Planning for Continuing Professional Development – A Whole School Approach

A step by step guide to planning CPD

including a framework for Teacher Induction

School Development Planning Initiative

Overview of this SessionOverview of this Session

Continuing Professional Development of Teachers

What is it and what happens in our schools?

Why should CPD be a planning priority for a school?

Approaches to CPD planning at school level

Exploration of Induction of New Teachers as a CPD issue

Resources

CPD – What is it?CPD – What is it?

Continuing Professional Development?

(Initial, Induction, In-service)

Teacher Professional Development?

Staff Development?

Personal Development?

CPD - External ProvidersCPD - External Providers

DES Support Services – driven by current curriculum and compliance imperatives?

Third Level – accreditation but of what effect on professional practice?

Education Centre provision – responding to local and system needs?

TPNs (Teacher Professional Networks) – teacher-driven CPD, strong links to professional practice?

Management Bodies, VECs, Teacher Unions

Others…..?

Approaches to Internal Professional Approaches to Internal Professional Development Development

Teachers as self-developing professionals Subject department Task group Team teaching Action Research Research support network within the school Reflective Practice Mentoring Peer coaching Appraisal Other….

DiscussionDiscussion

What forms of CPD have staff from your school been involved in recently?

(Buzz session in groups of 3)

CPD and Individual Teacher GoalsCPD and Individual Teacher Goals

Why are some teachers prepared to give up time to pursue professional development activities out side of school?

Moving In – deepening professional knowledge and expertise

Moving Up – into school leadership

Moving Out – into support services, inspectorate, third level

Other…

What is the role of the school in supporting individual teacher professional development?

Needs of a learning system

Needs of the learning school

Needs of the learning teacher

Needs of the learning student

The Teacher Education Continuum

Initial Induction CPD

Teacher Education: A ConceptualizationTeacher Education: A Conceptualization Towards Integration & CohesionTowards Integration & Cohesion

CPD as a School Planning priority – WHYCPD as a School Planning priority – WHY1. Because it is national POLICY

Education Act 1998 Section 9 “A ..school shall ….use its available resources to ensure that the

needs of personnel involved in management functions and staff development needs generally in the school are identified and provided for”

Towards 201631.18 “The parties agree that professional development is an ongoing requirement on individual teachers as is the case with members of other professions and that in particular the requirement for a teacher to engage in continuous professional development has to be viewed in the context of the establishment of a statutory Teaching Council with powers of self regulation and registration.”

Teaching Council Act 2001 Title:“An act to promote teaching as a profession; to promote the professional development of teachers; ….to provide for the registration and regulation of teachers and to enhance professional standards and competence”

CPD as a planning priority – WHYCPD as a planning priority – WHY Because it works…? Because it works…?

Staff involved in needs identification and planning are more likely to be positively disposed towards the development / training activities

Sharing of expertise improves collegiality and morale

Focus is on current school needs – making it ‘real’

Maintaining professional standards

Impact on Teaching and Learning

Other….

An Approach to CPDAn Approach to CPD1. Review current provision and identify good practice

2. Identify CPD needs Assess individual needs Assess the school’s needs Consider system needs

3. Prioritise CPD Areas

4. Survey expertise of staff as CPD providers

5. Select appropriate provider/s

6. Develop a CPD Plan

7. Implement and Monitor

8. Evaluate

(SDPI Draft Guidelines, Unit 8)

Review current provisionReview current provision

1.What is already happening in our school that can be considered as CPD?

What is working well?

2. To what extent is this school a learning organisation for teachers as well as students?

Identify CPD NeedsIdentify CPD Needs

Identify Needs – suggested approaches: Feedback on CPD needs from:

Subject Departments

Year Heads,

Class Tutors,

Post of Responsibility holders,

Other school teams Questionnaire to all staff Needs identified through other SDP activities

(Questions from Unit 8 p. 13 &14)

Prioritize and Select focus of CPD Prioritize and Select focus of CPD activity activity

Continue and build on current good practice

Consider needs identified in Review

Select priorities based on balance of school needs, system needs, individual needs.

Role of Board of Management?

Audit current areas of expertise among the Audit current areas of expertise among the staff and willingness to share expertisestaff and willingness to share expertise

■Questionnaires to individual staff members

■Interview ( formal or informal) with each staff member by Principal / Deputy / CPD Coordinator on current or recent CPD activities such as academic research, involvement in TPN ……

■Meeting of teachers interested in sharing expertise

■Other…..?

DiscussionDiscussion

The benefits of internally led CPD activities -

What has been your experience?

How do we create a culture that values staff professional expertise and supports sharing of expertise?

External ProvidersExternal Providers

Education Centres

Support Services: SDPI – School Development Planning InitiativeSLSS – Second Level Support ServiceSESS – Special Education Support ServiceLDS – Leadership Development for SchoolsNBSS – National Behaviour Support Service

Management Bodies

Other schools

Other….

Develop a CPD PlanDevelop a CPD Plan

CPD Priority Area

CPD Activity

Target Audience

Provider Resources Timeframe

Develop a CPD PlanDevelop a CPD Plan

CPD Priority Area

CPD Activity

Target Audience

Provider Resources Timeframe

Use of I.T. in Teaching and

Learning

Workshops in I.T. room

Subject Dept.

Two staff members

Time and ‘recognition’

to 2 staff

4 sessions beginning

Nov 5th

Health & Safety – Risk Assessment

Seminar Whole staff in Subject groups

External agency

Time and payment of

external provider

Feb 9th

Implement – Monitor - EvaluateImplement – Monitor - Evaluate

Implement and monitor Continuing Professional Development Plan

Evaluate:Did the planned CPD activities take place?

What worked, didn’t work?Can we evaluate the effectiveness in terms

of impact on teaching and learning?Lessons for future CPD planning?

How do we ensure that the learning is transferred into classroom practice?

Leading and Supporting CPD PlanningLeading and Supporting CPD Planning

Existing structures or new ones?

Principal / Deputy SDP Steering Group SDP Coordinator Convenor/s of Subject Departments In-school Management Team Teacher/s with interest / academic expertise in CPD CPD Coordinator as Post of Responsibility Other…?

An Approach to CPD PlanningAn Approach to CPD Planning

Consider the materials / handouts

Is this a possibility for our school?

What would be the first steps?

An Approach to Teacher InductionAn Approach to Teacher Induction

1. Review current provision2. Identify needs of new teachers3. Prioritise areas for Teacher Induction

Programme4. Identify expertise among staff5. Develop a Teacher Induction

Plan/Programme6. Implement and Monitor7. Evaluate

Induction ProgrammeInduction ProgrammeSampleSample

Session Activity

1 Information pack

2 School Context Factors

3 Classroom Management

4 Key Personnel – Principal, HSCL, Guidance Counsellor, Year Head, Subject Convenor

5 Educational Programmes and Initiatives

Induction ResourcesInduction Resources

Session 1Information pack – Staff handbook

Map of school – walk about Copy of Student Journal List of teachers – Year Head/Class Tutors Posts of responsibility Relevant documentation – report forms,

attendance forms, letters to parents, substitution forms etc

The role of the Mentor?The role of the Mentor?SupportEncouragementInformationGuidanceGenerating ideasSkills developmentObservation and modellingDeveloping reflective practiceOther…

Subject Departments as support structure for Mentoring

DiscussionDiscussion

Teacher induction in your school:

What works well?

ResourcesResources

SDPI Draft Guidelines (Unit 8)

Regional Seminar Resource Pack: An Approach to CPD Planning Summary Information Sheet for New and

Temporary Teachers Developing a Staff Handbook The Staff Handbook: some possible contents