The local Staff Development Committee is an advisory group, which shall prepare a master plan for the recertification of all certified staff members. Once prepared, the master plan must meet with the approval of the Superintendent of Schools, the School Administrative Unit Board, and the State Board of Education. If the master plan is disapproved by any one of the above three parties, the master plan is returned to the Staff Development Committee for modification.

The Staff Development Committee recognizes the necessity of developing a plan that will meet the ever-changing needs of both the students and professional staff and the goals of the school, district, and SAU; therefore, such a plan has to be flexible with sufficient alternatives to handle individual and institutional needs, and structured to provide the professional growth for small and large groups of teachers.

All staff members are encouraged to continue beyond the minimum requirement for the three-year recertification period. The seventy-five clock hour requirement may be completed at any time during the three-year period. Recertification credit hours may not be carried over from one three-year plan to another. Professional staff members whose credentials expire in a given year shall have accrued their total clock-hour requirements of approved staff development activities prior to being renominated and/or reelected to teach the following year. Clock hours accrued after renomination and/or reelection by the School Board may be counted toward the next three-year recertification cycle that will commence on July 1 of that same calendar year.

Staff members new to SAU #38 may transfer recertification clock hours accumulated in other school districts and will have a proportional amount of time to complete the remainder of the required recertification credits. Additional clock hours in specified areas may be required as a condition of employment and will be determined by the Superintendent before the issuance of a contract.

SAU #38 will provide a variety of professional development activities at little or no cost to assist staff members in meeting these requirements. In the event that local programs will not fulfill the need of a particular individual, it is the responsibility of that individual to have that need fulfilled elsewhere. The Staff Development Committee will assist each staff member, whenever possible, to meet these requirements.

The committee shall prepare an annual faculty needs assessment/professional development appraisal for SAU #38. The committee shall plan programs for recertification to meet individual, school, district, and SAU goals by using the results of this document, a review of various completed forms, the proposed growth plans of staff members, and supervisors’ assessments of professional development needs.

1. All staff members should familiarize themselves with the recertification requirements as outlined in this staff development manual and those of the State of New Hampshire.

2. In planning individual programs, all staff members should carefully assess their skills and competencies related to the areas in which they are working and to school, district, and SAU goals. They should be able to delineate both their strong areas and areas needing improvement.

3. Once staff members have proceeded through the self-assessment stage, they should formulate their individual goals for self-improvement as they relate to school, district, and SAU goals during the next three-year period and complete their Professional Growth Plan form.

4. Once the Professional Growth Plan is completed, all staff members should confer with their immediate supervisors. The purpose of such a conference is to reach an agreement between the staff member and the supervisor that the self-assessment was realistic and related to the staff member’s professional goals and the school, district, and SAU goals.

5. The three-year plan must include a minimum of 75-clock hours unless they have two (2) or more endorsements, in which case30 additional hours will be required for each additional endorsement. Methods of attaining the educational goals of a staff member may be any of the alternative methods described in the staff development guide. Goals should be planned carefully with the staff member’s supervisors, since their approval is a necessary part of this process. For those individuals requiring more than 135 -clock hours every three (3) years, the Superintendent of Schools may submit an amended staff development plan to the Administrator of the Bureau of Teacher Education and Professional Standards to extend the period up to six (6) years, or two (2) certification periods, for that portion of the individual’s staff development plan that exceeds 135-clock hours.

6.Upon completion of each out-of-district or ongoing activity (or at the end of the school year in which recertification hours for committee work is to be requested), staff members will submit a Professional Development Application/Activity Approval form. Staff members will use this form to reflect on the activity’s value as it relates to their professional growth and development and has an impact on students’ learning and the benefits derived from the activity.

This form will be submitted to the staff member’s immediate supervisor for approval (or pre-approval in the case of ongoing activities). All Professional Development Application/Activity Approval forms are completed in triplicate - one copy for the staff member, for the immediate supervisor, and for the staff development plan. All copies must have a signature indicating approval of the supervisor. All requests for approval of activities must be submitted to the SAU office within six (6) months of the date of the activity.

If staff members are uncertain of an activity’s applicability to their staff development plan and/or school, district, or SAU goals, they should request prior approval from their immediate supervisor. The supervisor will review the Professional Development Application/Activity Approval form and accept or reject hours based on the activity’s application to the individual staff member’s staff development plan.

7. Teachers who are employed by the district and who are teaching for the first time will formulate their goals for staff development in the fall of the school year. These goals, however, will be tentative until April 15 of the school year, at which time they may be modified or changed with the approval of the teacher’s supervisors.

8. Certified staff members may add additional goals to their three-year recertification program with the approval of their supervisors.

9. Teachers who receive a probationary contract may be required to complete more than seventy-five hours in a three-year period and/or may be required to complete a pre-determined number of clock hours during that year of probation.

10. Each staff member will complete a staff development survey/ professional development appraisal annually. The results of this survey/professional development appraisal are used to support and help plan professional development activities for the ensuing year.

The Staff Development Committee shall consist of 22 members:

School Board Members - There will be one school board member from Hinsdale, one from Winchester, and one from Monadnock Regional School District.

Teachers -

Parents - There will be one parent from Hinsdale, one from Winchester, and one from Monadnock Regional. The appropriate school board will conduct the election of the parent representative.

Principals - There will be one high school principal and one elementary school principal.

Administration - There will be one representative from the SAU #38 office.

Service Personnel - There will be one service person from the SAU #38 office.

Students - There may be one voting representative on the committee. A student from each of two remaining high schools may serve as ex officio members of the committee. In case of resignation, the peer group shall elect a successor.

Students - A student is defined as a full-time student in one of the three high schools. The voting student member shall be rotated among the three high schools after each one-year term.

Service Personnel - Service personnel are defined as those persons who are certified by the State Department of Education and who provide services (such as art, music, reading, physical education), along guidance personnel.

Vacancies - In the event of a vacancy, the SAU #38 office shall notify the appropriate peer group to elect a new member as soon as possible.

Officers - The officers of the Staff Development Committee shall consist of a chairperson, a vice-chairperson, and a recording secretary.

Members - Each member shall be elected for a term of three years with the exception of a student, who will serve one year. Immediately following the expiration of each term of office, the SAU #38 office will notify the respective peer group. The member whose term has been expired may continue to serve, or a new successor will be elected as soon as possible. In the case of a resignation, a successor shall be elected to fulfill the remaining portion of that term.

Meetings - Staff Development Committee meetings will be held on a monthly basis. Additional meetings will be held when necessary.

• Elected members of the Staff Development Committee are expected to attend all Staff Development Committee meetings. Members are expected to maintain communications with peer groups and the Staff Development Committee.

An effort will be made to disseminate information in as many ways as possible. The following newspapers may be used:

Greenfield Recorder, Brattleboro Reformer, Monadnock Reformer, Keene Sentinel, Monadnock Ledger, Monadnock Shopper News.

In addition, information will be posted on the SAU website and the minutes of each meeting will be posted in each of the schools in the district. Reports may also be made through local PTA organizations, advisory committees, student councils, and faculty meetings.

Workshop announcements will be faxed to each school ensuring that the information is available to all staff in a timely manner. School representatives are expected to disseminate workshop announcements as soon as possible to each staff member within the building.

A simple majority vote is required by the Staff Development Committee in any action recommended by a special committee.

Amendments to the Master Plan MUST be adopted by a majority of the total Staff Development Committee provided that these materials have been introduced in writing at the preceding regular meeting and that copies of the proposed amendments have been distributed to all Staff Development Committee members. Amendments approved by the Staff Development Committee shall be submitted to the Superintendent of Schools, the SAU #38 board, and the State Department of Education for final approval.

School Administrative Unit (SAU) #38 has established a professional development program that meets both the individual and institutional needs of the three districts comprising SAU #38. Student performance and success as revealed in a variety of school-based, district-wide, and state assessments will guide the general program.

Ongoing Training

The SAU recognizes that the training of staff must be ongoing in order to ensure that the various needs of students and the teachers who are teaching them are met. We are particularly concerned that teachers have the support they need as they modify their individual curricula to the district curriculum plans, which have been aligned with the state frameworks. The district also wishes to provide ongoing support as teachers try new and/or innovative techniques in the school or classroom to engage students who are not currently being successful in our schools.

A professional development model like this one involves staff members in planning, implementation, and assessment of the programs; provides a variety of activities; carefully conducts needs assessments; and offers a number of methods of delivery of the content for the teacher to assimilate. This model places a high priority on staff development as an integral part of the school program.

Developed by the SAU #38 staff development committee, this plan represents the work of a number of constituent groups. Teachers, administrators, and school board members have been involved in the process of reflecting on and helping to develop the professional development master plan for this SAU. Each of these groups is a stakeholder in the children’s education and consequently in the professional development of staff members.

In the SAU #38 staff development master plan, the professional development goals of staff members will be connected to the goals of the individual schools and the school districts (figure 1).

The districts use the following process to establish goals that guide the direction of education:

Commitment to Ongoing Support - In order to connect the school and district goals with staff members’ three-year professional development plans and to keep the focus on continuous professional development and school improvement, the Staff Development Committee, the Director of Curriculum and Instruction, and the administrators in the individual buildings recommend and/or plan activities that, whenever possible, include ongoing coaching and guidance during the implementation of an initiative in the classroom setting. Professional development opportunities are communicated to staff members via a newsletter published regularly by the Director of Curriculum and Instruction, other district-wide and SAU-wide communiqués, and messages from the principals of individual buildings.

1. Ongoing Professional Development Support Activities and Projects — The new professional development plan encourages staff members to participate in ongoing professional development activities rather than focusing primarily on workshops, conferences, and courses that tend to be more removed from the classroom and school where staff members’ professional development may have an impact on student performance. These job-embedded activities include committee work, ongoing study groups, educational peer coaching, and mentoring.

   These activities are likely to be connected with curriculum development. All staff members are encouraged to be involved with curriculum development at the classroom-level, school level, district-level, and/or SAU-level. They are the curriculum designers working with the building administrators and the Director of Curriculum and Instruction in order to improve the curriculum for their classroom and to be aware of and understand the curriculum for the district. Staff development credit for curriculum development is awarded to staff through involvement in ongoing, job-embedded professional development support activities and projects.

   Job-embedded projects are those that occur as teachers and administrators are engaged in their daily activities and that result in increased skill and knowledge needed to assist students to perform more effectively. Such projects connect "learning to the immediate and real-life problems faced by teachers and administrators" (A New Vision for Staff Development, Sparks and Hirsh, 1997). Job-embedded projects result from identified areas of need evolving from assessments of student performance translated into school and/or district goals.

   While working on these projects, staff members engage in a process of sharing their learning, reflecting on their work experiences to reveal new understanding, and listening to colleagues sharing best practices while trying out new programs or planning or implementing a project. Job-embedded projects fit well with study group activities, although study groups are not required to facilitate these projects. Job-embedded projects may involve projects such as a curriculum development activity at the school level, a coaching process designed to solve issues with curriculum and/or instruction, or a mentoring project for a new teacher.

   All of the activities in this general category require the completion of a two-step proposal process. The first step is to submit a proposal before the project begins by completing the upper portion of the proposal form, to be approved by the staff member’s supervisor(s). The second step, after the individual or group work is completed, is to resubmit the proposal form with the lower portion completed.

   Staff members who are working collectively (such as a study group) and would like professional development hours may complete a single proposal form for the group.

1. Study Group — Study groups for teachers and staff members may be established in buildings to address ongoing issues identified by local and district assessments of students’ performance. The study groups may serve a variety of purposes — to "study the professional literature and reflect on it, engage in staff development together, use peer coaching to support [staff members’] transfer of skills and content to the workplace, and conduct a joint study of what is happening in their classrooms and the initiatives made by the faculty working as a whole" (The Self-Renewing School; Joyce, Wolf, and Calhoun; 1993).

   To address issues at the school level and/or district level, staff members and/or administrators may form study groups. Topics for study groups could range from instructional methods and curriculum content to school-wide practices such as block scheduling, looping, and multi-age classrooms. District curriculum committees are not included under study groups. All study group projects must be accompanied by a written proposal developed by the group and must be approved by the staff members, supervisors and/or the Director of Curriculum and Instruction, if the project is a district-level project. The results of all projects must be available to other staff members. The goals of the project must be clearly stated. Objectives, activities, and assessment procedures must accompany the project proposal.

   All projects must relate to the school’s and/or the district’s goals and must be designed to provide support of staff members as they work directly to improve students’ performance.

2. Educational Peer Coaching — Teachers who are peer coaching are involved in cooperative activities with other educators that result in increased learning for both parties. The process of peer coaching is ongoing and lasts at least a year. Staff members will provide a written proposal of the peer coaching activity and document the work involved. The maximum number of hours shall be limited to 20 hours during any three-year certification period. The maximum number of hours shall be limited to 20 hours during any three-year certification period.
3. Action Research — Action research is a form of disciplined inquiry that involves educators in a process of selecting a focus, collecting data, analyzing and interpreting the data, and taking action. The research conducted in SAU #38 must focus on the improvement of student learning. It may be either collaborative or individual. The maximum number of hours shall be limited to 20 hours during any three-year certification period.
4. Mentoring — When experienced educators are working with beginning educators to strengthen their job-related skills and to enable them to be more successful in the position, they are involved in mentoring the beginning teacher. This process may include an analysis of classroom activities and skills and proficiencies; the identification of strengths and weaknesses; the support of, guidance for, and feedback to staff members; and the sharing of resources, insights, practices, and materials. Staff members will provide a written proposal of the mentoring activity and document the work involved. The maximum number of hours shall be limited to 15 hours during any three-year certification period.
5. Student Teaching/Methods Class/Practicum — When teachers are working with college students involved in a methods class/practicum or preparing to become teachers, they may earn hours toward recertification. Staff members will document the work involved. The maximum number of hours shall be limited to 15 hours during any three-year certification period.
6. Committee Work — For the purposes of this professional development master plan, committee work is defined as district committees (such as the Curriculum Coordinating Team, a language arts committee, or a technology committee). Staff members are encouraged to participate on district committees. The maximum number of hours shall be limited to 20 hours during any three-year certification period.
7. Exploratory or Innovative Activities — With the approval of the supervisor, a staff member may pursue either collaboratively or independently other job-embedded activities not identified above. Staff members may earn up to 20 hours of staff development credit for work in this area.

2. Course Work, Workshops, Seminars, Etc. — Teachers may also work on workshops, conferences, and graduate course work. For district workshops, staff members are required to sign the sheet at the workshop in order to document participation in the workshop. Out-of-district workshops, conferences, and coursework require the completion of activity approval forms. Please note the maximum number of hours available for these activities.

   1. Collegiate or Graduate Course Work — In most cases, any college or university course to be considered should be a graduate course at an approved college or university. In order to receive credit, a staff member must complete the course and receive a grade of at least a ‘B’. Courses should be applicable to the field of education. The maximum number of hours for each course shall be 40 hours.

      Staff members working on an advanced degree must have their programs approved by the SAU #38 office prior to enrolling in a course if they are seeking to have these credits count for recertification. Courses that have not been approved in advance may not be accepted for recertification credit.

      An activity form must be submitted with a transcript on completion of the course.

   2. Audited Courses — An audited course must have the prior approval of the professor who, at the completion of the class, will indicate in writing to the SAU #38 office that all course requirements have been completed. A maximum of 40 hours toward recertification will be awarded. If the staff member chooses not to complete all course requirements, the professor will indicate in writing how many hours that staff member attended classes. A maximum of 20 hours can be awarded toward recertification.
   3. Workshops — In-service education and workshops are those activities that are sponsored and wholly or partially subsidized by SAU #38, other SAUs, or educational institutions. Staff members will receive credit for a workshop for the number of hours in attendance.

      Staff members will be required to sign an attendance sheet to document participation at district or SAU workshops. Staff members will need to complete an activity form for out-of-district workshops.

   4. Seminars, Institutes, Conferences — Credit for attendance at a seminar, institute, or conference will be determined by the supervisors. The number of hours for recertification credit shall be limited to the actual number of contact hours. Staff members will need to complete an activity form for seminars, institutes, and conferences.
   5. Workshop Presenter — A staff member selected to conduct an in-school workshop may receive recertification credit for the actual time of the workshop and preparation time. Preparation time will be awarded at the discretion of the supervisor. If the staff member is presenting the same workshop more than one time, he or she may request hours only for one presentation.

3. Other Activities — The following activities will require prior approval by the supervisor(s). Please note the maximum number of hours available for these activities.
   1. Sabbatical — Currently, sabbatical leave policies exist within SAU #38 and such policies include requirements and forms to be completed. See your district contract for additional details.
   2. Observations — Staff members may earn credit for observing other staff members either in their own schools or in other schools. Only the observers may earn hours for the actual observation, although both parties may earn hours for pre- and post-observation meetings. Such observations must support the goals in the individual Staff Development plan and/or the school or district goals. Supervisors in the buildings approve these observations. Pre-approval by the staff member’s supervisor is required. An activity form needs to be completed.
   3. Travel — In order to qualify for recertification credit, it is expected that any travel by a staff member will be conducted during vacation periods. All travel proposals should be submitted well in advance and must be approved by the staff member’s supervisors. The itinerary for the proposed travel shall be included in the original proposal. The objectives must be clearly stated and an indication of how such travel relates to the teacher’s professional goals and needs included. The proposal shall indicate the type of report that shall be made if it is to include other media. Upon returning, the teacher shall submit evidence of his/her experience on an activity approval form.

Staff members should indicate in the proposal the number of hours they anticipate receiving. The number of credit hours awarded the project will be determined when the project is completed, to a maximum of 20 hours during any three-year certification period.