved PO.
Step 3: Obtain appropriate approval signatures.
Step 4: Form should be submitted within 30 days of the date of the event.
FPS Travel Voucher Form (complete and submit to your supervisor)
Out-of-District PD Evaluation
Please complete an evaluation survey for any external professional development that is supported with district funds (registration fees, travel, lodging, meals, substitutes, etc.). Click on the link below to complete the evaluation. This information will be reviewed by the PDC every month.
Evaluation
In-District PD Evaluation
Evaluation surveys will be emailed directly to certified staff from PDC members on each district PD day. Feedback will be reviewed at the building and district PDC levels to support teacher development and continuous improvement.
Out-of-District PD Evaluation
Please complete an evaluation survey for any external professional development that is supported with district funds (registration fees, travel, lodging, meals, substitutes, etc.). Click on the link below to complete the evaluation. This information will be reviewed by the PDC every month.
Professional Development Survey
The FPS Professional Development Committee has developed an annual needs assessment survey to support continuous improvement and PD planning. The survey asks staff to reflect on district focus areas and specific training that would be helpful for each person's teaching assignment. The Professional Development Survey is implemented annually in April and along with CWIS survey data, helps inform the development of professional learning goals and the district professional development plan.
Collaborative Work Implementation Survey (CWIS)
As part of our involvement with the District Continuous Improvement (DCI) initiative, our district uses the Collaborative Work Implementation Survey (CWIS). The CWIS is an instrument that uses a five-point Likert scale. The survey is intended to measure the degree of implementation of desired processes and practices within participating districts. The scales were designed based upon theoretical knowledge about the most vital information passed from trainers to educators, and practical knowledge of the content of the learning packages delivered through professional coaching. The CWIS is implemented annually in March and helps to inform the development of professional learning goals and the district professional development plan.
PDC
Responsibilities
- 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 preparation of the plan and will assist the teacher in tailoring the plan to his or her needs. Goals identified in the plan will relate to the evaluation criteria used in the district, 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 assessments 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.
Important Dates
September 13, 2024 | Individual PD Plans due in the NEE platform |
March 3, 2025 | Distribute the annual PD survey and CWIS to staff |
March 21, 2025 | Deadline for PDC election (Bush & McIntire) |
March 21, 2025 | Annual PD survey and CWIS survey due |
April 1, 2025 | PDC service begins for newly elected members |
April 15, 2025 | PD logs assigned through TalentEd Records |
May 1, 2025 | PD logs due in TalentEd Records |
June 11, 2025 | Present updated PD Plan to the School Board |
PDC Representatives
Melissa Speer (McIntire)
Members
Serina Anthony (Bartley)
Kristin Clark (FMS)
Whitney Eastwood (Bush)
Jim Hall (FHS)
Abby Quick (FECC)
Ex-officio Members
Dr. Cristina Heet
Dr. Chris Hubbuch