LEADERSHIP HANDBOOK
STAFF DEVELOPMENT: CERTIFIED STAFF
Our Schenectady Learns website houses our Professional Development page and is the location in which faculty can find the Professional Development Course Catalog and Professional Development Plan. The page is designed to inform all certificated staff about professional learning opportunities and to systematize procedures and protocols related to professional learning. The catalog includes all the necessary information that a participant would need to attend a session, including the date, time, facilitator, registration, and a course description. Additionally, administrators and staff can create professional development offerings by filling out the Professional development proposal form located on the page. The Director of Teaching and Learning and a designated subset of the Professional Development Committee will either approve or disapprove the proposal based on its alignment with our Professional Development Goals, DCIP, mission and vision statements, and if the offering is based on research based practices.
Assistant Superintendent for Teaching & Learning
Dr. Lorenda Chisolm
ChisolmL@Schenectady.k12.ny.us
If you have questions about Professional Development, please contact the subject area Assistant Director, David Creagan, or Carmella Parente in the Office of Teaching and Learning.
Camella Parente, Director of Teaching Learning
Parentec@schenectady.k12.ny.us
Dave Creagan, Project Manager
creagand@schenectady.k12.ny.us
Leah Akinleye,
Assistant Director for ENL/World Language
akinleyea@schenectady.k12.ny.us
Daryle Redmond
Assistant Director for Fine Arts
redmondd@schenectady.k12.ny.us
Rebecca Gleason,
Assistant Director for English Language Arts/Library
gleasonr@schenectady.k12.ny.us
Trevor Tripp
Assistant Director for Science & Computer Science (Temporarily questions for PE & Health can be directed)
trippt@schenectady.k12.ny.us
Michael Kovall
Assistant Director for Mathematics
kovallm@schenectady.k12.ny.us
Valerie Smith
Assistant Director for Social Studies & Civic Readiness
smithv@schenectady.k12.ny.us
Erika MacFarlane
Director of Student Intervention Services
macfarlanee@schenectady.k12.ny.us
Jessica Valente
Assistant Director for Early Literacy & Pre-K
valentej@schenectady.k12.ny.us
Kurt Redman
Assistant Director for CTE & Secondary Programs
redmank@schenectady.k12.ny.us
StaffTrac is the SCSD web based reporting system that tracks teachers' hours toward completion of their SED required staff development, based on their type of certification. Staff Trac manages and tracks meetings and professional development. After getting the approval/signature of a faculty’s supervisor, “out of district conference requests” forms must be uploaded to Staff Trac to acquire district approval for attendance. Conference request forms can be found on the “forms” page of StaffTrac. In order for meetings, workshops, or sessions to count towards professional development attendance, the objective of the meetings must align to our professional development goals for that year.*
Principals must ensure that grade level meetings and faculty meetings that are designated professional learning are entered and managed in StaffTrac.
The date, time, description of the session, along with attendance must be sent to:
Teri Shannahan in the Office of Planning and Accountability
ShanahanT@Schenectady.k12.ny.us
Continuing Teacher Leader Education Credit
New York State Education Department requires that during each 5-year registration period beginning on or after July 1, 2016, an applicant for registration shall successfully complete a minimum of 100 hours of Continuing Teacher and Leader Education, as defined by the Commissioner. Teachers must enter their hours in StaffTrac and provide CTLE completion certificates. The District can only track and maintain those hours that are provided. The District will maintain any and all District sponsored professional learning. Here is a link to the NYSED regulations.
How to Access Professional Development:
Schenectady Learns Professional Development Page
Tracking your Building/Department specific sessions and your own personal development:
https://apps.edvistas.com/stafftrac/PDCatalog.aspx
Staff Trac: PD Module Flow Chart | ||
|---|---|---|
Professional Development Event | Who Begins Input | Who Completes |
Faculty Meeting or PLC Hours | Principal/School Secretary | Principal/School Secretary |
Department Meeting | Office of teaching and Learning or Administrator/Secretary | Office of Teaching and Learning or Administrator/Secretary |
Curriculum Work | Office of Teaching and Learning or OPA | Office of Teaching an Learning or OPS |
Mentorship Program | OPA | OPA |
StaffTrac: PD Module Flow Chart | ||
|---|---|---|
Superintendent's Conference Day | OPA | OPA |
Principal/Admin Meetings | Secretary to the Superintendent or OPA | Secretary to the Superintendent or OPA |
Administrative Council Meeting | Secretary to the Superintendent or OPA | Secretary to the Superintendent or OPA |
Out of District Conferences | Staff go to "My Request Tab" conference template and attache "District Conference Form" | Staff send certificate to OPA after event |
District Workshp | OPA | OPA |
Professional Development Goals*
Promote conversations, training, and leadership in becoming an anti-racist and equitable organization. Implement the use of culturally and linguistically responsive practices in all classrooms and departments across the District.
Prioritize social emotional learning, restorative practices, and PBIS in order to engage in approaches that are inclusive, accepting, and responsive to students and employees alike; additionally, promote offerings centered on student mental health and wellness.
Provide integrated language and content instruction to support language development through language-focused scaffolds. ENL and content-area teachers must collaborate purposefully and consistently to promote academic achievement in all content areas leveraging students' home language, cultural assets and prior knowledge.
Prioritize professional learning focused on effective instructional technology integration to enhance in person student engagement. Enhance instruction through the use of the District’s online resources, databases and subscriptions.
Continue professional development opportunities based on developing expertise in Next Generation Learning Standards and research-based best instructional practices for all content areas, prioritizing literacy development, with increased focus on developmental literacy practices for K-3 and disciplinary literacy practices 4-12.
Maximize the use of data to ensure we are a continually improving organization (Improvement Science) such as diagnostic assessments and screeners. Utilize the MTSS, SBST, PLC, (grade and classroom level), school faculty, and department meeting structures to develop and analyze goals and effectively monitor the success of action planning.
Provide team opportunities for sharing of best practices for Tier 1 instruction, interventions and management of student academic, attendance, behavior, and social emotional learning.
Continued professional development on evidence based grading and reporting practices.
Expand our professional learning opportunities to increase staff knowledge to include best practices for working with students with disabilities including students with autism spectrum disorder.
Ensure that all teaching and administrative staff, including school counselors and Student Support staff are trained in how to effectively access and utilize data systems (IEP direct, Infinite Campus, eDoctrina, Schoolzilla, I’Ready) to improve outcomes for students.
Provide opportunities for teachers in specialized programming (IB, AVID, CTE, FA, PE, etc) that enhances learning leading students to be college and career ready.
Ensure the continuous growth and development of leadership at all levels (administration, teachers, coaches, mentors, etc.) to ensure successful implementation of District goals , DCIP priorities , and other initiatives and programs (MTSS, curriculum writing, evaluation) with fidelity.
Identify and collaborate to implement more authentic and engaging learning experiences/assessments, such as problem based learning.
NEW EMPLOYEE- SUPPORTS AND MENTORS
Providing comprehensive support in the early stages is critical to any new employee’s success and sustained growth. All new certificated staff should be assigned a mentor to assist with onboarding and growth of new staff. The Office of Teaching and Learning reaches out to tenured staff in April of every year to solicit interest in acquiring mentors. Interested tenured staff are required to fill out the mentor interest form if they want to be considered. Faculty can express interest in mentoring two new staff members. Mentors and new teachers are required to submit monthly logs tracking their meeting and planning times. New staff members are required 20 hours of meeting with their mentors, unless they can submit a certificate from a former school district that verifies that they have completed a previous school district mentoring program. If that is the case, the new staff member is only required to complete 10 hours. The remuneration of mentors occurs at the end of the school year and is Board approved. In order to receive the stipend, all mandatory hours must be tracked and submitted to either the Office of Teaching and Learning or the Student Support Service office respectively. No partial payments are made. Those new staff members who are struggling with their mentor match are encouraged to express their concern with their building representative first and then to the Office of Teaching and Learning. If you recognize that a new employee is struggling, begin to intervene immediately, and please do not delay in bringing the Director and/or Supervisor into a conversation with you and the employee. It is important that all new employees are appropriately supported at all levels by administrator.