Professional Development

Background Information
The ongoing growth and development of all district staff is key to improved teaching and learning and so our district has made a significant investment in professional development (PD). The Grand Island Public Schools has developed a growing reputation for its high quality adult growth opportunities.  Our professional development is designed to help educators rethink the teaching and learning processes, support and sustain districtwide and school improvement efforts, and maximize students’ learning opportunities and results.

The district provides a wide variety of learning experiences for all certified staff in skill development; implementation of specific instructional resources; and implementation of “best practice” curricular, instructional, and assessment strategies. The development of teacher and administrative leaders is also a priority, as exemplified by our two-year mentor teacher program, curriculum and assessment design work, school improvement process, and supervision and coaching efforts.

Professional Development Standards
The national professional development standards provide direction for designing professional development experiences that ensure educators will acquire the necessary knowledge and skills. To be effective, professional development must be results-driven, standards-based, and job-embedded. The National Staff Development Council's revised Standards for Staff Development reflect what NSDC and the broader staff development community have learned. The current standards were guided by three questions:

• What are all students expected to know and be able to do?
• What must teachers know and do in order to ensure student success?
• Where must professional development focus to meet both goals?

Professional Development Activities
The district provides multiple types of professional development experiences in order to best meet a variety of adult learning styles and needs. The district provides seven and a half days each year for the combination of required districtwide PD and school improvement process (SIP) activities. Most staff members participate in many additional learning activities throughout a school year, which include, but are not limited to the following:

•    Outside presenters coming to GIPS (e.g., Jay McTighe, Leading by Design and Understanding by Design; Allison    
     Zmuda, curriculum design      and differentiation; Ken O’Connor, grading and reporting; Bruce Wellman, coaching;
     Tim Razinsky, Janet Allen, Steven Layne, and Vicki     Spandel, literacy);
•    Workshop and national conference experiences outside the district;
•    Two-year mentor program for all new teachers with 0-2 years prior experience;
•    Leadership training opportunities designed to expand the capacity of teacher and administrator leaders;
•    Instructional coaches (literacy, math, and science) and principals providing growth-evoking feedback to enhance
     instructional and assessment practices;
•    Peer observations, particularly for new teachers;
•    Required graduate coursework during the school year (Balanced Literacy Course) and optional courses during the
     summer (e.g., Kagan cooperative learning; Understanding by Design);
•    Various learning team experiences, most often organized at the school level;
•    K-12 C&A Teams and School Improvement Teams (SITs) examining best practices and research; and
•    Training in the use of all new instructional resources.