Staff Development EDAD 5399 By Dr. Harold Smith

Texas Education Code Who is responsible? What must be taught? Who must attend? Purposes What setting for staff development? Special Programs? Must attendees sign in? How many days are required by TEA?

Texas Education Code Who is responsible for campus staff development? Campus Team Principal How are topics selected?

What topics will be addressed? –AEIS report –ATP report –Campus Improvement Plan –Budget –The SBDM is required to sign off on staff development.

Texas Education Code Staff development may include: –Training in Technology –Conflict Resolution –Discipline Strategies –Classroom Management –Student Code of Conduct –Classroom Instruction

Texas Education Code Specific topics addressed in the Campus Improvement Plan. District Requirements Legal Issues School Safety Parent Involvement (One 1% of your students will see a adult male read this month)

Texas Education Code Laws and Procedures for Special Programs Data interpretation Teaching Strategies Religious Rights Civil Rights Health Issues

Texas Education Code Purposes of Staff Development –Enhance Skills –Share Effective Strategies –Reflect on Curricular and Instructional Issues –Analyze Student Achievement Results –Reflect on Means of Increasing Student Achievement –Study Research

Texas Education Code Purposes continued –Practice New Methods of Instructions –Identify Students’ Strengths and Weaknesses –Develop Meaningful Programs for Students –Discuss Research –Plan Research

Texas Education Code Methods –Study Teams –Individual Research –Peer Coaching –Workshops –Seminars –Conferences –Book Studies –College Courses

Texas Education Code Models –Individual Guided Model –Observation/Assessment Model –Development/Improvement Model –Inquiry Model –Training Model –Other Models Meeting Local Needs

Texas Education Code Special Program Requirements –Title I Staff Development Parent Involvement Programs Improve Student Performance Basic Legal Requirements Special Budget

Texas Education Code Gifted and Talented Continued –Teachers who provide instruction and services to gifted student must receive 6 hours of staff development annually –Administrators and Counselors who have authority for program decisions must have 6 hours of staff development.

Texas Education Code Special Programs Continued –Gifted and Talented Education Teacher must have completed 30 hours of staff development before working with GT students in a special setting. Assessing student needs, curriculum and instruction. Teacher does not have 30 hours?---- Must be completed within one semester.

Texas Education Code Who Must Attend Staff Development? –The Code does not name positions. But the district may designate who must attend. –Some special programs tell who must attend –New teaching certificates and principal certificates require hours to be earned.

Texas Education Code Special Programs Continued –Special Education Training that relates to instruction of students with disabilities and is designed for educators who work primarily outside the area of special education. –What do you do with a Modification Sheet? –How do I adjust my instruction to meet the needs of the students in my class? –What test will I give my students?

Texas Education Code The Local Education Agency may set additional staff development requirements for all employees.

Texas Education Code Adult Education –Could Include Alternative High Schools –Staff Hired after September 1, 1996 shall receive 12 hours of staff development annually. –Staff members new to adult education must receive 6 hours before working with students.

Texas Education Code In-service for professional development may be reduced in individual cases if documentation of exceptional circumstances is submitted to TEA for approval. Records of professional development shall be maintained by the district.

Texas Education Code Teachers must earn 150 approved hours of training each five years to renew their certificate. All other professionals must earn 200 hours each five years. –Other professionals, principals, counselors, superintendents, librarians, master teachers, diagnosticians

Must I earn 150 hours to keep my teacher certificate and 200 hours to keep my principal certificate? Do I have to earn 150 hours for each teaching certificate? Certificate information-left menu Certificate Renewal Requirements.

Can a district require employees to attend staff development? How can that be enforced. Can staff development hours count toward renewal of certification?

Warning Have legal department check contract before signing. Does district have a standard contract? Know what will be presented. Is the presentation consistent with district requirements? Agree on time limits before beginning.

Sources 1.Local curriculum staff 2.State conferences 3.Universities 4.Service Centers 5.Professional associations 6.TEA 7.Some of these groups have presentations that can be downloaded.

Resistance to Change 1. Why change? 2. What will it cost me? 3. Will change create more work for me? 4. Who is making us do this? 5. What is wrong with what we are doing? 6. Are other schools changing?

Change Principles 1. People don’t change unless they share a compelling reason to change. 2. People don’t change unless they have ownership in the change. 3. People don’t change unless their leaders model that they are serious about the change.

Change Principles 4. People are unlikely to change unless they have a concrete picture of what the change will look like for them personally. 5. People can’t make a change—or make it last—unless they receive organizational support for the change.

Why Do Changes Not Happen? 1. Too many topics are presented. 2. No support for change. 3. No follow up activities. 4. Funding. 5. The leadership does not support change. 6. You change—I don’t need to change.

Why Do Changes Not Happen? 7. Attempt to move too fast. 8. Lack of direction. 9. Change takes us from our comfort zone.

Assume-Don’t Assume 1. Do not assume that your vision of what the change should be is the one that should or could be implemented. 2. Assume that any significant innovation requires individual implementers to work out their own meaning

3. Assume that conflict and disagreement are not only inevitable but fundamental to successful change. 4. Assume that people need pressure to change but it will be effective only under conditions that allow them to react.

5. Assume that effective change takes time. 6. Do not assume that the reason for lack of implementation is outright rejection of the values embodied in the change, or hard-core resistance to all change.

7. Do not expect all or even most people or groups to change. 8. Assume that you will need a plan that is based on the above assumptions and that address the factors known to affect implementation.

9. Assume that no amount of knowledge will ever make it totally clear what action should be taken. 10. Assume that changing the culture of institutions is the real agenda, not implementing single innovations.

Change Process You can’t mandate what matters Change is a journey, not a blueprint Problems are our friends

Vision and strategic planning come later Individualism and collectivism must have equal power Neither centralization or decentralization works