704 KAR 3:035. Annual professional development plan.
RELATES TO: KRS 156.095, 158.070
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: KRS 156.070, 156.095, 158.070(5)
NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY: KRS 156.095 requires the Kentucky Board of Education to establish, direct, and maintain a statewide program of professional development training, with the purpose of the program being the improvement of instruction in the public schools. KRS 158.070(5) requires the state board to promulgate administrative regulations establishing guidelines and procedures to be followed for the approval of the four (4) days of the minimum school term which are mandated to be utilized by each local school district for professional development activities for the professional staff. This administrative regulation establishes the requirements for the annual professional development plan.
Section 1. Definitions.
(1) "High-quality professional development" means those experiences that systematically, over a sustained period of time, enable educators to facilitate the learning of students by acquiring and applying knowledge, understanding, skills, and abilities that address the instructional improvement goals of the school district, the individual school, or the individual professional growth needs of the educator.
(2) "Improvement plan" means a product that clearly identifies how assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation are to be accomplished in the school or district relative to established standards, goals, or objectives for improvement.
(3) "Needs assessment" means the gathering, sorting, and analysis of data that lead to conclusions regarding the need for professional development in identified areas.
(4) "Professional development program" means a process of professional development that is measurable by indicators and may be composed of several initiatives.
Section 2. Each local school and district shall develop a process for the development of a professional development program. This process shall lead to a program of high-quality professional development experiences that the school and district will provide for its instructional and administrative staff within the goals as established in KRS 158.6451 and local needs assessment. A school professional development program shall be incorporated into the school improvement plan and made public prior to the implementation of the school program. The local district program shall be incorporated into the district improvement plan and posted to the local district Web site prior to the implementation of the program.
Section 3. Each school and local district improvement plan shall meet the following six (6) standards related to the professional development program:
(1) There is a clear statement of the school or district mission;
(2) There is evidence of representation of all persons affected by the professional development program;
(3) Application of needs assessment analysis is evident;
(4) Professional development objectives are focused on the school or district mission and derived from needs assessment;
(5) The professional development program and implementation strategies are designed to support school or district goals and objectives; and
(6) A process for evaluating professional development experiences for their impact on student learning and improving professional development initiatives is incorporated in the plan.
Section 4. (1) The school or district improvement plan shall address any instructional improvement or training needs that are in accordance with the goals as established in KRS 158.6451.
(2) High-quality professional development experiences shall:
(a) Be related to teachers' instructional assignments and administrators' professional responsibilities. Experiences shall support the local school's instructional improvement goals; and
(b) Be aligned with the school or district improvement plan or individual professional growth plans of teachers.
(3) Experiences for professional development credit of classroom teachers shall not supplant any of the six (6) hour instructional day.
(4) A district may report flexible professional development experiences on unpaid, noncontact snow days. This shall require a district calendar change and the change shall be reported to the Department of Education.
(5) Professional development experiences that relate to an individual professional growth plan may be used to satisfy the requirements for certification or renewal options as established by the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board in Title 16 KAR.
(6) (a) Professional development grant dollars may be used for college or graduate course tuition reimbursement for a teacher in specific academic subject content areas in math, science, English/language arts, social studies, arts and humanities for which the teacher is assigned to teach.
(b) The use of professional development funds for this purpose shall be specified in the district improvement plan approved by the school board or the school plan approved by the school council as to funds under its control.
(c) Particular content areas and grade levels which qualify for reimbursement may be specified based upon information about the level of academic preparation of the teacher employed, local student performance data, and instructional need.
(7) Professional development credit shall not be awarded for those experiences that provide remuneration beyond travel, food, lodging or tuition.
(8) A school district implementing a flexible professional development schedule shall award professional development credit for any experience that addresses the goals of the school or district improvement plan or the individual professional growth plans of teachers.
(9) Parent-teacher conferencing skill development shall be permissible as a professional development experience.
Section 5. The Qualifications and Duties of the District Professional Development Coordinator. (1) Qualifications for the position of district professional development coordinator shall include:
(a) A staff member meeting the certification requirement for a professional development coordinator as established by the Education Professional Standards Board in 16 KAR 4:010;
(b) Experience in professional development planning; and
(c) A demonstrated ability to connect professional development with effective instructional practices and student achievement data.
(2) Duties of the district professional development coordinator shall include:
(a) Conducting the district professional development needs assessment;
(b) Coordinating the intradistrict alignment of goals, objectives, and experiences for professional development;
(c) Providing technical assistance to school councils, staff and professional development committees in the alignment of professional development experiences with school goals as identified through the local school improvement planning process;
(d) Disseminating professional development information to school councils, staff members, and professional development committees;
(e) Coordinating the planning, implementation and evaluation of the district professional development program that is aligned, supportive, and developed in conjunction with local school improvement plans;
(f) Upon request by a school council or school staff, providing technical assistance on the evaluation and coordination of school-based professional development experiences;
(g) Coordinating the establishment of local policies, procedures, timetables, preparation of necessary forms and letters, assignment of workshop sites and all other practical elements of professional development training, including fiscal management;
(h) Maintaining, verifying, and, if appropriate, submitting district and school professional development records, documentation, and other pertinent information to the Department of Education;
(i) Explaining the district's professional development programs' objectives, results, and needs to school professionals, district staff, the board members, civic and parent groups, teacher training institutions and others as requested; and
(j) Maintaining a professional contact with the Department of Education and other agencies involved in providing professional development experiences.
Section 6. A maximum of fifteen (15) percent of the district's professional development grant may be used for administrative purposes.
Section 7. When implementing professional development programs under KRS 158.070, a local school or district shall adhere to its school or district improvement plan. (7 Ky.R. 697; Am. 902; eff. 4-23-81; 11 Ky.R. 251; eff. 9-11-84; 1472; eff. 5-14-85; 12 Ky.R. 1165; eff. 2-4-86; 1635; eff. 5-6-86; 17 Ky.R. 455; 1485; eff. 12-7-90; 3254; 18 Ky.R. 45; eff. 7-5-91; 3523; 19 Ky.R. 394; eff. 8-1-92; 394; 1885; eff. 4-19-93; 20 Ky.R. 843; eff. 12-6-93; 3311; eff. 8-4-94; 21 Ky.R. 2531; eff. 6-1-95; 25 Ky.R. 1141; eff. 1-19-99; 31 Ky.R. 1585; 1814; eff. 5-26-05.)