Professional Documents
Culture Documents
employees acquire, enhance and refine the knowledge, skills, and commitment necessary to create and support high levels of learning for all students.
Emergent
Operational
X Fully
Operational
All teachers participate in
learning teams throughout the
year and meet regularly to plan
for instruction (e.g., develop
lesson plans, examine student
work, monitor student
progress). The collaborative
work is aligned with the school
improvement goals.
EVIDENCE: In the space below, provide detailed evidence supporting your rating above All teachers participate in
vertical and grade level teams throughout the school year. Vertical teams meet monthly, and grade level teams meet
weekly. These meetings are used to create curriculum maps, lesson plans, analyze data, and use that data to drive
future instruction. All of these meetings begin and cycle back through our schools improvement goals on a consistent
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basis.
RECOMMENDATIONS: Recommendations for this standard are to continue to meet in multiple, collaborative groups in
order to ensure no gaps in instruction, to continue to monitor student progress and analyze data, and to collaboratively
develop curriculum maps and lesson plans based on that data.
Emergent
X Operational
The principal,
administrative team, and
other human resources
periodically support the
creation and maintenance
of an effective learning
community to support
teacher and student
learning. In key aspects of
the school, these
individuals work
collaboratively to reinforce
collaborative forms of
professional development
and learning for staff
members. Although this
process is operational, it
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Fully
Operational
The principal, administrative
team and other human
resources consistently support
the creation and maintenance
of an effective learning
community to support teacher
and student learning. These
individuals work
collaboratively to reinforce
teachers skillful collaboration
(e.g., facilitation skills, conflict
resolution, and group
decision-making). They also
help to create structures to
support collegial learning and
implement incentive systems
to ensure collaborative work.
collaboration process.
EVIDENCE: In the space below, provide detailed evidence supporting your rating above While administration and other
human resources do periodically support the creation and maintenance of an effective learning community in order to
support educators and students, emphasis is not placed on monitoring the impact of the professional development.
There is also no evidence of structures to support collegial learning and no incentive systems are in place for working
collaboratively.
RECOMMENDATIONS: Recommendations are to continue creating and maintaining professional learning opportunities
that support educators and students, but more should be done. For example, it is recommended that incentive programs
are created to ensure educators buy-in to the collaborative processes. Monitoring of the impact of the professional
development should be implemented and maintained. Supports that embrace collegial learning should also be put into
place.
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Emergent
X Operational
Fully
Operational
A variety of teachers take
advantage of opportunities to
participate in instructional
leadership development
experiences and serve in
instructional leadership roles
(e.g., instructional coach,
mentor, facilitator). They plan,
advocate for support of, and
articulate the benefits and
intended results of
professional learning.
EVIDENCE: In the space below, provide detailed evidence supporting your rating above There is evidence to support
that there are opportunities for teachers to serve in instructional leadership roles and develop as instructional leaders.
They are frequently asked to lead in-house professional learning activities. Teachers are highly engaged in planning,
supporting, and communicating professional learning in the school. This could be enhanced if there were more
opportunities for instructional leadership roles among ALL personnel.
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RECOMMENDATIONS: In order to become fully operational, it is recommended that teachers are given an opportunity to
model stellar instruction in the classrooms of the teachers they coach or mentor. To be a fully operational school, there
should also be more advocating and an opportunity to serve other teachers after the initial professional development.
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Emergent
X Operational
Fully
Operational
The principal and other
leaders support a school
culture that reflects ongoing
team learning and continuous
improvement. The principal
and other leaders plan for
high-quality professional
learning, articulate intended
results of school-based
professional learning, and
participate in professional
learning to become more
effective instructional leaders.
EVIDENCE: In the space below, provide detailed evidence supporting your rating above The principal and other school
leaders support ongoing learning. There are Curriculum Conversations, which are professional learning opportunities
taking place every week. Teachers are also required to complete peer observations and hold collaborative meetings. This
are performed to ensure high-quality professional learning experiences. However, there is usually no articulation of the
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RECOMMENDATIONS: The recommendation to move to fully operational would be to ensure all those participating have a
clear understanding of the intended results of these professional learning experiences. Impact of the experiences should
also be monitored to ensure continuous improvement.
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Emergent
Operational
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X Fully
Operational
Teachers spend a significant
part of their work-week in jobembedded learning and
collaboration with colleagues
addressing curriculum,
assessment, instruction, and
technology. They receive
sufficient support resources
(e.g., materials, time, training)
and assist with securing
additional resources
necessary (e.g., funding, time,
technology) to sustain their
learning. (NSDC Standards
recommend that formal and
informal job-embedded
learning take place during at
least 25% of educators
professional time. Such time
can be devoted to lesson
study, peer observations and
coaching, modeling,
conferencing, teacher
meetings, mentoring.)
EVIDENCE: All teachers at our school meet daily to collaborate within their content areas to discuss lesson planning,
assessments and instructional resources. Teachers are required to attend cross-curricular meetings with other grade
levels to ensure that our content and instruction are correctly aligned.
RECOMMENDATIONS: My recommendation is that we continue what we are doing to ensure that we are fully operational.
Also, we could provide teacher mentors within content areas so that each teacher has a partner in another grade level.
This will help teachers to make sure that they are teaching the same strategies and preparing their students accurately
in all content areas.
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Emergent
X Operational
Fully
Operational
Resources are allocated to
support job-embedded
professional learning that is
aligned with high-priority
school improvement goals and
technology supporting student
learning. There is sustained
commitment to ensuring that
these professional
development activities result
in successful classroom
implementation. There is also
a process in place to
determine the value-added of
key strategies and processes,
i.e., how they impact student
achievement and related
organizational short- and longrange goals.
EVIDENCE: Our school is constantly providing teachers with professional development opportunities. Recently we had a
system wide technology professional learning day. Teachers within our school system were experts in different areas and
led the instruction for each class taught.
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RECOMMENDATIONS: I would recommend that as a school and system that we develop a system for professional
development to be ongoing and assessed afterwards. We do a great job with professional development but it stops
there. We need to have someone come in after professional development and ensure that teachers are properly using
the technology and implementing it correctly. We could also have a follow-up of the professional development and allow
for questions or concerns that could be addressed during this time.
Emergent
X Operational
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Fully
Operational
Teachers and/or
administrators work in
isolation or with limited
representation to review
student summative data and
determine student and adult
learning needs and goals.
Student and teacher data is
collected and analyzed at the
end of the year to monitor
the accomplishment of
classroom and school goals.
EVIDENCE: Currently we meet as a grade level, within our individual content planning groups as well as vertically across
other grade levels to discuss data and student achievement. Recently we have implemented school wide data talks.
During these meetings teacher bring strengths and weaknesses of their students from our end of course assessments. In
these meetings we discuss why we think students missed certain questions and how we can improve our teaching to
ensure student success in the above mentioned areas. If teachers had strengths in an area another teacher had a
weaknesses, this time is used to communicate what and how that teacher may teach the content so that other teachers
can consider such ideas.
RECOMMENDATIONS: I would recommend to continue with our data talks to ensure that students are successful in all
content areas. It is a great way to allow teaches an opportunity to share ways they teach things in their own classrooms.
I would also recommend that after the data talks, teachers observe other teachers that had strengths in areas in which
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they had a weakness. It is helpful to see things in action because sometimes it is hard to comprehend what strategies
look like in a working classroom.
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X Emergent
Operational
Fully
Operational
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analysis processes.
EVIDENCE: Currently our administrators evaluate professional development by sending out surveys about the
professional development. There does not seem to be much evidence of follow-up beyond this measure.
RECOMMENDATIONS: I recommend that teachers be able to peer observe one another. All teachers have strengths in
some areas and weaknesses in others. This differs from teacher to teacher. Therefore if one teacher is an expert in the
professional learning that previously occurred, other teachers that are lacking in that area should be able to observe
that teacher and meet with him or her to discuss how to implement it successfully in their own classrooms. Also, the
expert could come to the novices classroom and observe and give tips on how to improve.
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Emergent
The principal and other
leaders review educational
research. They create
opportunities for a few,
select teachers to study
educational research. They
work with them to conduct
reviews of research when
making instructional
decisions regarding the
adoption of professional
development and school
improvement approaches.
X Operational
Fully
Operational
EVIDENCE: In the space below, provide detailed evidence supporting your rating above Administrators continually
review educational research. This is made evident when they share the research in settings such as monthly faculty
meetings and weekly curriculum conversations. The research is presented to support teachers in their instructional
decisions.
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RECOMMENDATIONS: In order to move to fully operational, it is recommended the administrators share educational
research in advance of the scheduled meeting times so that teachers may come to the meeting prepared for more in
depth discussion. Administrators may also consider charging teachers with presenting their own research findings in
certain settings.
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X Emergent
Operational
Fully
Operational
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attention to enhancing
teachers content
knowledge.
EVIDENCE: In the space below, provide detailed evidence supporting your rating above Teachers take part in weekly
trainings called Curriculum Conversations. These are designed to introduce new effective strategies and practices.
Occasionally, teachers take part in trainings that cover the same topic week to week. However, often the topics change
weekly.
RECOMMENDATIONS: In order to move towards fully operational it is recommended that teachers take part in trainings
as a series. It is also recommended that the presenters keep in close contact with the teachers to support
implementation. This support can be provided through additional conversations, observations, and feedback
opportunities.
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Emergent
X Operational
Fully
Operational
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EVIDENCE: In the space below, provide detailed evidence supporting your rating above For the past two years,
teachers have been provided with several opportunities to attend professional development on utilizing technology in
the classroom. Teachers have input in which technology tools they are trained in and then attend several different
trainings. Administrators look for technology implementation during their classroom observations.
RECOMMENDATIONS: To move towards fully operational it is recommended that the school provide more intentional
support for implementation This can be provided through conversations among peers, observations focused solely on
the goals of the professional development, and structured feedback.
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X Emergent
Operational
Fully
Operational
Professional development is
planned with no regard for
research about adult learning
needs and individual and
organizational change processes.
The sessions provided include
strategies that do not mirror the
instructional strategies teachers
are expected to use with students
(e.g., lecturing on inquiry method,
covering material instead of
helping participants to use and
internalize it), and sessions are the
same for all teachers regardless of
their career stage.
Professional development is
planned using research
about adult learning needs
and how individuals
experience the change
process. The professional
development sessions
demonstrate classroom
practices through videotapes
and simulations. The
experiences focus on
procedural learning -how to
do it- rather than on
developing deep
understanding of concepts
and problem solving
strategies. Some professional
development is specialized
for new and mentor
teachers.
Professional development is
planned using research
about adult learning needs
and individual and
organizational change
processes. The professional
development sessions
include modeling and
demonstrations of expected
classroom practices. The
experiences impact
teachers depth of
understanding enabling
them to use the new
strategies routinely. Some
professional development is
specialized to reflect career
stages of new teachers,
mentor teachers, and
teacher leaders.
Professional development
builds the capacity of the
staff to use research about
adult learning needs and
individual and organizational
change processes as they
implement new strategies.
Professional development
sessions consistently employ
the same instructional
strategies that are expected
to be used in their
classrooms. The experiences
impact teachers depth of
understanding enabling
them to solve problems and
adapt new strategies to
classroom circumstances.
Professional development is
differentiated to reflect
career stage needs and
interests (e.g., mentoring,
leading learning teams,
coaching, utilizing
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Emergent
Operational
X Fully
Operational
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EVIDENCE: In the space below, provide detailed evidence supporting your rating above Teachers are placed on gradelevel content planning teams that meet multiple times per week. These meetings are devoted to content planning,
discussion new strategies, curriculum mapping, and discussing data from various assessments.
RECOMMENDATIONS: In order to continue being fully operational it is recommended that teachers continue to meet
weekly with grade level content teams to discuss curriculum, effective practices, and assessment data.
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Emergent
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X Operational
Fully
Operational
EVIDENCE: In the space below, provide detailed evidence supporting your rating above Most classroom teachers in the
building implement effective lesson planning to include an appreciation of students life experiences and diverse
cultures. Lesson planning reflects emotionally and physically safe practices at all grade levels. Students from different
backgrounds and cultures are provided with agendas, which include school rules and codes of conduct in their native
language.
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RECOMMENDATIONS: The school will function at the operational level by continuing to include classroom supports that
encourage, appreciate, and include diverse populations of learners in instructional practices. In order to move to the
fully operational level, all teachers should work to communicate and include opportunities for a variety of differentiation
strategies for students, including background experiences, disabilities, interest level, and diagnostic assessments.
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Emergent
Teachers demonstrate
breadth of subject matter,
but the content they teach is
often not aligned with
required learning goals (e.g.,
GPS, district standards). They
may use some engaging
instructional strategies and a
variety of assessment
strategies in some contexts;
however, most of their
instruction is presented in
traditional whole-group,
teacher-centered fashion.
X Operational
Teachers exhibit a deep
understanding of subject
matter, use a variety of
appropriate instructional
strategies, and use various
assessment strategies to
monitor student progress
toward meeting rigorous
and required standards.
They plan interdisciplinary
units with colleagues and
can articulate a rationale for
why specific instructional
strategies and assessments
are appropriate to specific
content or objectives.
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Fully
Operational
Teachers exhibit a deep
understanding of subject
matter; differentiate
instruction based on needs,
interests, and backgrounds;
use a variety of appropriate
instructional strategies; and
use various assessment
strategies (e.g., constructedresponse test items,
reflective assessments,
academic prompts,
culminating performance
tasks and projects,
interviews, rubrics, peer
response groups) to monitor
student progress toward
meeting rigorous standards.
They plan interdisciplinary
units with colleagues and
can articulate a rationale for
why specific instructional
strategies and assessments
are appropriate to specific
content or objectives.
EVIDENCE: In the space below, provide detailed evidence supporting your rating above Teachers across all grade
levels plan and implement a variety of effective instructional practices based on Georgia Standards of Excellence.
Teachers provide multiple opportunities for students to acquire the curriculum, including a variety of tasks, strategies,
and assessments. Although content specific teachers communicate standards and lessons with the grade level teams,
teachers do not always plan interdisciplinary activities or units.
RECOMMENDATIONS: In order to move toward the Fully Operational level, teachers should work to plan effective
interdisciplinary units where teachers can effectively communicate their rationale for the unit planning. Teachers in all
grade levels and content areas should also include a variety of assessments uses in their lesson planning, including
constructed response, open-ended questions, and peer response groups.
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Emergent
Operational
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X Fully
Operational
The principal and other
leaders promote the
sustained development of
teachers deep
understanding of content
knowledge, research-based
instructional strategies, and
assessment strategies. All
professional development
activities are purposeful and
aligned with specific
individual and group needs.
They create work schedules
to support ongoing,
collegial learning and
differentiated professional
development focused on
content, pedagogy, and
assessment. Teacher
learning time and application
of strategies and
assessments is closely
monitored.
EVIDENCE: In the space below, provide detailed evidence supporting your rating above Leaders at the school promote
effective professional learning opportunities that are meaningful to teachers. Professional development opportunities
are planned during teachers planning periods to maximize instructional time in the classroom. The principal and
leaders in the building are intentional about planning research-based professional learning sessions in order to best
meet the needs of all learners.
RECOMMENDATIONS: It is recommended that the school continue to put a clear focus on professional development that
is meaningful for all teachers. The principal and other leaders should continue to foster an effective schedule that
supports effective professional learning opportunities that provide teachers with the skills needed to achieve success
with their diverse learners.
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Emergent
There is a school committee
to focus on developing
community partnerships to
support student learning.
Communication through
written correspondence or
phone is about school
programs, student progress,
and encouraging
attendance at school
functions, yearly
conferences, and
performances.
Operational
There is a committee that
works with families and the
community through
partnerships that develop
programs to support student
learning. Strategies are
implemented to increase
family involvement such as
offering suggestions about
ways parents can support
student learning at home and
communicating with families
about school programs and
student progress (e.g.,
information about report
cards, grading practices,
student work, homework,
and school events) through a
website, phone, email, voice
mail, and written
correspondence.
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X Fully
Operational
Partnerships among
teachers, families, and the
community are maintained
to develop programs that
support learning and
enhance student skills and
talents. Strategies are
implemented to increase
family involvement such as
providing parent education
workshops with information
on child development and
supporting student learning
at home and communicating
with families about school
programs and student
progress (e.g., information
about report cards, grading
practices, (student work,
homework, and school
events) through an
interactive website, phone,
email, voice mail and written
correspondence.
EVIDENCE: In the space below, provide detailed evidence supporting your rating above It is evident that the Buford
City Schools System emphasizes positive relationships with community members and families both inside and outside of
school. Family involvement opportunities are available throughout the school year through various PTO programs,
parent-teacher conference days, well maintained teacher and school websites, and communication through social
media. Parent resource centers are also available at the school that includes a variety of informational correspondence
on parenting tips, homework help, and community resources.
RECOMMENDATIONS: It is recommended that the school continue to place a value on parent and community
involvement. Positive relationships should continue to be fostered through various school events, like PTO programs and
events, classroom happenings, communication efforts, and parent-teacher conferences.
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