Professional Development

The following professional development programs are available to teachers.  If you would like more information about school improvement professional development, contact Ron Sismondo by email or at 740-283-3347.

A Model for Change professional development is a two-part, 9-15 hour program for the district administrative leadership team followed by a similar program for teacher leadership teams.  Learning outcomes include: understanding what change is not (textbook series, software, etc.), building a context and environment for change, looking at shared leadership and responsibility for student learning, and moving from “lip service” to sustainability.

Data Teams at district and building levels can help close achievement gaps by following this four step process as they work with staff in planning and implementing instruction for students:

1. Analyze data, take action, and monitor results
2. Engage the entire faculty in using data
3. Prepare data analyses and documents for use with building, grade level, or department teams
4. Identify and share best instructional practices

Professional development occurs at each site in collaborative settings during the school day and ongoing throughout the school year.

Developing Teacher Leaders is a 9-18 hour professional development program for teams of teachers already implementing the Whole Faculty Study Group Process (WFSG). This program is based on the premise that school-based teacher leaders can respond more quickly and efficiently to school-based issues and find creative and effective solutions to teaching and learning problems. Specific program focus is data driven and responsive to participant input.

Examining Student Work is a collaborative, 9-18 hour, ongoing professional development program that focuses on looking at student work samples relative to selected content standards.  Learning outcomes for participants include: gaining greater understanding of the research and principles underlying examining student work, connecting the process to existing collaborative building teams, developing skills in various cyclical processes for examining student work, and gaining a deeper understanding of the link between their instruction and their students’ progress toward standards-based learning.

Since 2005, the JCESC staff has targeted highly motivated teachers in our served districts who have demonstrated the professional expertise and the desire to deliver/facilitate site-based Professional Development.  Student achievement data and teacher observation are used to measure the degree of teacher expertise.  Teacher-led Professional Development can be delivered/facilitated at the building level, intra-district level or inter-district level.

The JCESC coordinates a six-district Master Teacher Consortium, which closely adheres to ODE and locally developed guidelines.  Included in that coordination effort is disseminating application materials, verifying eligibility, selecting individual application readers from a 12 member pool of readers, notifying districts of successful candidates for record keeping and stipend paying purposes, and maintaining records of both successful and unsuccessful candidates.

JCESC facilitates a five-district 42 member LPDC consortium.  One of our two major responsibilities is to effectively and accurately review renewal credentials and IPDP materials in a timely manner.  The second major responsibility is to assume a leadership role in Professional Development by having each member district facilitate, at a monthly meeting, a segment of proven HQPD which is formatted for effective dissemination to any individual, building, or district for implementation at their site.

A Professional Learning Community (PLC) is one of the most powerful ways to improve student achievement.  This professional development offering will lay the groundwork for the discussion, development and implementation of a PLC.  It will center around three important elements:  (1) focus on learning; (2) collaborative culture; (3) results-oriented thinking.

The Ohio Standards for Professional Development defines professional development as an ongoing, systematic process, linked to the daily practice of educators and based on data-driven needs.  This offering will assist teachers and administrators, as well as the LPDC Consortium to evaluate IPDP’s according to the standards-based criteria set forth in the standards, as mandated by Senate Bill 2.

The Whole Faculty Study Group concept is a job-embedded, self-directed, student-driven approach to professional development.  It is a professional development system designed to build communities of learners in which educators continuously strive to increase student learning.  This concept will allow professionals to deepen their knowledge and understanding of what is taught, reflect on their practices, sharpen their skills, and share in the responsibility for the students they teach.