Colorado AEFL Professional Development Initiatives: Enhancing Adult Education Teaching Skills

1. Professional Development Initiatives CDE/AEFL Jane C. Miller Program Directors’ Meeting August 3rd - 4th, 2006

2. Agenda • PD Advisory Group – PDAG • PD Self-Assessment for Colorado Adult Education Teachers • PD Resources Bank • PD Flow Chart & Point System • Regional Trainings

3. PDAG Beginnings • Professional Development Advisory Group • Mission: To create an integrated, accessible, and flexible system of professional development for adult education teachers in Colorado. • 10 members • Monthly meetings since March 2005

4. Teacher PD Needs Self-Assessment • Starting point for determining the PD system for Colorado • Knowledge & Skill descriptors in ten categories • Sept. 2005 – paper copy • Aug. 2006 – web-based version • OVAE commendation

5. Web-based PD Self-Assessment • Accessing the PD Self-Assessment • Username – no space allowed between first and last name • Password – minimum of six digits • Activation Code – assigned to each program • Account number – generated by the system- write it down in case of forgotten password

6. Let’s Try It • Log on and take the PD Self-Assessment for Colorado Adult Education Teachers • http://www.cde.state.co.us/scripts/pdselfassess/start.asp • Create account • Take some sections in full (skip 1-2 questions) • Breeze through some sections • Choose interests • Look at reports • Note problems, stumbles, confusions

7. Feedback • How did it go? • Confusions, problems?

8. Getting Started • Demographic data about teaching • Preferred times for face-to-face PD • Submit – can’t go back

9. Main Menu – Step 1 • Sections 2-10 • Click on section title to begin • Complete sections in any order • Optional “Other – if specified by your program director” (defaults to N/A) • Notes box at end of each section • Log off mid-stream and return later • Red “x” changes to green check mark • Yellow highlighter appears for missed items

10. Main Menu – Step 2 • Identify areas of interest • Flexibility to address a teacher’s interests as well as needs • Helps narrow the PD focus

11. Anonymity • Enter Your Full Name – Why? • Self-assessment results are anonymous • Names go to one database to indicate completion & to generate certificate • Ratings go to a separate database • Submit Self-Assessment – no going back

12. Summary Reports • Organized by Section (* = Top 10) • Organized by Rating (* = Top 10) • List of ten priorities/areas of interest • Use in conversation with program director • Print reports now and/or later

13. Final Steps of the PD Self-Assessment • Certificate of completion • Professional Development Action Plan • Start anew each year

14. Next Steps • State-wide teacher access • Mid-August • 60% completion by Sept 26th • PD planning • Access continues year round

15. Reports for PD Planning • Aggregate reports for PD planning • Program-level • Regional PD (Resource) Centers • State-wide

16. PD Resource Bank • PD Resource Bank (currently under development) for each skill and knowledge descriptor • Self-Study • Collaboration with Colleagues • Trainings & Conferences • Courses

17. Colorado AEFL PD Flow Chart • Starts with Teacher PD Self-Assessment • Credentialed and non-credentialed tracks • All participate in ongoing PD options • Four strands

18. PD Point System • Rationale • Recognition for PD already doing • Incentive to become more involved in PD • LIA 5-year renewal • Show evidence to OVAE of PD activity in CO • FY07 Pilot year

19. PD Point System • LIA Renewal Points vs PD Points • Individual teacher PD point targets (Recommended) • 20+ weekly classroom contact hours = 60 PD points across 2 or more strands • 9-19 weekly classroom contact hours = 40 PD points across 2 or more strands • 2-8 weekly classroom contact hours = 20 points across 1 or more strands

20. Program Point Target • Take the sum of your staff’s individual recommended teacher point targets. Earn 90% of that sum. • All teachers’ points are pooled to meet program target.

21. Bethany – Urban CBO • Classroom contact hours per week: 5 • Self Study – video on Turkish community 3 • Collabora – Refugee Consortium meetings 5 • Inservice 5 • CoTESOL – participant 16 presentation 10 • Mini-Conf at Lowry – presentation 10 • FY06 TOTAL PD points: 49

22. Claudine – Rural Comm Coll • Classroom contact hours per week: 12 • Self-Study – Web Browse 3 • Self Study - Verizon Literacy Univ. – 5 0 • Collabora – Peer mentor (15 hrs x 2) 90 • Collabora – Curric Devel Team (36 hrs) 45 • Collabora – CDE FWA Pilot Project 35 SUBTOTAL: 173

23. Claudine – Rural Comm Coll • Inservices – 3 as a presenter 30 • CoTESOL – 2 days as participant 16 • CAEPA - 2 days as participant 16 • CDE/AEFL Regional training - CASAS 10 • CDE/AEFL ESL SPL-6 training 10 • Courses: EDU 25 • SUBTOTAL: 107 • FY06 TOTAL PD points: 280

24. Terri - Rural Comm Coll • Classroom hours per week: 6 • Collabora - Curricul Devel Team 45 • Inservices - 2 as a participant 10 • CAEPA – 1 day 8 • FY06 TOTAL PD points 63

25. Applying for Points • Applications for each strand • Two purposes • Official record of completed PD • Opportunity for teacher reflection • Completed 30-90 days after PD is completed • Points issued by the program director

26. Point System Document • Draft #5 • Front matter – to the teacher • Program point target calculation • Strand-by-strand descriptions of PD activities and points earned • Applications for Points & Certificates

27. Record keeping and Reporting • Keep a PD record for each staff member • Tally the program PD point total • Report the results to your staff and to CDE • No carry over

28. Pilot Year • FY07 – Programs can try out the PD point system. • Incentives & expectations - TBD

29. Wrap - up • Final comments, feedback