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ITHACA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN

District Name: Ithaca City School District

BEDS Code: 610600 01 0000

Superintendent: Dr. Judith C. Pastel

Address: 400 Lake St., Ithaca, NY 14850

Phone: (607)274-2101

FAX: (607)274-2271

Email: jpastel@icsd.k12.ny.us

Year plan is effective: 2008-2011

Reviewed and Approved by Professional Development Plan Team as Interim

Document

May 15, 2008

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section I: Introduction and Overview pg. 3

Section II: Goals and Objectives pg. 6
Sections III and IV: Implementation and Evaluation Plan pg. 16
Appendix A: Professional Development Plan Team Membership pg. 29
Appendix B: Implementation and Approval Processes pg. 30
Appendix C: National Staff Development Council Standards pg. 34
Appendix D: Professional Development Rubric pg. 36
Appendix E: Professional Development Proposal Form pg. 38
Appendix F: Levels of Professional Development Evaluation pg. 40
Appendix G: Teacher Mentorship and Teacher Induction pg. 41

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SECTION I:
INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW

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The 2008-2011 Professional Development Plan for the Ithaca City School District
has undergone considerable revision. During the 2007-2008 school year, the Director of
Staff Development and the President of the Ithaca Teacher’s Association led a committee of
teachers and administrators through the process of developing a new Annual Professional
Performance Review. The Superintendent requested that the revision of the Professional
Development Plan (PDP) align with the new Annual Professional Performance Review
(APPR). This plan does so for teaching staff. At this juncture (spring 08), the APPR has
been completed for teachers. Yet, work remains on completing the APPR for related job
categories, such as librarians, mental health professionals such as counselors, social
workers, and psychologists, as well as professional developers. This working PDP serves as
a significant update to the 2004-2007 plan. We plan to continue to develop the APPR for
the additional job categories with specific performance rubrics for each. Alignment with
these objectives will be important for the final 2008-2011 PDP.
The revision of the 2004-2007 plan involved identifying alignment and overlap
between its goals and objectives and the criteria and performance indicators in the new
APPR. In addition, since the PDP addresses professional development for all staff and the
APPR affects only teaching staff, provision had to be made to maintain pertinent goals and
objectives for all staff. The PDP team considered and rejected separate goals and objectives
for non-instructional staff, believing that in order to bring all the efforts of adults in the
school system to bear upon student achievement, safety, and participation, it was necessary
to have a fully integrated approach to adult education. This plan is the result of that
thinking.
Also informing the development of this plan are the following data
• Action Research Reports
• School Development Plans
• Professional Development records from the professional development database
• Professional Development Plan impact report
• School Development Plans
• Social Norms data
• NYSED data

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• Equity Report Card

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SECTION II:

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

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GOAL 1: SAFE, WELCOMING, RESPECTFUL, AND INCLUSIVE SCHOOL

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

The district will provide staff development to enable school and district staff to
provide safe, welcoming, respectful, and inclusive learning environments for all students,
staff, and families.

All staff will work together and individually to ensure a school learning environment
that is safe, respectful, and welcoming to each student and family in a diverse school
community.

GOAL 1 OUTCOMES

1a. Staff members will develop a caring learning community, which promotes
respectful interaction and communication characterized by trust and honesty, resulting in a
productive school and classroom atmosphere where high academic and behavioral
expectations are maintained and meaningful learning takes place.

1b. Staff members will understand personal and institutional racism and prejudice,
and will know and use strategies for promoting a bias-free environment in order to
overcome institutional and personal racism and bias.

1c. Staff will ensure that the school and classroom environments are safe, physically
and emotionally

1d Staff will establish, maintain, and fairly enforce clear, high, and appropriate
behavioral expectations for student conduct, consistent with school and District policies and
deal effectively with behavioral issues that may arise in the school, playground, or bus
environment. This includes:

• Communicating goals and objectives and engaging students attention by

demonstrating an awareness of what all the students are doing and through
promoting self-directed behavior;
• Knowing and being able to use strategies for dealing with students with specific
behavioral issues;
• Knowing and being able to use strategies for de-escalating potentially dangerous
situations;
• Promoting education in disciplinary procedures.
• Avoiding bias in disciplinary procedures;
• Understanding the basic principles and methods of conflict resolution;

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1e. Staff will build positive relationships with students and families that support
learning while using positive reinforcement and valuing students and their work.

1f. Staff members will use a variety of effective strategies for engaging
parents/families in the school community. This includes relating in a culturally sensitive
way to diverse families and including families and community members in learning
activities with school staff.

1g. Staff will understand and apply knowledge of health and safety issues related to
their job responsibilities (examples include blood-borne pathogens, material handling,
mandated reporting of child abuse and child abuse in the educational setting, intruder and
weather related procedures).

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GOAL 2: IMPLEMENTATION OF STANDARDS, CURRICULUM, AND

ASSESSMENTS

The district will provide staff development to ensure that administrators, teachers,
and educational support professionals, as appropriate, are familiar with all NYS Standards
and ICSD District Exit Outcomes, and that they understand thoroughly NYS Standards and
Assessments and related ICSD curriculum in areas in which they teach.

Administrators and teachers, and educational support professionals as appropriate,

will implement NYS Standards and ICSD Curriculum to prepare students to meet ICSD
Exit Outcomes and succeed on NYS assessments.

GOAL 2 OUTCOMES

2a. Principals, Directors, Teachers, and Educational Support Professionals as

appropriate, will apply knowledge of New York State Learning Standards and State and
District curriculum.

2b. Teachers will design and implement integrated standards-based curriculum units
to prepare students to understand concepts, content, and skills required for successful
achievement of NYS Standards. The units will incorporate anti-racist/anti-bias and
multicultural/multiethnic, school-to-career, arts, and/or technology integration as
appropriate.

2c. Teachers and administrators will engage in content and/or curriculum mapping
in order to promote consistent, integrated, and articulated curriculum implementation.

2d. Teachers, and educational support professionals as appropriate, will understand

and apply course or grade curriculum, and connects it to curriculum immediately preceding
and following (unit-to-unit and grade-to-grade).

2e. Teachers, and educational support professionals as appropriate, will demonstrate

a command of subject matter appropriate to his/her assignment.

2f. Teachers and educational support professionals as appropriate will have a

thorough knowledge of the NYS assessments, ICSD Assessments, and ICSD Exit
Outcomes in all areas pertinent to their job duties. Their knowledge will extend to adjacent
grade levels.

2g. Teachers and administrators will use techniques for analyzing disaggregated
data, e.g. gap analysis, from district and state assessments in order to make programmatic
and instructional improvements.

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2h. Teachers will use assessments that guide instruction and monitor learning.

2i. Teachers will use ongoing formal and informal diagnostic testing and evaluation
to make instructional adjustments for individual students.

2j. Teachers will use alternative assessments based on the students’ learning styles.

2k. Teachers will communicate clear standards for assessment.

2l. Instructional Staff will evaluate their instruction and/or programs and make
changes based on student assessment and educational research.

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GOAL 3: EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES FOR EACH STUDENT IN

A DIVERSE STUDENT POPULATION

The district will provide staff development to support the use of effective and
appropriate instructional strategies, including appropriate use of technology, to maximize
learning for each student in a diverse population.

GOAL 3 OUTOMES
3a. The entire staff of the Ithaca City School District will maintain and clearly
communicate, through both words and actions, high, developmentally appropriate
expectations for all students for achievement and behavior.

3b. Teachers will be sensitive to the knowledge, background, developmental level,

and understanding that students bring to the subject being taught.

3c. Teachers will provide instruction in the subject matter at a pace consistent with
needs of students, providing wait-time and opportunity to answer questions and share ideas.

3d. Administrators, teachers and educational support professionals will understand

the specific learning needs/styles of diverse students and will use appropriate, culturally
responsive teaching techniques to promote their academic success. This will include the
following:
• Integrating multicultural and multi-ethnic perspectives, voices, points of view, and
instructional strategies that support anti-racist and anti-bias curriculum;
• Using brain-based teaching and learning strategies, e.g. learning styles,
differentiated instruction, and multiple intelligences to design lessons;
• Using active engagement strategies;
• Using cooperative learning and grouping strategies effectively.

3e. Teachers will use a variety of theories including learning styles/multiple

intelligences, critical theory, and an understanding of a range of assessment alternatives (e.g.
standardized, diagnostic, anecdotal, running records, etc.) performance tasks, portfolios and
observations to develop student evaluation practices that:
• Continuously monitor student progress;
• Inform subsequent instruction;
• Promote equity, excellence and motivation for further learning;
• Foster student success on subsequent assignments.

3f. Teachers and educational support professionals will follow appropriate formal
intervention procedures to improve student learning, e.g. identified protocols, 504’s, IEP's,
etc.

3g. Teachers will integrate the teaching of reading, writing, and study skills into the
subject matter.

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3h. Teachers will relate subject matter to career education objectives, whenever
appropriate.

3i. Teachers will supplement and enrich textbook subject matter with a variety of
available & current technology sources and resources, including a variety of media.

3j. Staff will use a variety of effective and developmentally appropriate instructional
strategies which:
• Are child-centered and capitalize on students’ strengths, interests, and personal
accomplishments, as well as and prior knowledge;
• Develop student literacy skills PreK-12;
• Are based on subject specific methods and resources;
• Promote critical thinking including synthesis, analysis, evaluation and problem-
solving;
• Promote students’ acquisition of technology skills;
• Support the development of a positive self-image.

3k. Administrators, teachers, and educational support professionals as

paraprofessionals as appropriate, will accelerate the learning of all students with disabilities
by using curriculum modifications and effective instructional strategies.

3l. Teachers will use technology integration to enhance student learning.

3m. Teachers will use arts integration to enhance student learning.

3n. Teachers will use multicultural integration to enhance student learning.

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GOAL 4: COLLABORATIVE AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES TO

SUPPORT REFLECTIVE PRACTICE AND ONGOING STAFF LEARNING

The district will provide staff development to enable schools to develop effective
scheduling, organization, enhanced technology, and other structures and supports for
collaboration and communication to support the learning of all students.

Administrators, teachers, and support will effectively use strategies for organizing
staff and student time to promote learning.

Teachers and other instructional staff members will use preparation time effectively
in support of student learning.

The district will create, promote, and value opportunities for staff to pursue
individual and group learning, supportive of their roles as educators, throughout their
careers.

GOAL 4 OUTCOMES

4a. Administrators, teachers and support staff will be knowledgeable about a variety
of alternative scheduling options and grade configurations. Teachers directly involved in an
alternative scheduling or grade configuration option will be knowledgeable about the
implementation of that option.

4b. All staff will collaborate and share in a variety of district and building level
professional learning communities such as:
• Co-teacher planning meetings
• Department meetings
• Grade level teams
• Staff meetings
• New teacher/mentor meetings
• Action and Study Group Meeting
• Literacy Academy Meetings
• Team meetings.

4c. Administrators, teachers, and paraprofessionals will understand the range of

support services and be knowledgeable about service/support programs in their buildings.

4d. Classroom teachers, and educational support professionals as appropriate, will

have the knowledge and skills to design and implement inclusive programs in collaboration
with special education, English Language Learner (Ell/ESOL), and/or Academic
Intervention staff.

4f. Administrators, teachers, and paraprofessionals will understand and use

technology as a system for supporting courses and other structures.

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4g. Staff and community members will have the knowledge and skills to participate
effectively and collaboratively in shared decision-making structures such as site-based teams.

4h. Teachers will understand how to base decisions about content, time allocation,
grouping, and teaching methods on the recognition of students’ developmental needs and
curriculum.

4i. Teachers will chooses instructional objectives consistent with subject matter
requirements and expectations.

4j Teachers will demonstrate careful long and short-term planning, reflecting

curriculum scope and sequence.

4k. Staff will maintain and submit all required classroom and school records,
substitute plans, etc., in a timely manner.

4l. Staff members will develop and demonstrate knowledge of technology for
planning and organization.

4m. Staff will maintain professional communication (confidentiality, respect, and

honesty).

4n. Staff will collaborate effectively with teaching staff, families, pupil support
services, community resources and administrators to support students.

4o. Staff will share information, materials, and ideas with colleagues concerning
curriculum and students.

4p. Staff will collaborate to implement special support for students (504’s, IEP’s, and
identified interventions).

4q. Staff will comply with existing building and District management plans
(behavior, safety).

4r. Staff will document and demonstrate student learning on a regular basis and
shares results with families.

4s. Staff will communicate with and involves families, in a timely fashion, regarding
student development.

4t. Staff will develop effective communication skills, including knowledge of

technology, such as but not limited to voice and electronic mail systems, for professional
and family communication.

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4u. Staff will understand and be able to follow the communication, budgeting,
purchasing, and supervisory procedures as appropriate to their jobs in a learning
organization.

4v. All staff will use a variety of reflective techniques (journals, study groups, text-
based discussions, professional portfolios, action research, critical friends) to remain current
in subject-area, technological, and related professional research and to develop and refine
their professional knowledge and practices.

4w. Staff members will seek, offer, and accept professional feedback honestly and
constructively.

4x. All staff will have knowledge and opportunities related to health and wellness.

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SECTIONS III AND IV:

IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION PLAN

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Objective Professional Participants Timeframe Suggested Evaluation

Development Program Level and Artifacts
1c. Intervening to Interrupt Equity Mentors, BOE, Superintendent’s 2. Surveys
Oppression Administrative Team, Conference Days, Staff
Instructional Staff, Bus Drivers, Meetings, Release Day
Volunteers, Series, After-school
Workshops
1a., 1c., Small Group Literacy Instructional Staff Summer and followup 4. Surveys, and
1d. Instruction and modeling series observation
3c. PESA (Parent Families Evenings 1. Surveys
Expectations/Student
Achievement)
1d. Intervening to Interrupt Administrators, Equity Mentors Administrative Team 3. Resource Guides
Oppression Followup Meetings, Department
Meetings
1a., 1c., Responsive Classroom I, Elementary Instructional Staff, Superintendent’s Conference 2. Surveys
1e., 1f. TESA Elementary Administrators, New Days, 4. Series
Teachers, Bus Drivers, Cafeteria Release Day Series,
Workers, Custodians, and Service Summer, after school
Staff in Schools with whole-school series
adoption plans
1a., 1c., Responsive Classroom Instructional Staff, Families After-school Workshops 4. Surveys
1f. Study Groups
1a., 1c. Responsive Classroom Instructional Staff During School 4. Surveys
Coaching and Modeling
1b., 1f. Undoing Racism Series Equity Mentors, BOE, Summer, School-Year 2. Surveys
Instructional Staff, Families and Series 3. Reflection
Community
1b. Undoing Racism Instructional Staff Superintendent’s 2. Surveys
Introduction Conference Days
1b. Undoing Racism Instructional Staff After-school and Release 3. Reflection
Followup Day Series
1a., 1c., Culturally Affirming and Instructional Staff New Teacher and 5. Student Work
1e., 1f. Effective Classroom Educational Support
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Management for Professional Orientation,
Secondary Staff Summer, Release Day
Series
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Goal 1: Safe, Welcoming, Respectful, and Inclusive School Learning Environment

Goal 1: Safe, Welcoming, Respectful, and Inclusive School Learning Environment

Goal Professional Participants Timeframe Suggested Evaluation
Development Program Level and Artifacts
1a., Culturally Affirming and Instructional Staff, New Teachers School Day 4. Survey,
1c., 1e, Effective Classroom Observational Records
1f. Management for by Staff Developer
Secondary Staff Coaching
and Modeling
1a., 1c. Bridges PreK and K instructional staff Conference Days, 5. Consultant
Release Days, Evaluation
Afterschool workshops
1d. Therapeutic Crisis Administrators, Instructional Staff Summer 2. Survey
Intervention
1d. Therapeutic Crisis Instructional Staff Superintendent’s 2. Survey
Intervention Awareness Conference Days
1g. Right to Know, Administrators and Instructional Staff Meetings, Release 2. Survey
Mandated Reporting of Staff Day Workshops
Child Abuse in an
Educational Setting,
AED/CPR

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Goal 2: Implementation of Standards, Curriculum, and Assessments to Promote Student Learning
Objective Professional Development
Program
2a. New Teacher, New
Administrator, and New
Educational Support
Professional Orientation
2b. Content Mapping in grades K-
12 (5, 6, 8 and 9—2008-2009;
K-4 in 2009-2010; 7, 10-12 in
2010-2011)
2c., 2d. Content mapping review,
reflection and revision,
including standards review
2k. Elementary Report Card
Training
2f. Orientation to ICSD and State
Assessments
2g., 2h., 2i., 2j., Using Assessment to Guide
2k. Instruction and Response to
Intervention
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Participants Timeframe Suggested Evaluation
Level and Artifacts
New teachers, new Summer, Department 1. Surveys 4. Teacher
administrators, and Meetings, Meetings Evaluations
new educational with Mentors and
professionals Department Chairs,
Supervision Process
Teachers Summer 4. Maps
Teachers, Teaching Superintendent’s 4. Maps
Assistants, and Conference Days,
Principals Release Day Series,
Literacy Academies,
Department Meetings
Elementary Teachers, Summer and School 3. Report Cards
Principals Year
New Teachers, New New Teacher 2. Surveys
BOE members, New Orientation, New
Administrators Administrator
Orientations,
Department Meetings,
Special Sessions for
New Board Members
Teachers, Literacy Academies, 5. Student Assessment
Administrators, Specific Assessment
Educational Support Training, Department
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Objective Professional Development Participants Timeframe Suggested Evaluation

Program Level and Artifacts
Professionals, as Meetings
appropriate
2b. Understanding by Design Curriculum Chairs, Curriculum Chair 4. Content Maps
Teachers Meetings,
Superintendent’s
Conference Days
2b. Curriculum Database Curriculum Chairs Summer, Curriculum 4. Content Maps,
Chair Meetings Lessons, Units
2b. Technology Integration Curriculum Chairs, Summer, Curriculum 4. Content Maps
Literacy Academy Chair Meetings,
Members, Teachers, Release Day Series,
Principals Staff Meetings,
Department Meetings,
Superintendent’s
Conference Days
2b. Literacy Skill Integration Curriculum Chairs, Summer, Curriculum 4. Content Maps
Literacy Academy Chair Meetings,
Members, Teachers, Release Day Series,
Principals Staff Meetings,
Department Meetings,
Principal Meetings,
Superintendent’s
Conference Days
2b. Multicultural/Anti- Curriculum Chairs, Summer, Curriculum 4. Content Maps
racist/Anti-Bias Integration Literacy Academy Chair Meetings,
Members, Teachers, Release Day Series,
Principals Staff Meetings,
Department Meetings,

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Objective Professional Development Participants Timeframe Suggested Evaluation

Program Level and Artifacts
Principal Meetings,
Superintendent’s
Conference Days
2e. Content Specific Workshops t Teachers and Superintendent’s 2. Surveys
Educational Support Conference Days
Professionals as
appropriate
2g., 2l. Equity Report Card Rollout All staff and families, Staff meetings, series, 3. Workshop products
and Review Equity Mentors evenings

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Goal 3: Effective Instructional Strategies for Each Student in a Diverse Population

Objective Professional Development Participants Timeframe Suggested Evaluation

Program Level and Artifacts
3a. TESA (Teacher All Second-Year School Year Release 5. Student
Expectations/Student Teachers, Teachers Days and Evenings Observations and
Achievement) Reflections
3a., 3d., 3e. Small Group Literacy Instructional Staff Summer and followup 4. Surveys, and
Instruction and modeling series observation
3b. Responsive Classroom, All First-Year Teachers Summer or School Year 2. Surveys
Culturally Affirming Release Days
Classroom Management
3c. TESA (Teacher All Second-Year School Year Release 5. Student
Expectations/Student Teachers, Teachers Days and Evenings Observations and
Achievement) Reflections
3c. PESA (Parent Families Evenings 1. Surveys
Expectations/Student
Achievement)
3d. Differentiated Instruction All Teachers K-12 (5,6, Summer and School Year 4. Workshop Products
8, 9 in 2008-2009; K-4 Series
in 2009-2010; 7, 10-12
in 2010-2011)
3d., 3e True Colors All staff Conference Days, 4. Survey
Release Day and After
School workshops
3d. Understanding immigrant PreK Staff Series 2. Surveys
and refugee needs and
supporting these families
3d. FAST Math, SIOP Instructional Staff Summer 2. Surveys
3e, 3f. New Teacher and New Teachers, All New Summer and School Year 2. Survey

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Objective Professional Development
Program
Educational Support
Professional Orientation,
New Administrator
Orientation, Response to
Intervention Training
3g, 3i., 3l., 3n. Elementary Literacy
Academy, Secondary
Literacy Collaborative
3h. Transition, School-to-
Career Workshops
3j. Text-Based Study and
Action Groups
3j. 3k. Assistive Technology
3k. Curriculum Modification
and Goal Setting
3m. Arts Integration
Workshops, including
theatre and visual arts
3l. Technology Integration
Workshops
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Participants Timeframe Suggested Evaluation
Level and Artifacts
Teachers, New Release Day
Educational Support
Professionals, New
Administrators
Teacher Leaders School Year Release Day 4. Teacher Reflection
Series
Instructional Staff Superintendent’s 2. Surveys
Conference Days
All Third-Year After School Series 2. Surveys
Teachers
Instructional Staff Conference Days, release 5. Survey
days, afterschool, team
and department meetings
Instructional Staff Release Day, 4. Workshop Products
Superintendent’s
Conference Days
Instructional Staff Superintendent’s 5. Student Work
Conference Days, 2. Surveys
Release Days for Artist in
Residence Programs,
Staff Meetings for PreK
Participants in Kids
Discover the Trail
Instructional Staff, Release Days, Summer, 5. Student Work for
BOE, Curriculum After-School for KDT KDT classrooms
Chairs Participants, 4. Workshop Products
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Objective Professional Development Participants Timeframe Suggested Evaluation

Program Level and Artifacts
Superintendent’s 5. Action Research
Conference Days Reports
2. Surveys
3. Hardware and
Software requests
through RFP process
3n. Multicultural/Anti- Curriculum Chairs, Summer, 4. Curriculum
racist/Anti-bias Integration Instructional Staff Superintendent’s Materials
workshops, such as Conference Days, Series
Deconstructing Stereotypes

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Goal 4: Collaborative and Organizational Skills and Structures to Promote Student Learning
Objective Professional Development
Program
4a. Scheduling for Literacy
4b., 4o. Professional Learning
Community Workshops
4b., 4d., 4o., 4p. Co-teaching Training
4c.,4g., 4k., 4m., New Teacher, New
4n., 4p., 4q., 4t., Administrator, and New
4w. Educational Support
Professional Orientation,
Building Orientation
4f. Blackboard
4h., 4i., 4j., 4n., Responsive Classroom,
4r., 4s. Culturally Affirming and
Effective Secondary
Classroom Management,
Mentor Training
4l. Technology Productivity
Training
4r. Report Card Training
4s., 4t., 4r. Two-way home-school
communication using
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Participants Timeframe Suggested Evaluation
Level and Artifacts
Principals Principal Meetings 3. Schedules
Instructional Staff Summer, Release 2. Surveys
Days, Superintendent’s 4. Products
Conference Days
Co-teachers,Teaching Summer with School 4. Workshop Products
Assistants, and Teacher Year Release Days
Aides
New Teachers, New Summer 2. Surveys
Administrators, New
Educational Support
Professionals
Instructional Staff, Summer, School Year 3. Blackboard Courses
Clerical Staff Release Days,
Superintendent’s
Conference Days
New Teachers, Teacher Summer, School Year 4. Surveys and Teacher
Mentor Training Release Evaluation
All Staff Staff Meetings, Release 2. Surveys
Days, After-School 4. Teacher Evaluation
Workshops
Elementary Staff Release Day, Summer 3. Report Cards
BOE, Administrative School Year Release, 2. Surveys
Team, Instructional Staff Meetings, 3. Communication
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Objective Professional Development Participants Timeframe Suggested Evaluation

Program Level and Artifacts
Creating Welcoming Schools Staff, Clerical Staff, Superintendent’s Artifacts
Equity Mentors, Conference Days

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Goal 5: Staff as a Community of Reflective, Responsive, and Lifelong Learners

Objective Professional Development
Program
5a., 5c., 5d. Third-Year Study/Action
Group Offerings, Critical
Friends, Annual Professional Administrators and
Performance Review
Training
5b. Professional Development
Plan Team Meetings
5e. Workshops and Opportunities
Related to Health and Wellness
Participants Timeframe Suggested Evaluation
Level and Artifacts
Third-Year Teachers, School Year After 4. Surveys
Instructional Staff, School, Administrative 4. Teacher Evaluation
Meetings, Department 5. Action Research
Teacher Supervisors Chairs Meetings Reports
Professional School Year Meetings, 4. Mylearningplan
Development Plan After-School Meetings, records
Team and Staff Annual Retreat 4. Teacher Evaluation
Developers
All Staff Summer, Staff Meetings, 1. Surveys
Superintendent’s
Conference Days

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 Glossary

Administrators: Staff members, including the Superintendent, Assistant Superintendents, Directors,

Principals and Associate and Assistant Principals, who are educators by training and administratively
certified. These administrators have responsibility for supervising teachers or other administrators. These
Principals, Associate and Assistant Principals, and Directors are eligible for membership in the Ithaca
Principals’ and Directors’ Association. Administrators also include managers who supervise programs
such as transportation, facilities, food service, and information technology. They supervise the employees
who work in those departments.

Community: When referring to persons, this term applies to individuals who live in or provide services to
those who live in the District.

Educational Support Professionals: Staff members who are eligible for membership in the Educational
Support Professionals of Ithaca association. Educational Support Professionals include teaching assistants
and teachers’ aides, bus riders, and security team personnel.

Family: When referring to persons, this term applies to the parents, guardians, and caregivers of our
students.

Instructional Staff: Principals and Directors, Teachers, Teaching Assistants, and Teacher Aides.

Release Day: School day hours with substitute teachers or administrators employed to release teachers or
administrators from routine duties.

Service Staff: Staff members eligible for membership in the Ithaca City School District Service
Employees’ Association. These include secretaries, typists, account and library clerks, bus drivers, food
service workers, computer technicians, nurses, custodians, and maintainers.

School Day: During normal teaching hours.

Staff: Persons employed on a regular basis by the school district. Staff members include the
Superintendent of Schools and all other employees.

Summer: Between the end of one school year and the beginning of the next. Some summer activities earn
stipends. Such incentives are dependent on having an adequate budget.

Teachers: Staff members who are eligible for membership in the Ithaca Teacher’s Association. Teachers
include librarians, psychologists, counselors, social workers, speech therapists, etc. Some teachers are
administratively certified and have responsibility for the supervision of others. Leadership positions
among teachers are varied and include Teacher Mentors, Curriculum Chairs, Department Leaders and
Chairs, Chairs of Committees on Special Education, Support Teachers, Technology Mentors, Literacy
Coaches, Staff Developers, etc.
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APPENDIX A

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN TEAM MEMBERS

2007-2008
We will plan to retain as many members as possible and also to recruit more elementary
teachers and new teachers.

Kim Fontana Superintendent’s Designee and Curriculum Specialist

Virginia Marty Higher Education Rep. (Cortland College)

Linda Hanrahan Higher Education Rep. (Ithaca College)

Claudette James Ithaca Principals’ and Directors’ Assoc. Rep.

Wanda Padilla-Wells Ithaca Paraprofessionals’ Assoc. Rep.

Charlene Testut Ithaca Employees’ Association Rep.

Janet Abowd (IHS) Ithaca Teachers’ Association Reps.

Judy Blood (Enfield)
Trisha Procheddu-Ion (DeWitt)
Barry Derfel (ICSD)
Andy Yale (ICSD)
Rich Steinacher (Northeast Elementary)
Sara Arnold (Lehman Alternative Community School)

Andrea LaChance Parent and Community Rep.

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APPENDIX B: IMPLEMENTATION AND APPROVAL PROCESSES

IMPLEMENTATION AND APPROVAL PROCESSES

All teachers certified beginning on February 1, 2004 must engage in 175 hours in
professional development every five years. It is this district’s expectation that new and
veteran teachers will engage in 175 hours in professional development every five years, or
roughly 35 hours per year. The ICSD is committed to providing opportunities for such
professional development. In addition, the district is committed to helping teachers
maintain complete records of their professional development. It is also required that
certified Teaching Assistants engage in 18 hours of professional development per year. The
district is committed to providing opportunities for such professional development and
maintaining pertinent records. In addition, the district is committed to providing
professional development for all other staff members within the constraints imposed by
budgets and collective bargaining agreements. The district is committed to maintaining
professional development records for all staff.

APPROVAL PROCESSES FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Professional development opportunities sponsored by the ICSD or by TST BOCES

do not require preapproval, by the individual teacher, although administrators within the
district need to apply for preapproval of professional development activities they sponsor
on behalf of their staff members, e.g. staff meetings, department meetings, building
conference day activities. Graduate courses, which are part of a planned program of study,
do not require preapproval. Nevertheless, to keep one’s individual records complete, the
Office of Staff Development recommends that staff members include such professional
development in their MyLearningPlan records.

APPROVAL DECISIONS

Professional development opportunities provided by service providers other than the

ICSD or TST BOCES require preapproval from The Office of Staff Development. In
order to be approved, activities must meet one or more objectives of the professional
development plan. Because inservice credit is a form of payment, there may be activities
that meet one or more objectives of the professional development plan, and therefore
qualify as professional development hours, but may not be deemed sufficiently valuable to
the district to warrant inservice. Such activities may be denied inservice credit even though
they take place outside of the school day and beyond the normal expectations of the
teacher’s job. The Director of Staff Development may defer a decision regarding
appropriateness of an activity for professional development hours and/or inservice credit to
The Professional Development Plan committee. If staff members disagree with a decision
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on the part of the Director, the decision will be reviewed by the Professional Development
Plan Committee. The Committee will seek to make the decision by consensus. Should
this prove impossible, the ruling will be made as a result of a vote of members present. The
Committee’s decision is final and specific to the individual case only. No committee
decision may conflict with the provisions of the collective bargaining agreement.

APPROVAL RESPONSIBILITY

Individuals seek preapproval through the district’s online database,

MyLeaningPlan.com; administrators and other district instructors similarly seek
preapproval through MyLearningPlan.com. In all these cases, it is the individual’s,
administrator’s, or instructor’s responsibility to indicate when the approved activity is
complete and when attendance records have been processed. Administrators, instructors,
and individuals accomplish this using features of the online database. The Office of Staff
Development will maintain attendance records only for activities sponsored by the district
and TST BOCES.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT HOURS, INSERVICE CREDIT, STIPENDS

STIPENDS

This plan provides for the professional development of all staff members. While staff
members may participate in many professional development activities for which the district
provides a direct stipend, these do not accrue toward inservice credit. Prior to this plan,
these activities did not earn professional development hours either. In this plan, stipended
activities do earn professional development hours.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT HOURS

Professional Development Hours

1. are intended as incentives for teachers to engage in professional development
2. may take place within or without the school day and school year
3. may include activities that are part of the normal expectation of the staff member’s
job
4. are clock hours spent in pursuit of one or more objectives of the professional
development plan
5. always accrue along with inservice credit

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INSERVICE CREDITS

Inservice Credits
1. are intended as incentives for teachers to engage in professional development
2. accrue only for activities that take place outside of normal school day and year
3. may not accrue for activities that are among the normal and customary duties of the
teaching profession
4. are based on clock hours at a rate of 1 credit for every 15 clock hours of instructional
time
5. may or may not accrue along with professional development hours

EXAMPLES OF ACTIVITIES AND THEIR PDH/INSERVICE VALUES

1. One hour staff meeting, which the principal has had preapproved for one hour of
professional development (1 pdh/0 inservice credits)
2. One hour dept. meeting, which the dept. chair has had preapproved for one hour of
professional development (1 pdh/0 inservice credits)
3. Grade level meeting for which the principal or teacher member has sought
preapproval for 30 minutes (.5 pdh/0 inservice credits)
4. One hour evening lecture for which the teacher has sought preapproval (1 pdh/.06
inservice credits) or (1 pdh/0 inservice credits) depending on decision of director and
Prof. Dev. Plan Team. Decision will be based on value to district of activity. See
“Approval Decisions” above.
5. 5-day workshop, offered by district in summer for which the teacher is not paid (30
pdh/ 2 inservice credits)
6. Graduate course for which teacher has sought preapproval or which is required to
obtain permanent certification in teacher’s tenure area (45 pdh/3 inservice credits)
7. Study groups, which meet monthly for one hour, over ten months and have been
preapproved (10 pdh/ .66 inservice credits)

Inservice Credits are based on clock hours, but are a form of payment. Because they
represent payment by the district, they can accrue neither for activities during the school
day nor for activities that are part of the normal expectations of the person’s job. Because
inservice credit is a form of payment, there may be activities that meet one or more
objectives of the professional development plan, and therefore qualify as professional
development hours, but may not be deemed valuable to the district. Such activities may be
denied inservice credit even though they take place outside of the school day and outside of
the normal expectations of the staff member’s position.

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Credit accrues along with Professional Development Hours for those activities that
meet the requirements for inservice credit. Inservice credit is awarded on the basis of 1
credit for every 15 clock hours.

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APPENDIX C: Standards for Professional Development

National Staff Development Council 2001
Context Standards:
Learning Communities: Staff development that improves the learning of all students
organizes adults into learning communities whose goals are aligned with those of the
school and district.

Leadership: Staff development that improves the learning of all students requires skillful
school and district leaders who guide continuous instructional improvement.

Resources: Staff development that improves the learning of all students requires resources
to support adult learning and collaboration.

Process Standards:
Data-Driven: Staff development that improves the learning of all students uses
disaggregated student data to determine adult learning priorities, monitor progress, and
help sustain continuous improvement.

Evaluation: Staff development that improves the learning of all students uses multiple
sources of information to guide improvement and demonstrate its impact.

Research-Based: Staff development that improves the learning of all students prepares
educators to apply research to decision making.

Design: Staff development that improves the learning of all students uses learning
strategies appropriate to the intended goal.

Learning: Staff development that improves the learning of all students applies knowledge
about human learning and change.

Collaboration: Staff development that improves the learning of all students provides
educators with the knowledge and skills to collaborate.

Content Standards:
Equity: Staff development that improves the learning of all students prepares educators to
understand and appreciate all students, create safe, orderly and supportive learning
environments, and hold high expectations for their academic achievement.

Quality Teaching: Staff development that improves the learning of all students deepens
educators’ content knowledge, provides them with research-based instructional strategies to

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assist students in meeting rigorous academic standards and prepares them to use various
types of classroom assessments appropriately.

Family Involvement: Staff development that improves the learning of all students
provides educators with knowledge and skills to involve families and other stakeholders
appropriately.

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APPENDIX D: Professional Development Rubric

Environment Presenter Methods Results Perks

Attractive and Inspiring, Utilized variety of Results match stated Stipend or in-service
comfortable. enthusiastic, methods that appeal to outcome. Participants credit, certificate of
Snacks are humor and all learning styles. experience renewed completion,
4 available and the laughter included. Participants immersed. energy and commitment substitute coverage.
audience size Superior Ongoing long-term and engage in ongoing Participant interest
and knowledge of follow-up. reflection. Working and expertise
configuration are topic, charismatic. collaborations continue acknowledged by
appropriate. Plus all aspects of beyond workshop. administrators.
Equipment level 3. Excellent resources
works. provided.
Comfortable Organized goals Delivery is appropriate Results match stated Stipend or in-service
setting with and outcomes (i.e. hands-on, lecture outcomes, which may credit, certificate of
snacks available clear. Flexible based, make and take, include: personal growth, completion,
and equipment with varied role play) for topic. awareness of new substitute coverage.
works. presentation. Participant’s strategies, ability to use Administrators
3 Respect for local engagement is new skills, acknowledge
knowledge, high appropriate (i.e. team- implementation of new participant interest
expectation or based, collaborative, strategies, and creation of in professional
audience, models cooperative, useable lesson or unit development.
excellence. individualized). plans. Participants make Workshop materials
Evaluation and follow connections and reflect provided.
up. on/re-examine their
practice. Improves
student learning.
Setting and Goal and Delivery is not always Accomplishes some of In-service credit not
snacks adequate. outcomes vague, appropriate. stated outcomes. Feels documented. Some
2 Audience too parts of Participants have little like “more of the same”. handouts provided.
large or too presentation too opportunity to engage. Participants make some No acknowledgment
small. fast or slow, Informal follow up. connections and may of motivation or
Equipment material presented reflect on some aspects of learning.
problems few but was not practice.
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surmountable. challenging.
Setting Message unclear, Delivery inappropriate Results do not match No credit or stipend.
uncomfortable, condescending, to topic, participants stated outcomes. No “take away”
inappropriate boring. Rigid, too disengaged. No follow Participants experience materials. No
1 size audience. structured, up. frustration, anger and/or acknowledgment of
Numerous disorganized cynicism and do not participant’s
equipment pace, too fast or connect workshop topics motivation or
failures, no too slow. to their own practice. No learning.
snacks. opportunity to develop
connections with other
participants.

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APPENDIX E: Professional Development

Proposal Form
Activity Title:

Date(s):

Presenter(s):

Number of participants:

Audience (mention grade level, building, curricular area, mention any

prerequisites, don’t forget that your workshop may be suitable for
paraprofessionals and administrators):

Description for mylearningplan. Is this hands-on? Is it make and

take? What are the learner objectives? (include agenda):

Connections to standards and curriculum: (remember ICSD Prof.

Dev. Plan, ICSD BOE goals as well as NYS standards and ICSD
curriculum):

Evaluation Plan:
Aim: Which is your purpose?
to raise awareness to develop skills to implement
curriculum to develop leadership?

Level: Please determine which level of evaluation you think you can
attain?
1. participant’s reactions (standard evaluation tool)
2. participant’s learning (workshop products or modified
evaluation tool)
3. organizational change or support (followup questionnaires or
interviews, planning documents)
4. participants’ use of new knowledge and skills (workshop
products, followup questionnaires)

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5. student learning (followup documentation--perhaps digital

video or digital still)

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APPENDIX F: Levels of Professional Development Evaluation

(Adapted from Thomas Guskey’s Evaluating Professional Development,
Evaluation Target of Purpose Examples of
Level Evaluation Questions
1 Participants’ Improve “Was the presenter
Reactions delivery knowledgeable?”
2 Participants’ Improve “What did you learn?”
Learning delivery
3 Organizational Document and “How has this
support and inform change initiative been
Change supported in your
building/department?”
4 Participants’ Document “What instructional
Use implementation technology did you
use this week?”
5 Student Assess impact “What impact has the
Learning program had on your
students’
achievement?”
Corwin Press, 2000)

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APPENDIX G: Teacher Mentorship and Teacher Induction

Purposes of Mentorship and Induction:

Mentorship and induction support new teachers as they meet the challenges
of new duties and new assignments. Mentorship and induction integrate new
teachers into the fabric of the district. Mentorship and induction intend to support
quality teaching by the explicit teaching and modeling of best practices, promotion of
professional development, reflective practice and ongoing learning. Mentorship and
induction seeks to help the district promote and retain a high quality teaching force.
Mentorship seeks to help retain a diverse staff.

The district will, subject to available funding, provide the following as part of
its mentorship and induction process. All teachers* new to the district will be
regarded as belonging to one of three cohorts: first-, second-, or third-year teachers.
Their programs follow.

First-Year Teachers and their Professional Development: are teachers who are new
to teaching in New York State. The induction program for these teachers comprises
two related components: mentorship and professional development related to
creating a safe, welcoming, inclusive, and respectful classroom and school climate.
The professional development program in classroom climate (Responsive Classroom
for Elementary Teachers and Culturally Affirming and Effective Secondary
Classroom Management for Secondary Teachers) begins during New Teacher
Orientation and is followed (or preceded in the case of those hired early) by a five-
day series. These series are offered both in the summer and in the school year. First-
year teachers also have a mentor assigned to them for the duration of the first year.
The purpose of the first year of induction is to support the new teacher in developing
effective classroom management and supporting his or her success in managing the
basic, yet wide-ranging, routine expectations of teaching as a profession.

Teacher Mentor Responsibilities and Compensation: Mentors will meet with the
first-year teacher at frequent intervals, at least once per week at the beginning of the
school year. Mentors will be responsible for initiating a program of peer observation
between themselves and the first-year teacher. Mentors will be responsible for aiding
first-year teachers in developing effective planning and reflective and responsive
practices within their curricular or other professional areas. Mentors help first-year
teachers comply with expectations for record-keeping, reporting, disciplinary
procedures and resource acquisition within their departments and buildings.
Mentors support the professional development first-year teachers undertake.
Mentors are paid for the required initial training of three-hours and they are paid for
voluntary training intended to directly support them in the discharge of their
responsibilities. Mentors also earn a stipend, stipulated in the teachers’ contract.

Teacher Mentor Selection and Qualifications: Mentors are volunteers and are
certified in the same area as the first-year teacher. The mentor will not have any
evaluative responsibility for the first-year teacher. Mentors will be solicited by the

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principal and will be recommended to the Board of Education by the Director of

Staff Development. Mentors must demonstrate a positive attitude toward teaching,
learning, and professional development.

(Included among teachers* for the purpose of mentorship, are all those within the
ITA bargaining unit, except psychologists, and including both long term substitute
and probationary appointments, etc. Psychologists are provided mentorship through
the process of licensure and are not included in the mentorship or induction
programs.)

Second-Year Teachers and Their Professional Development: Second-Year Teachers

have taught at least one year in New York State. Second-Year Teachers are expected
to take TESA Teacher Expectations/Student Achievement during the school year.
This program is a micro-teaching series intended to raise teacher expectations for
underserved students and increase teacher capacity in research-proven strategies for
promoting student learning. Teachers participate in learning, discussion, and peer
observation through the year. The purpose of the second year induction is to help
the teacher develop and maintain high expectations for student learning and to
develop the skills to facilitate high levels of student learning. Second-year teachers
are offered inservice credit or pay for their participation in TESA.

Third-Year Teachers and Their Professional Development: Third-Year Teachers are

those teachers who have already taught a full-year in New York State and have
completed TESA training. These teachers are expected to choose from among a
variety of professional development series annually offered in the October Staff
Development Newsletter. These series vary. Some of focused entirely on reflective
practice while some are more content focused. Offerings always include action
research and text-based study groups on a variety of topics of interest to teachers
throughout the district. The purpose of the third-year of induction is to formalize the
teacher’s participation in a community of lifelong learners and to convey the value
the District places on professional development throughout the teaching career.
Third-year teachers are offered inservice credit or release-time for their participation
in third-year study and action groups.

Supplemental mentoring may be requested by any supervisor or by any teacher.

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