Vision For Teachers



My Vision for Professional Growth

Andrea P. Roberts

ED7901 – Internship for Educational Administration I

Capella University

420 Decatur Ave.

Orange, Texas 77630

Telephone: 409.350.2443

Email: aroberts15@capella.edu

Instructor: Dr. Phil Corkill

Abstract

The Vision for Professional Growth involves many aspects of the education process. It includes: (1) The professional growth of teachers. (2) The professional growth of the principal. (3) The effects of professional growth on student achievement. (4) The effects of professional growth on the effectiveness of schools. This paper will discuss all those components in great detail, as well as how professional growth needs should be determined for the school and addressed.

The professional growth of teachers:

A professional growth plan, PGP, is a foundational component of teacher preparation, induction, professional certification, and ongoing professional growth. The PGP is developed based on teacher self-assessments that consider current student learning and performance, capacity to effect that performance, feedback from colleagues and administrators, reflection, school and district improvement plans, and professional interests. The PGP will determine what types of professional development activities educators will participate in and what is needed in order to effectively meet the needs of students. This process is initiated through the evaluation process (OSPI, 2011).

Evaluation is an essential ingredient of leadership (Drake & Roe, 2003). It is simply the process of determining the worth-goodness or badness- of something and evaluation of staff is a major responsibility for any school administrator (Daresh, 2006). There are three types of evaluation: diagnostic, formative, and summative. Diagnostic evaluations are usually used to determine the beginning status of something, formative evaluations are usually conducted during the operation of a program to provide specific information for improvement, and summative evaluations are usually conducted at the end of a program to show and/or make decisions based on data collected (Daresh, 2006). BISD uses a summative form of evaluation to evaluate its educational staff.

According to district policy, all district employees shall be periodically appraised in the performance of their duties. Beaumont Independent School District’s employee evaluation and appraisal system is administered consistent with criteria, performance, and documentation. The employee’s performance of assigned duties and other job related criteria is the basis for the employee’s evaluation and appraisal. Employees are informed of the criteria on which they will be evaluated. Evaluation and appraisal ratings are based on the evaluation instrument and cumulative performance data gathered by supervisors throughout the year. Each employee has at least one evaluative conference annually, except as otherwise provided by policy, to discuss the written evaluation and may have as many conferences about performance of duties as the supervisor deems necessary. Appraisal records and forms, reports, correspondence, and memoranda may be placed in each employee’s personnel records to document performance. All employees will receive a copy of their annual written evaluation. Employees may present complaints regarding the evaluation and appraisal process in accordance with the district’s complaint policy for employees (BISD, 2005).

Teachers in BISD are appraised at least once during each school year. The first or initial step in the appraisal or evaluation process in BISD is the TSR, Teacher Self-Report. The TSR is the teacher’s self analysis of their own contributions to the improvement of academic performance of all students on campus or in their personal classrooms. It is broken down into three sections. The data in Section I must be presented to the principal within the first three weeks after the orientation. It measures the academic skills that they directly teach or reinforce in their classes, broken down by subject matter as they relate to the Texas state mandated assessments and objectives. This section is presented in the form of a scoring rubric. Sections II and III must be provided at least two weeks before the annual summative conference, and consists of short answer responses. Section II is directly related to classroom instruction. Each teacher must evaluate his/her performance based on their ability to provide instructional adjustments based on student need, use strategies to monitor classroom performance, provide positive feedback to students, assist students who are experience attendance problems, and addressing students who are failing or in danger of failing. Section III, and the final stage of the TSR directly relates to the teacher’s professional development activities for the past year, and relates to campus/district goals, assigned subject/content, needs of students, and/or prior appraisal performance. It includes the following areas: in-services, team planning, mentoring, collaboration with colleagues, self-study, video coursework or distance learning, university-level coursework, professional conferences, and other non-traditional activities that may directly affect their educational performance. In this section, the teachers are also asked to describe, in detail, which of the professional development activities they used that positively impacted the learning of students, and what three target areas they think they may need for professional growth.

The professional growth of the principal:

The principal or educational leader controls the learning environment and must exhibit leadership qualities and ethical behavior. He or she must also exhibit good management skills of the day-to-day operations of the school environment. It is important for educational leaders to set goals for professional development and have a process in mind for achieving those goals, create a content of guidelines for professional development, and develop a criterion for planning professional development for the school. These processes, for the principal, as with his/her staff, should also include professional development training and a PGP.

The principal’s PGP would include evaluating the school environment and setting educational goals for the previously mentioned professional development. The main goal for all professional development must be in effective action that addresses significant problems related to teacher effectiveness and student learning and must aim to reduce the discrepancies between the school and district’s goals for student learning and their actual achievement (e-Lead).

A principal’s goal could be to develop programs that will be constructed to include processes such as: self-managed growth, collaborative learning, community involvement, principal institutes, portfolio development, district-mandated professional development, and educational programs.

As a future educational administrator, I plan to consider the following in relation to professional development: (1) Effective school leadership, (2) Levels of knowledge, (3) Continuum of personal and collective experience, (4) Structured professional development experiences, (5) Multiple sources of data (using other administrators, schools, districts, and school community resources) linking professional development with authentic problems, and (6) Examination of fundamental beliefs and assumptions (e-Lead).

An effective administrator must be aware of the principles of effective staff development and be familiar with learning and competency profiles developed through a range of formal and informal assessments to be reflected in an individual development plan. It would be important to draw upon all resources that can be used to supplement local funding and provide participants with opportunities to learn alone, in small groups, and in larger organizational settings.

The effects of professional growth on student achievement:

It’s simple, educators who are knowledgeable about instruction play a significant role in helping children excel and perform successfully academically. In addition, when teachers have the necessary knowledge and skills needed to meet the needs of students, there can be a noted improvement in student performance and school success. Therefore, it is important for educational professionals to receive regular quality instruction and professional development to ensure student success. As the teacher’s learn the student’s learn. When teachers are equipped with the necessary tools and resources to be successful, the learning takes place, and student achievement will be positively affected.

The effects of professional growth on the effectiveness of schools:

As teacher professional growth plans are implemented and teachers are trained, students receive a quality education, which leads to academic success. When more students are successful, the school is successful, and according to accountability ratings, they become effective. In the state of Texas, a school’s accountability is directly related to student performance and academic success. Schools are rated as Exemplary, Recognized, Acceptable, or Unacceptable solely based on student performance. These ratings incidentally are directly tied to funding and resources needed to maintain the school environment. Therefore, it is crucial for professional growth plans to be developed, presented, and successfully implemented, it can be the foundation of an effective school environment.

How professional growth needs should be determined and addressed for the school

As previously stated, professional growth should begin with the administrative staff of a school environment. Based on student needs, teacher self-assessment, and the principal’s goal, a plan of attack can be implemented. Most of the professional development or professional growth trainings that are presented are totally student-centered¸ with a focus on student learning, and a district and school-wide goals for student success. BISD is truly a data driven district with a focus on student achievement and school performance, and it believes that equipping the staff with the tools needed to meet the needs of the students, is key to success.

References

Beaumont ISD., (2008) Board Policy Manual. Retrieved from

; policy/pol/private/123910

Daresh, J. C. (2006). Leading and supervising instruction. Thousand Oaks, CA:

Corwin.

Drake, T.L., and Roe, W. H., (2003) The Principalship. Pearson Education Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey

e-Lead., Leadership for Student Success. Retrieved from



OSPI. (2011). Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Professional Certification

for Teachers Professional Growth Plans. Retrieved from

PDAS. (2008) Appraisal Framework: Professional Development and Appraisal System. Retrieved from policy/pol/private/123910

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