Wild Rose Public SchoolsTeaching Assistants

Professional Growth PlansAugust 30, 2010

What are Professional Growth Plans?

Professional Growth Plans are the life-long learning process whereby a staff member annually develops and implements a plan to achieve professional learning objectives or goals that are consistent with the mission of Wild Rose Public Schools.

To create powerful learning environments that inspire excellence in learning and support the well-being of all students.

Why are Professional Growth Plans important…..

…because they are good for kids!

Why are Professional Growth Plans important…..

“Our society can no longer accept the hit-or-miss hiring, sink or swim inductions, trial and error teaching, and take it or leave it professional development it has in the past”

(What Matters Most: Teaching for America’s future as cited in Bradley 1996)

• surveyed 16,000 participants of which over 27% were teachers

• after 15,000 classroom observations found that the greatest single impact on student learning was...

According to Douglas Reeves who did the "Learning 24/7 Classroom Observation Study in 2004 and who:

Exemplary teaching!

In fact, it is almost twice as important as every other factor.

So what does that mean for Teaching Assistants?

We need to support you in maintaining current knowledge of research based learning strategies.

How do we do that?

• By providing a Teaching Assistant Quality Standard which gives you guidance on what WRPS expects of you• By asking you what it is you need to be most effective in your role (PGP)• By supporting professional development with resources to make it possible.

How does this benefit me as a Teaching Assistant?

• One size professional development does not fit all, we need to know what you need...

• Creating these plans encourages innovation, experimentation, and the sharing of ideas and practices that support learning.

• Staff will deepen their knowledge of the content they support.

• This exercise will create opportunities for serious collaborative work with other staff members.

How does this Benefit Students

• Students will receive a quality education and increased learning through continuous improvement of the staff working with them.

• Students will benefit from an improved school climate and culture.

• Staff will be on the cutting edge of current research and pedagogy.

• Staff would portray a positive learning role model for students.

What is a Professional Growth Plan ?Professional growth plans can take many forms but they must demonstrate a relationship to the Teaching Assistant Quality Standard and include the following essential information:

1. Your name2. Goals to be achieved3. Timeline for completing goals4. Benefit to students (TAQS reference)5. Strategies for completing goals6. Indicators of success7. Cost to complete activity

Teaching Assistant Quality Standard (TAQS)

1. You understand that all students can learn, at different rates and in different ways. You understand the need to support students’ with unique needs by creating multiple pathways to learning.

2. You understand students’ needs for physical, social, cultural and psychological security. You know how to engage students in classroom routines. You know how and when to apply a variety of management strategies that are in keeping with the situation and that result in minimal disruptions to students’ learning.

3. You understand the importance of respecting students’ human dignity. You know how to establish, with different students, professional relationships that are characterized by mutual respect, trust and harmony.

Teaching Assistant Quality Standard (TAQS)4. You understand that there are many approaches to learning. You know

a broad range of instructional strategies appropriate to the educational environments that you are assisting in. You also know which strategies are appropriate to help students achieve success.

5. You understand the importance of contributing independently and collegially, to the quality of your school. You know the strategies that can enhance and maintain the quality of your school to the benefit of students, parents, colleagues and the community.

6. You understand the functions of traditional and electronic instructional technologies in learning environments. You know how to use these technologies and how to engage students in their learning.

7. You understand the importance of life-long learning. You know how to assess your own abilities and how to work with others responsibly.

What makes a good goal?

Growth is a result of working toward your goals. Specific goals help direct your professional development. Meaningful goals have the following:

• Have substance and meaning• Stretch your current thinking and practice• Can be achieved and, therefore, don’t lead to

frustration• Have deadlines that help to ensure that the goal is

attained.

SMART Goals A common technique for writing goal is to think

about SMART goals. A smart goal is:

S – specific

M – meaningful and measurable

A – achievable or attainable (use action words)

R – realistic

T – timely and tangible

SMART Goals Some common action words for developing SMART

goals:Apply MaintainAttend MentorContribute OrganizeEnroll ParticipateConduct PilotImplement PublishIntegrate ReadInvestigate ServeJoin Share

What types of Professional Development are appropriate ?

• Viewing a webinar on a topic related to your PGP.• Researching topics that relate to your PGP.• Reading professional articles, books, etc. related to

your PGP.• Visiting a classroom who accommodate students with

similar needs to the students you are supporting.• Taking a course or attending a workshop or

conference that aligns with your PGP.• Participating in peer coaching, peer projects or study

group activities

Who will review these plans?

• Student Support Facilitators will review these plans with you (by November and again in March)

• If your PGP requires the support of a visit to another school, attendance at a course or time to research strategies a request will be made to the SSF who will match the request with the submitted PGP and make recommendation for approval.

• It will then be submitted to Kathy Murch who will review the request for approval.

Examples of Professional Growth Plan Major Objective Professional Action Timeline Budget Benefits to

StudentsIndicators of Success

1. To increase my knowledge of disorders associated with Autism Spectrum

I will attend PD days, PLC times that relate to students who have Autism spectrum disorders. I will collaborate with colleagues and specialists. I will read and utilize the resources “Teaching students with Spectrum disorder”. I will read the book, “the Curious Incident of the Dog in the night”.

Ongoing throughout the year

$200 I will more effectively meet the needs of students of Autism Spectrum disorder. I will be able to provide more effective support to teachers, TAs and parents to develop strategies.

I will receive more positive feed back from parents, TAs and parents. Be able to provide specific resources and strategies.

2. To increase my knowledge of Level B Assessment, how to administer Peabody Picture Vocabulary

I will attend the Level B Advanced course provided by WRPS. I will research and read the manual. I will consult with colleagues who have used the Peabody test. I will practice administering the test on several kindergarten students.

Course will take place on Sept. 24,25. I will complete my research by September 30th. Practice by October 31st.

$50 I will be able to accurately assess students’ Language functioning which will provide more programming information for students.

I can accurately administer, score, and interpreter the results of the PPV Test.

3. To increase my knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of the Students Support Facilitators within Wildrose Public School

I will visit two SSF in our division to shadow them for a day to learn about WRPS policies and procedures pertaining to the SSF job such as psych referral process, TA scheduling, EREC referrals, etc.

I would like to visit each SSF for 1 day in the fall and 1 day in the spring for a total of 2 days.

$20 I will be a much more organized, productive, and efficient SSF which will aid in meeting the needs of the students.

I will receive positive feedback from parents, teachers, TAs.

Major Objective Action to support objective Timeline Budget Benefits to Students Indicators of Success

To research current learning styles to support programming for special needs students.

EDPS 9026 Flinders University, Adelaide Australia

July 26, 2010-November 30, 2010

Personal $2600.00

I will be able to provide better direction support through the sharing of current learning strategies with SSF’s.

Survey feedback from Student Support Facilitators.

Major Objective Action to support objective Timeline Budget Benefits to Students Indicators of Success

To create a School Wide Assessment tool that identifies kids at risk.

Identify key indicators of at risk behaviour as supported by

current research.

September –November 2010

$0.00 Schools will have at their fingertips information regarding students at risk in their student population.

Schools will be able to identify “At Risk Students easily and determine the supports needed.Survey feedback from school administrators and SSF’s.

Major Objective Action to support objective Timeline Budget Benefits to Students Indicators of Success

To become knowledgeable in Gender Based Differences in Learning

Attend Gurian Institute July 2011 to receive training and

certification needed to train others in Gender Based Learning .

July 10-15, 2011

$595.00 US Strategies that support all styles of learning are incorporated into WRPS classrooms.

Student learning is positively impacted by the employment of appropriate learning strategies.

Wild Rose Public SchoolsStudent Services: Teaching Assistant Request for Professional Development

Date: Name: School: Student Support Facilitator:

This request supports the following Professional Growth Plan Objective:________________________________

Benefit to students:__________________________________________________________________________

I am willing to share new learning by:___________________________________________________

Date of Professional Development:_____________________________________________________

Location of Professional Development:__________________________________________________

Cost of Professional Development:______________________________________________________

Signature of Teaching Assistant:_____________________

Signature of Student Support Facilitator:_______________

Signature of Administrator:__________________________

In Summary• Create Professional Growth Plan based upon the Teaching

Assistant Quality Standard.

• PGP is reviewed with you and Student Support Facilitator.

• Requests for Professional Development are submitted to SSF who will match it with PGP

• SSF will submit PD request to Director of Student Services.

• Approval or deny PD request.

How to access CARC Webinars

• Go to the Central Alberta Regional Consortium Website - http://www.carcpd.ab.ca

Click on E-Learning (top of the page)• Click on View Completed Webinars (right side of page,

orange star)• Click on Inclusive Education• A list of cached webinars are available for you to view at

any time. This list will continually change once a webinar is completed it will be cached for viewing at any time. You can view the webinar by yourself on a computer or with a group. Feel free to view it on the Smartboard.