Group D: Training & Joint Professional Development

Participants: Fretta Cravens, Rebecca Levinson, Aimee Marciniak, Teresa Pitts, Belinda Reagan, & Becky Wright

Facilitator: Laraine Adams

PROBLEM STATEMENT:  Lack of useful, coordinated collaboration (including para’s and other support staff) trainings on a continuum with supports for implementation that meets the needs of the audience to support increased student achievement.

Recommendation 1:  Parent/Teacher Team Trainings.

Working Well:

• In Our Control:
  • n/a
• Outside of Our Control:
  • Collaborate with community organizations.
  • Parent groups lead trainings.

Not Working Well or Does Not Exist:

• In Our Control: 
  • n/a
• Outside of Our Control: 
  • Once a month trainings.
  • Resolve contract issue for evenings hours.
  • Quarterly topics rotating through clusters.
  • Involving para’s in para/parent trainings.
  • Lift para/parent communication ban.
  • Effective communication with parents.
  • District ensures administration prioritizes meetings.

Recommendation 2:   Cultural sensitivity trainings.

Working Well:

• In Our Control:
  • n/a
• Outside of Our Control:
  • Outside resources used (planned for 2010-11).

Not Working Well or Does Not Exist:

• In Our Control:
  • Grievance forms visible/accessible/immediate response by administrator to address an incident that occurred that day (student-to-student, student –to-staff, staff-to-student, etc.).
• Outside of Our Control:
  • Ongoing trainings.
  • Implementation (trainings are not enough).
  • Roving teams to observe and subs.
  • Immediate responses from administrations.
  • Focus of the month issues and cultures (i.e. food, music)
  • Cultural surveys of staff resources within buildings.  New hire trainings.

Recommendation 3:  Collaborative trainings for curriculum and best practices.

Working Well:

• In Our Control:
  • n/a
• Outside of Our Control:
  • Existence of district wide standardized curriculum for each subject

Not Working Well or Does Not Exist:

• In Our Control:
  • n/a
• Outside of Our Control:
  • District wide standard curriculum.
  • Building wide standard curriculum.
  • Enforcement of standard curriculum by building administrators.
  • Collaborative trainings around interventions and strategies to support students.
  • New hire trainings.

Recommendation 4:  Collaborative Team Training Opportunities.

• In Our Control: 
  • Once a month building-wide trainings.
• Outside of Our Control:
  • Self care trainings.

Not Working Well or Does Not Exist:

• In Our Control:
  • Once a month building wide trainings.
  • Training task group in each building.
• Outside of Our Control:
  • Once a month training (late start).
  • Feed back community.
  • Paid trainings outside workplace and work year.
  • Training task group in each building.
  • Self care trainings.
  • New hire trainings.
  • Para/general ed. joint trainings.