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Spencerport Central Schools

Professional Development

Annual Report

July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018

Ms. Lisa McCarthy

Director of Learning and

Professional Development

Instruction Office

June 2018

Our mission is to educate and inspire

each student to love learning,

pursue excellence and use knowledge,

skills and attitudes to contribute

respectfully and confidently to an ever-

changing global community.

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Table of Contents

Page(s)

Professional Development Directory 3

Professional Development Committee Purpose/Charge 4

Professional Development Service Providers 5

Plan Evaluation Summary 6-8

Professional Development Initiatives

Goal #1 9-12

* Increase staff members’ understanding of NYS Standards and

Assessments, and increase the use of strategies to help all students

reach these Standards.

Goal #2 13-14

* Provide new teachers with transition and orientation to the

district, curriculum, school practices and expectations.

Goal #3 15

* Increase instructional staff understanding of Schoolwide Enrichment

and use of enrichment strategies, which includes differentiated

instruction, to be responsive to the needs of all learners.

Goal #4 16-17

* Increase teachers’ and administrators’ understanding and use of

effective teaching practices to improve instruction for all learners.

Goal #5 18

* Provide opportunities to meet required state training.

Goal #6 19

* Receive, disseminate and implement up-to-date information on

curricular area initiatives.

Goal #7 20-21

* Continue to identify and use sound research and best practices as

the foundation for all staff development.

Goal #8 22-24

* Teachers will use strategies to increase ELA achievement of

students with disabilities.

Other Professional Development Activities 25

Initiatives from the Office of Professional Development 26

**Note: All enrollment numbers reflected throughout the report are based on ‘credit-granted status’ in Frontline Professional

Learning Management System (PLM).

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Professional Development Directory

Director of Learning and Professional Development

Ms. Lisa McCarthy

Professional Development Secretary Mrs. Kathy Wolf

Office of Instruction Mr. Ty Zinkiewich,

Assistant Superintendent for Instruction

Professional Development Committee

2017-2018

Cory Allen Lisa McCarthy

Jennifer Bulmahn Michelle McLaren

Rich Colosi Dan Milgate

Amy Crumb Katherine Mueller

Kate Czarnecki Kristen Paolini

Judy DeAngelis Telcie Pincelli

David Gibbardo Deserie Richmond

Patricia Grosodonia Carol Robinson

Malena Guadagnino Elizabeth Roth

Elizabeth Gurz Steve Schultz

Linda Howell Jeff Snarr

Christine Kincaid John Thering

Elissa Kingsbury Ty Zinkiewich

Michelle Marasco

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SPENCERPORT SCHOOL DISTRICT

Professional Development Committee

2017-2018

PURPOSE:

Pursuant to Commissioner’s Regulations §100.2, the committee must design a professional development plan intended to improve the

quality of teaching and learning by ensuring that teachers participate in substantial staff development to remain current in their

profession and meet the learning needs of students. Each year, the plan or addendum is sent to the Board of Education for approval.

CHARGE:

• Develop a new Professional Development Plan (2018-2023) aligned to the Strategic Plan and increased student achievement.

• Continue to incorporate Schoology into PD Plan, CORE Courses and future trainings.

• Relay any updates to CTLE hours.

• Investigate how blended learning and digital conversion will impact teachers and the PD that will be needed to support our

faculty.

• Oversee the development of at least 3 online PD courses that utilize Schoology as the learning platform.

OBJECTIVES:

To review progress in implementation of the 2017-2018 plan.

To align the plan with the Strategic Plan.

To review progress of the New Teacher Induction Program, Mentor Component and CORE Courses.

To align services with district initiatives

To investigate the implementation of NYS Professional Development standards into district offerings.

To investigate 21st Century skills and alignment of our professional development to 21st Century teaching and learning.

SCHEDULE: Meetings will be held on:

October 25, 2017, January 24, 2018, March 28, 2018 and May 23, 2018 in the Board Room #15 of the District Office

Meeting times are from 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

MEMBERSHIP:

School Personnel:

Mrs. Lisa McCarthy, Director of Learning and Professional Development, *Chairperson

Mr. Ty Zinkiewich, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction

Mr. Dan Milgate, Superintendent for Schools

Mr. Cory Allen, Chief Information Officer

Mrs. Deserie Richmond, Director of Special Education Services

Mrs. Carol Robinson, Principal of Canal View Elementary

Mrs. Kristen Paolini, Director of Curriculum

Mrs. Linda Howell, Coordinator of Student Services

Board of Education:

Ms. Kate Czarnecki, Mr. David Gibbardo

Teachers:

Mrs. Jennifer Bulmahn, Wilson HS Ms. Michelle McLaren, Cosgrove MS

Mr. Rich Colosi, BOCES2 IT Mrs. Katherine Mueller, Munn Elementary

Mrs. Amy Crumb, Taylor Elementary Mrs. Christine Kincaid, Bernabi Elementary

Mrs. Patricia Grosodonia, Bernabi Elementary Mrs. Elizabeth Roth, Cosgrove MS

Mrs. Malena Guadagnino, Wilson HS Mr. Steven Schultz, Munn Elementary

Mrs. Elizabeth Gurz, Bernabi Elementary Mrs. Telcie Pincelli, K-5, TOSA

Mrs. Elissa Kingsbury, Canal View Elementary Mr. John Thering, Canal View Elementary

Mrs. Michelle Marasco, Cosgrove MS

Teaching Assistant:

Mrs. Judy DeAngelis, Bernabi Elementary

Higher Education/Community:

Dr. Jeff Snarr, Dept. of Psychology, College of Brockport (SUNY)

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Professional Development Service Providers for 2017-2018

With special thanks to all of our trainers who participated August 2017 – June 2018:

1. Cory Allen

2. Andrea Battisti

3. Virginia Briggs

4. Ginger Briggs

5. Daniel Cleveland

6. Rich Colosi

7. Caitlyn Culotta

8. Diane Cummings

9. Jennifer Davin

10. Lori Faas

11. Patty Grosodonia

12. Erin Hassall

13. Linda Howell

14. Laura Kazmierski

15. Lauren Kessler

16. Elissa Kingsbury

17. Monica Macaluso

18. Tabitha Messner

19. Lisa McCarthy

20. Dena Olson

21. Andrea Pascuzzi

22. Telcie Pincelli

23. Christine Purtell

24. Deserie Richmond

25. Brandon Rothdiener

26. Elizabeth Roth

27. Anna Sapienza

28. Michael Warner

29. Dana Young

30. Teresa Zappia-Sinicropi

31. Terese Ziemba

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Professional Development Plan Evaluation Summary for 2017-2018

June 2018 This is a comprehensive evaluation report from July 2017 – June 2018. The evaluation summary of the Professional Development Plan

for 2017-2018 centers upon student achievement results. Increasing student achievement is the goal for all of our professional

development. The district’s Professional Development Committee and administrative team continue to use the student assessment

results as outlined in the 2017 School Report Card, as key indicators of need identification. This is the twelfth year for state reporting

of ELA and Math Data grades 3-8 and next year’s state tests will reflect alignment of assessment to Common Core Standards. As an

example, according to our 2017 data, 47% of our students scored at Levels I and II and 53% scored at Levels III and IV on the ELA 7.

Based upon this data, the district and schools continued to design building plans to include objectives to increase student achievement. These plans included professional development programs such as Common Core Standards Training, Close Reading, Data Analysis

and Assessment Training. As a district, we investigated and provided professional development in the six major shifts of the Common

Core Standards in ELA and Math to develop common skills and to increase achievement in literacy and numeracy. We continued with

a book study that focused on best practices as a workshop choice and many teachers registered for these collegial discussions. Fountas

and Pinnell Assessment Kits, Lucy Calkins Units of Study and the Wonders program continue to be integrated at the K-5 level to help

assure that students are instructed at the appropriate level of instruction and provided the necessary progress monitoring to continue to

grow as readers, writers and learners. As a district, we focused on writing K-5 and have implemented a training program to reignite the

writer’s workshop in our K-5 classrooms. Additionally, we continue to implement and revise our CORE course, Literacy for All, to

further build the capacity of our new hires in literacy instruction aligned to the rigors of Common Core ELA Standards.

In Math 5, 68% of our students are at Levels III and IV, while in Math 7, 59% of our students are at Levels III and IV. The district

implemented Math Expressions K-5, a program designed for students to have a deeper conceptual knowledge in math. Therefore, a

focus of our Staff Development efforts has been to increase training in teaching math conceptually and in upper level concepts.

Middle school teachers transitioned to Math in Focus aligned to the Common Core Standards in Math to better prepare our students for

the rigors of the standards. Changes in the rigor for both the NYS ELA and Math assessments 3-8 required the District to look

critically at our practices and design plans for improvements at all levels.

Student assessment results specific for students with disabilities (SWD) is a critical area of the Professional Development Plan.

Additional work is needed to help our SWD population reach success. We spent this year expanding our training model to support

teaching reading and writing to students with disabilities. Teachers continue to follow the Marilyn Friend’s Co-Teaching Model to

maximize learning for our students with disabilities. All special education staff were trained in the co-teaching model during the 2013-

2014 school year and continue to model these strategies in their daily instructional practices. Additional trainings on mental health

issues and reaching the needs of all of our students are planned for summer 2018. Computer-assisted programs were also designed and

used to aid students with disabilities in the mastery of skills and knowledge to enhance success with state testing. This work is aligned

with Strategic Objective #3, “Each student will possess the knowledge, skills and attitudes to meet or exceed expectations as outlined

in Spencerport’s curriculum and New York State Standards.”

Prior to analyzing assessment results and identifying possible correlations between these results and our professional development

programs, it is important to measure how well teachers have learned the skills taught in staff development programs. The Core

programs for new teachers continue to include very specific follow-up which we use for program evaluation. All participants prepared

lessons and units in Elements of Instruction and Differentiation of Instruction, which were peer-reviewed or observed. The teachers

used these products as a means to self-assess their use of the new skills and theory. After taking Elements of Instruction, teachers

received an observation which they analyzed. Teachers in our TESA program collected data on their equitable use of teacher behaviors

through peer observations, and then created a digital presentation to showcase their learnings. Finally, as in the past, all teachers who

participate in Core programs are provided with a wide range of follow-up options after the course is completed; e.g., newsletters,

coaching visits, problem-solving sessions. Based on the recommendation of the Professional Development Committee, a CORE

course, Literacy for All was developed and implemented in January 2012 and continues to be revised to meet the rigors of the ELA

Common Core Standards. All of these venues give us an opportunity to observe the implementation of skills and theory and to assess

what program changes need to be made to ensure more accurate implementation of the new skill or theory.

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Professional Development Plan

Evaluation Summary for 2017-2018– (continued)

Assessing a program’s effectiveness also relies upon the perceptions of those taking the course. Although this is a critical aspect of all

programs, it is sometimes the only means to assess a program when it is a single session such as one-day Staff Development training.

Of all programs surveyed this year, the usefulness of the strategies learned in the programs ranked favorable as noted by the positive

comments we received in evaluations. Teachers rank staff development efforts as being job-related and useful, which continues to be

the strength of our program. More and more of our staff development are taking place at the schools in a job-embedded venue.

Comments included:

It was a great beginner course! Put me at ease and realized we do a lot of this already! But understanding the different levels and

how to differentiate instruction with that in mind. Can’t wait for the second one!

Great class Ladies! I love using the notebooks. Thanks for having us use them! It was highly recommended and now I see why!

I really enjoyed this session and felt like we had a great classroom and learning environment! Patty and Laura were great- very

informative and well organized.

Great class. Really liked the self-pacing.

This class was absolutely amazing. I would love for there to be a part two where we share out what has worked for us in class

with our peers. I’d also like to spend time digging deeper understanding how the brain works.

This was one of the best PDs I have taken. I feel very empowered and excited to help my students with these ideas.

All presenters were very knowledgeable. Nice to talk to Marcia Kish and hear her answer questions. Great to hear ideas from

colleagues and presenters.

I really enjoyed this class. I believe that this class should be required by all teachers and staff in the district. It really opens up

your eyes to what is involved in each student and how to positively support them. I have been to many continuing education

classes in my 24 years of my job and this is one of the top most beneficial for this setting and even in personal life situations.

Thank you for making it worth the 4 days of missing students.

This course is so wonderful, I think you should offer it to parents in our community.

To monitor the implementation of the Professional Development Plan, the Professional Development Committee met four times

this year. Aside from monitoring the programs in the plan, the committee analyzed enrollment and programmatic information

from the 2017-2018 year. The committee surveyed the faculty and staff to determine training needs as related to student

achievement. The committee also devoted much time to the development and refinement of a new Professional Development

Plan for the next five years. Lastly, the committee reviewed the new Professional Development Plan for 2018-2023.

We further developed our Differentiation of Instruction training program to increase alignment with District Strategic Objective

#2, “Each student will demonstrate love of learning through the passionate pursuit of personal interests.” We continued 4MAT/

Differentiation of Instruction/DI as a Core program, and embedded differentiation strategies into many of our professional

development offerings this year. Most of our professional development offerings utilize Schoology and model for teachers how

to differentiate with the platform. In addition, the Enrichment Specialists continued their dual role of technology lab teacher K-5

and differentiation coach in 2017-2018 including the integration of technology into instructional practices. They will continue in

this role for 2018-2019 with a focus on blended learning.

The Enrichment Specialists met monthly to develop models of differentiated instruction/instructional technology/STEM/blended

learning integration to implement in classrooms. We continued to offer programs to increase rigor in lessons and student

engagement. Finally, Damon Piletz, Coordinator of Gifted Services at BOCES 2, taught a series to the Enrichment Specialists.

This information included sessions on STEM and reaching the needs of our higher end learners. These trainings will continue in

2018-2019. Enrichment Specialists continue to explore avenues to embed STEM into their push-in and pull-out opportunities

for students.

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Professional Development Plan

Evaluation Summary for 2017-2018– (continued)

To support District Strategic Objective #1, “Each student will participate continuously, respectfully and willingly in improving

community well-being,” the Office of Professional Development offered a session for teaching productive behavior including

Mental Health Issues in the Classroom, Trauma Sensitive Classroom I and II, Youth Mental Health First Aid and the Well

Regulated Classroom. We offered additional programs in behavior management to promote productive student behavior, such as

the Therapeutic Crisis Intervention and De-escalation Strategies. Schools designed programs and incentives for productive

student behavior as part of their commitment to PBIS.

Our plan must also meet state mandates. To meet the New York State mentoring regulation, the Office of Professional

Development, in collaboration with the Instruction Office, school principals, the Curriculum and Staff Development Committee,

STA president, and the Professional Development Committee developed a mentoring component for our new teacher induction

program, adopted by the Board on January 27, 2004. This year, we continued to implement this mentoring component, reviewed

it based on updated NYSED guidelines and developed a multi-layer New Teacher Mentoring Guidelines document for

implementation in 2012-2013 with further refinements in 2013-2014. We also delivered a portfolio training process aligned with

the district’s Annual Professional Performance Review. Changes to the portfolio will occur in 2017-2018 based on the changes

in the Annual Professional Performance Review process.

A more detailed review of our yearly progress follows in the rest of the report.

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2017-2018

Goal #1

Increase staff members’ understanding of NYS Standards and Assessments, and increase the use of strategies to help all

students reach these Standards. (Target goal: By 2018, 100% of all students will score at or above Standard on all

assessments.)

Alignment of the curriculum between what is taught and program outcome is critical for student achievement. Program

curriculum documents aligned with the Standards serve as guides for lessons and units. Understanding the assessment tasks and

expected outcomes deepens teachers’ understanding of what students need to know, understand, and be able to do in each

content area.

There are selected research-based instructional strategies that are aligned with Standards outcomes to increase student

achievement. Teachers were provided with many of these strategies, as well as selected tools to guide the delivery of their

instruction, such as lesson template and technology software.

Objective A: Align instruction with expected assessment outcomes.

Objective B: Increase rigor and challenge in all courses/grade levels so that more students achieve mastery.

Objective C: Increase understanding and implementation of Standards-based instructional strategies to help all

learners meet and exceed the Standards.

Activity Title Enrollment

2017-2018 (TAs and Aides) Classroom Instructional Strategies for Interactive Learning 8

2017-2018 (TAs and Aides) Supporting Students with the Inquiry Model 7

2017-2018 Blending Your Classroom in a 1:1 Learning Environment K-12 25

2017-2018 CORE Elements of Instruction 10

2017-2018 Create Your Own ESOL Toolbox - Implementing Strategies for ESOL Success 19

2017-2018 Foundation of Writer's Workshop Grades K - 5 18

2017-2018 Lab Safety Type A 1

2017-2018 Schoology 101 K - 12 ONLINE 5

2017-2018 Writer's Workshop 2.0 Grades K - 5 17

Foundation of Writer's Workshop Grades K - 5 13

Option I: CORE Elements of Instruction 14

Option I: Blending Your Classroom in a 1:1 Environment 25

Option I: Blending Your Classroom in a 1:1 Environment Take 2 8

Option I: CORE Classroom Management 25

Option I: Digital Assessment for the 1:1 Classroom Grades 6-12 25

Option I: Digital Conversion Palooza K-6 32

Option I: The Journey to 1:1 Grades 6-12 32

Enrollment Total 284

Goal #1, Objectives A-C Provided 2017-2018

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Professional Development Annual Report


September 5th and October 6th Superintendent's Conference Days

On September 5th and October 6th, Spencerport teachers, administrators and clerical staff participated in Superintendent’s

Conference Days. September 5th Superintendent’s Conference Day focused on preparing our faculty and staff for a successful

school year. The kick-off to the October 6th Superintendent’s Conference Day was keynote speaker George Couros. Teachers

participated in district-sponsored trainings to support Digital Conversion for the remainder of conference day. Trainings were

also provided for clerical and paraprofessionals on October 6th.

September 5th Superintendent's Conference Day

Activity Title Instructor

Total

Enrollment

2017-2018 Superintendent's

Conference Day: Opening Day Dan Milgate 552

October 6th Superintendent's Conference Day

Activity Title Instructor

Total

Enrollment

2017-2018 Superintendent's

Conference Day Dan Milgate 438

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Professional Development Annual Report

ELA and Math Rating Days 3-8

For the 2017-2018 school year, the NYS grades 3-8 ELA and Math Exams were scored on a variety of days.

K-8 teachers were selected or applied to score and received rigorous training following the guidelines mandated by NYSED.

Outlined below is a summary of the scoring for ELA and Math:

Scoring Information – 2018

ELA:

Subject &

GradeScoring Leaders Facilitator(s)

Total

Scorers

Scoring: ELA 3Carol Robnson, Lisa

McCarthy

Benson, Marlene; Judd, Ellen; Kincaid,

Chris11


McCarthy

Lefebre, Shelli; Lopatka, Tammy;

Mellon, Stephanie12


McCarthy

Breon, Gretchen; Dallo, Julie; Page,

Andrea12


McCarthy

Chatterton, Sue; Marsh, Kristan; Young,

Dana12

Scoring: ELA 7 Kristen Paolini; Rob Allen Allen, Rob; Galbraith, Nicole; Knight,

Nancy11

Scoring: ELA 8 Kristen Paolini; Rob Allen Burgstrom,Katie; Fenton, Karen;

Thevanesan, Emmy; Yeara, Deb11

MATH:

Subject &

Grade Scoring Leaders Facilitator(s)

Total

Scorers

Scoring: Math 3 Kristen Paolini, Lisa McCarthy Faas, Lori 5

Scoring: Math 4 Kristen Paolini, Lisa McCarthy Pincelli, Telcie 5

Scoring: Math 5 Kristen Paolini, Lisa McCarthy Tallman, Lisa 4

Scoring: Math 6 Kristen Paolini, Lisa McCarthy Grosodonia, Patty 4

Scoring: Math 7

Kristen Paolini; Mike Sorbera;

Matt Amoroso Limina, Christine 4

Scoring: Math 8

Kristen Paolini; Mike Sorbera;

Matt Amoroso Amoroso, Matt 4

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Professional Development Initiatives 2017-2018

Goal #1

Objective D: Integrate Technology into Standards-based lessons

Activity Highlights:

Delivered a multitude of technology sessions during the summer and year programs, many designed to support the 1-1

initiative and/or the implementation of our new Learning Management System, Schoology.


2017-2018 (TAs and Aides) Management of Devices and Basic

Troubleshooting in Technology 7

2017-2018 (TAs and Aides) Multi-Media Tools for Publishing 6

2017-2018 (TAs and Aides) Welcome to Schoology (as a

Student) 16

2017-2018 Collaboration in a Digital World 4

2017-2018 Digital Literacy in Your Classroom 9

2017-2018 Digital Literacy in Your Classroom 19

2017-2018 Digital Notebooks for Student Writing & Sketching 5

2017-2018 Schoology 101 (K-12) 8

2017-2018 Schoology 201: Learning Menu Approach (6-12) 2

2017-2018 Schoology 201: Learning Menu Approach (K-5) 10

2017-2018 Schoology on Demand 4

2017-2018 Show What You Know: Students as Creators...Not

Consumers 6

2017-2018: PowerPoint 2.0: Creating Instructional Videos with

Office Mix 6

Option I: Digital Tools for Student Learning 15

Option I: Edcamp 77

Option I: PowerPoint 2.0: Creating Instructional Videos with

Office Mix 13

Option I: Schoology 101 32



Option I: Show What You Know: Students as Creators...Not

Consumers 16

Achieve 3000 19


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Goal #2

Provide new teachers with transition and orientation to the district, curriculum, school practices and expectations.

(Target goal: 100% of new hires will complete all induction training and be supported to use these skills within their first

three years of employment.)

The Spencerport Staff Development Program provides new hires with induction into district practices, while building upon the

skills the new staff brings to us. The staff development program also provides them with Standards and Assessment training.

All people working within the Spencerport Central School District need to share a common instructional language based upon

best practices to communicate with each other on instructional issues, to work collaboratively on lesson design and delivery in

the inclusion classroom, and to heighten professional awareness. The Core programs provide this language, and best practices.

The Core includes: Elements of Instruction (Hunter, Rosenshine, Gagne), baseline research-based teaching practice; 4MAT

(McCarthy), concept-based unit plans to meet diverse learning styles and Differentiation of Instruction (Tomlinson); TESA

(Goode & Brophy), 15 teacher practices to encourage high expectations; Classroom Management (Kounin, Anderson, Mendler,

Wong), structure of the environment for productive behavior; and Literacy for ALL, instruction in balanced literacy and research

based reading and writing instruction. All Core programs include follow-up which is critical for transfer. All new teachers work

to complete the Core programs during their first three years of employment.

Objective A: Build understanding of subject area curriculum/standards/assessments.

Objective B: Build understanding of district policy, procedures and expectations.

Objective C: Build repertoire of district expected classroom practices and common language among staff.

School Year 07/01/2010 - 06/30/2011

07/01/2011 - 06/30/2012

07/01/2012 - 06/30/2013

07/01/2013 - 06/30/2014

07/01/2014 - 06/30/2015

07/01/2015 - 06/30/2016

07/01/2016 - 06/30/2017

07/01/17 - 06/30/2018

N = number teachers employed N=382 N=377 N=362 N=370 N=372 N=373 N=386 N=386 Elements of Instruction 23/6% 14/3% 13/4% 21/6% 26/7% 22/6% 32/8% 24/6% Classroom Management 23/6% 9/2% 17/5% 18/5% 21/6% 16/4% 37/9% 25/6% Cooperative Learning 18/4% 15/3% ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- TESA 19/4% 14/3% 12/3% ---- 19/5% 0/0% 24/6% 19/5%

4MAT:Awareness 13/3% 15/3% 16/4% 15/4% 16/4% 17/5% 11/3% 23/6% 4MAT: Basic Training and Differentiation 10/2% 15/3% 10/3% 13/4% 14/4% 17/5% 8/2% 22/6% Literacy for ALL (new class effective 7/2011) ---- 15/3% 0/0.0% 20/5% 15/4% 13/3% 20/5% 15/4%

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Professional Development Initiatives – 2017-2018

Objective D: Continue implementation of the mentoring program for 2013-2018, aligned with state guidelines.


The Professional Development Committee reviewed guidelines for NYSED Mentoring Proposal for 2004 and then

again in 2012. Further revisions to the plan occur each year to align with District changes and initiatives.

The Office of Professional Development compiled mentoring resources for the Professional Development

Committee and met with the Instruction Office and teachers’ union representatives to prepare a plan for the New

Teacher Training Program to include mentoring.

The mentoring plan was taken to the Professional Development Committee in September 2003, and presented to the

Board in January 2004 and implemented February 2004. This is in compliance with the state mandate.

New Teacher Mentor Handbooks were created at the elementary and secondary level based on teacher and

administrative feedback and were implemented in 2016-2017.

Further refinements to the Mentoring Program were made based on New York State changes in Mentoring

Requirements. A multi-layer mentoring plan was developed in conjunction with the Professional Development

Committee, Instructional Leaders and STA for implementation in the 2012-2013 school year. Further revisions

occur yearly based on mentor, mentee and administrative feedback.

All new teachers receive a mentor, selected by the building principal, and they work collaboratively to have a

successful first year experience in Spencerport.

Comment:

The program’s strength is in its design. It was collaboratively developed. It has a specific checklist to assist

implementation. It involves all administrators, all teacher leaders and team leaders and other pertinent staff to mentor

new staff. Trainings for mentors has been included in the New Teacher Mentoring Guidelines.

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2017-2018

Goal #3

Increase instructional staffs’ understanding of Schoolwide Enrichment and use of enrichment strategies, which

includes differentiated instruction, to be responsive to the needs of all learners. (Target Goal: 100% of teaching

staff will be trained to use some differentiated lessons and activities.)

Because all students’ needs are not the same, multiple paths are needed in classroom instruction to help all learners reach

an intended outcome. These paths are known as differentiated instruction. In addition to a variety of venues, students also

need to be engaged in the instruction. Teachers need an understanding of many intervention techniques, ranging from

behavior management to instructional strategies. To help our students with disabilities, joint planning and delivery of

instruction between a special educator and regular educator are critical for student success. To provide differentiated

services requires collaboration among staff, and a wide range of training opportunities. Providing high-end learning

opportunities will continue as a focus.

Objective A: Develop capacity of instructional staff to differentiate instruction to provide challenging opportunities

for all students.

Objective B: Increase instructional staff understanding and use of Type I, Type II and Type III enrichment strategies,

and any other strategies identified as sound enrichment practices.


2017-2018 CORE 4MAT: Differentation

of Instruction - Awareness Session 23

2017-2018 CORE 4MAT: Differentiation

of Instruction - Basic Training 22

Enrollment Total 45

Comments:

As a district, we have provided many opportunities for teachers to develop their understanding of enrichment

strategies to challenge all of our learners. This training became more essential as we rose to the challenges and

rigor of the Common Core Standards in ELA and Math beginning in September 2012. Differentiation strategies

are also an expectation within the NYSUT rubric of the new Spencerport APPR process.

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Goal #4

Increase teachers’ and administrators’ understanding and use of effective teaching practices to improve instruction

for all learners. (Target Goal: 100% of staff will be provided with professional development opportunities ranging

from training to follow-up to expand repertoire of effective teaching practices.)

Providing teachers with research-based practices is paramount to our staff development program. Among those practices

highlighted in the 2013-2018 plan were classroom management, learning styles, instructional elements and lesson alignment.

Objective A: Increase understanding of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and use of

effective classroom management strategies.

Objective B: Increase understanding and use of research-based instructional strategies for increasing student

achievement; e.g., Marzano’s What Works in Schools, Todd Whitaker’s Seven Simple Secrets, and Mike Schmoker’s

Results Now.

Objective C: Increase use of character education principles, bullying prevention and Developmental Assets.

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Goal 4 Continued


2017-2018 (TAs and Aides) Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) 8

2017-2018 (TAs and Aides) TCI Recertification 4

2017-2018 (TAs and Aides) Trauma Sensitive Classroom 10

2017-2018 De-escalation Strategies 14

2017-2018 Healing Powers of the Breath and Other Relaxation

Strategies 20

2017-2018 TCI Recertification 10

2017-2018 TCI Recertification 18

2017-2018 Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) 8

2017-2018 Trauma Sensitive Classroom 17

2017-2018 Trauma Sensitive Classroom 17

2017-2018 Trauma Sensitive Classroom: Part II 19

2017-2018 Well-Regulated Classroom 19

2017-2018 Youth Mental Health First Aid Training 2

2017-2018 Youth Mental Health First Aid Training (Teacher Aides

and Assistants) 6

Option I: Behavior Management Strategies for Students with Autism 12

Option I: Breaking Barriers K-12 13

Option I: Healing Powers of the Breath and Other Relaxation

Strategies 11

Option I: Hot Topics in Mental Health: Understanding and Supporting

Students who Self-Harm and Anxiety 21

Option I: Mental Health Issues in the Classroom with Classroom

Management Techniques 15

Option I: Safe Zone Training 11

Option I: Trauma Sensitive Classroom 16

Option I: Youth Mental Health First Aid Training 4

Restorative Practices 14


Comments:

Staff Development support for developing teachers’ state-of-the-art skills continues to be a keystone of the program. As the

years progress, further job-embedded structures should facilitate a learning community to promote continuous growth. The

most recent work by Carol Ann Tomlinson regarding differentiation now contains a component directly related to this area.

The training we conduct in differentiation will now integrate these components (character education, assets).


Goal #5

Provide opportunities to meet required state training. (Target Goal: 100% of affected staff will receive

required state training.)

New York requires training for all staff on certain topics. Staff development designs the implementation plans,

supports trainers, and carries through the programs to meet state mandates.

Objective: Plan for and schedule any required state training.


2017-2018 Professional Portfolio Workshop 8

Option I: Cooperating Teacher Training for Hosting a

Student Teacher 2

Option I: Lab Safety B Retraining in Schoology 42

Enrollment Total 52

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Goal #6

Receive, disseminate, and implement up-to-date information on curricular area initiatives. (Target Goal:

100% of teacher leaders and curriculum administrators will receive research and conference information on

curriculum initiatives.)

Each curriculum area has special information, research, and practices that need to be brought into our curriculum.

Teachers attend conferences to gather this information. These conferences are consistently rated as excellent sources

to enrich our curriculum.

Objective A: Make available conference information on selected curricular topics/issues and support

attendance as is feasible.

Objective B: Make available training opportunities in new curricular initiatives to prepare teachers.

All teachers attending conferences rate them as highly correlated to curriculum and instructional strategies.

Follow-up is completed through reports, either written or to committee.

181 teachers, administrators, nurses, teacher aides and clerical attended conferences in 2017-2018

344 workshops were attended during the 2017-2018 school year:

18 by clerical

3 by nurses

75 by instructional administrators

7 by operational administrators

241 by teachers or teacher aides

A few highlights:

4 teachers attended Assessments and Grading in the Differentiated Classroom

3 teachers attended Developing Opportunities for High Ability Readers, Writers and Thinkers

4 librarians attended Digital Media in the Classroom Conference Day

2 teachers and 1 administrator attended NYSCATE

7 counselors and psychologists attended the 12th Annual Regional School-based Mental Health

Conference

5 administrators attended CBT Training

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2017-2018

Goal #7

Continue to identify and use sound research and best practices as the foundation for all staff development.

(Target Goal: All Professional Development Committee members and Curriculum and Staff Development

Council members will receive compendium of research/theory best practices.)

To continuously improve our students’ learning, it is necessary to keep teachers informed of all state-of-the-art

research and practices, and to bring these practices back into the district. At this time, our focus has been on staff

development practices.

Objective A: Professional Development Committee members will identify and use current research and best

practices in design of the staff development plan.


The Professional Development Committee revisited the new New York State Professional Development

Standards and aligned the standards with our staff development programs by creating a new staff

development proposal form. Guidance documents for completion of the form were also developed. The form

was annotated and used to propose courses for the 2017-2018 school year.

The Professional Development Committee reviewed evaluations to improve and enhance future staff

development offerings.

Professional Development Committee studied 21st Century Skills and incorporated 21st Century Skills into

new professional development proposal form.

The Professional Development Committee created and implemented the fifth year of a 2013-2018 five-year

Professional Development Plan. The plan reflects changes in administrative duties and changes in district

initiatives based on NYSED regulations and changes.

The Professional Development Committee reviewed the new Mentoring Regulations, created New Teacher

Mentoring Guidelines in compliance with NYS regulations for implementation in the Fall 2012. Further

revisions were completed for 2017-2018.

New Teacher Mentoring Handbooks at both the Elementary and Secondary level were created and reviewed

by teachers and administrators for implementation in the 2017-2018 school year. Further revisions were

suggested based on feedback.

Professional Development Committee reviewed and created a new Professional Development Plan for 2018-

2023.

Technology was modeled and used at each Professional Development Committee meeting.

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2017-2018

Objective B: The Professional Development Committee will set up and follow a process to share staff

development research with curriculum committees and Building Planning Teams to support quality staff

development.


Curriculum and Staff Development meetings were used to share district initiatives.

Professional Development Committee established a process to share all goals and objectives with school

planning teams and curriculum committees to gather input and provide clarification.

Professional Development Committee and Curriculum and Staff Development Committee implemented the

mentor handbook for new hires.

Objective C: Link effective teaching practices and research-based best practices in curriculum/instruction

with all staff development activities.


A review was conducted of the course offerings. Suggestions were made and recommendations gathered

from Teacher Leaders, teachers, teacher aides and teaching assistants as to research-based best practices

needed to promote student learning.

Additional courses in the areas of Standards-Based, Technology and Teaching for Productive Student

Behavior are being offered as a result of this needs assessment.

Blended Learning courses and a course on Schoology, or Learning Management System were offered. These

courses, along with others proposed, are offered to support the transition to a 1:1 classroom environment.

Four new online courses were piloted in the Spring of 2018. New courses will continue to be proposed and

developed in Schoology for teachers, administrators and teacher assistants. These online courses are not

designed to replace face-to-face professional development but rather to provide an additional avenue for staff

to acquire the necessary skills and strategies to aid in their development as educators.

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Goal #8

Teachers will use research based interventions and strategies to increase ELA and Math achievement of

students with disabilities. (Target Annual Goal: percentages of students with disabilities scoring at Levels 3

and 4 on State ELA and Math assessments will increase each year by targeted Annual Yearly Plan.)

Objective A: All teachers of Students with Disabilities will receive training and use specific strategies to

support increased literacy achievement.


Training and/or ongoing support to Reading Specialists and Special Education Teachers in research based

interventions for struggling readers.

Small group tutoring to assist students with Regents preparation.

Continue implementation of Response to Intervention process and Targeted Academic Support provided

to SWD at the elementary level to focus on literacy skill development. Importance placed on the

frequency, duration and intensity of interventions that are research-based and delivered with fidelity.

Special Education teams focus on working with students in Resource Rooms for a more individualized

approach to students struggling with reading.

Monitor Student Improvement Plans for our most struggling readers at the elementary level.

Monitor student achievement every five weeks for grades 6 through 12. Make adjustments to

interventions as needed.

Continue targeted literacy skill interventions for 15:1 students at Cosgrove Middle School.

Special Education Director, Coordinators, and staff representation on the district and RtI committee.

K-12 Speech Therapists and Reading Specialists continue to study literacy and develop phonemic

awareness targeted instruction for K-1 level students.

Expand inclusionary practices to increase reading achievement (co-integrated, peer reading partners,

modified specialized instruction).


2017-2018 Effective IEP Writing 6 - 8 2

2017-2018 Effective IEP Writing 9 - 12 1

2017-2018 Effective IEP Writing K-5 5

Enrollment Total 8

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Objective B: All teachers of Students with Disabilities will increase knowledge of and time spent in collaboration.


Continue high school class for credit to assist struggling readers in the 15:1 program. (Strategies for Success)

Teachers of students with disabilities will continue to collaborate with general education teachers through co-

planning activities, IST, RtI and SIP meetings. General education teachers find this time valuable, as many of the

strategies suggested by other team members (consultant teacher, speech therapist, and occupational therapist) are

effective for all students.

Continue to focus on differentiated instruction and specialized instruction.

Continue to implement Unique Curriculum to align instruction with the Common Core for our 6:1:1 and 12:1:1

special classes.

Staff development provided on quality IEP goal development. Continue to monitor quality of goals.

Individual meetings with case managers as needed.

Continue training and a team approach to Functional Behavior Assessments and Behavior Intervention Plans.

Ongoing training will be provided.

Teacher Leader and School Psychologist meetings will continue to focus on the Special Education continuum of

services and specialized instruction.

Collaboration and committee meetings will continue to taking place to examine credit recovery and graduation

rates for students with disabilities.

Collaboration with counselors on graduation plans and options for students.

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Objective C: Teachers of Students with Disabilities will communicate with parents to implement strategies and

supports at home with their child(ren).


A tiered approach to transition planning as needed for each student is highly individualized and includes parent

input. Impact of new graduation options analyzed for each high school student.

Teachers will continue to use technology (Infinite Campus, email, Schoology, blogs) to communicate with

families outside of the school day.

Personal phone calls to parents to address the needs of students as needed.

Team meetings are scheduled as needed to address parent concerns or for teams to be proactive.

Active parent involvement in the CSE process.

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Other Professional Development Activities 2017-2018

In response to the IDEA requirement, the Professional Development Committee conducted a needs

assessment with teachers, paraprofessionals and teaching assistants to determine training needs. The

results of the needs assessment continues to indicate that the training we offered is sufficient but there

needs to be more varied opportunities for follow-up to the training. This will continue to be a focus of

the new 2018-2023 plan.

New hires in the District follow the New Teacher Mentoring Guidelines per NYSED mandates. All new

teachers are assigned a mentor and work collaboratively to assure a successful first year in Spencerport.

The charge for the Professional Development committee for 2017-2018: o Develop a new Professional Development Plan (2018-2023) aligned to the Strategic Plan and increased student

achievement.

o Continue to Incorporate Schoology into PD Plan, CORE Courses and future trainings.

o Communicate any updates to CTLE hours.

o Investigate how blended learning and digital conversion will impact teachers and the PD that will be needed to

support our faculty.

o Oversee the development of at least 3 online PD courses that utilize Schoology as the learning platform.

The Director of Learning and Professional Development continued to collaborate with area professional

organizations and colleges.

The Office of Staff Development coordinated the placement of 73 student teachers/observers from 12

colleges. This is an increase of one placement from 2016-2017. This year, 53 teachers sponsored student

teachers and/or observers.

The Office of Staff Development in conjunction with the Curriculum and Staff Development Committee

implemented the Student Teacher Handbook for Cooperating Teachers and presented a cooperating

teacher training session in August and in December. This session is required for all cooperating teachers

and will be presented in the summer and winter of 2018-2019.

Frontline Professional Development Management System replaced WinCap PD. Frontline Professional

Development Management System will allow teachers administrators and teacher assistants with

professional certification to track their CTLE in TEACH.

In response to the recommendation by NYSED of the review of our Professional Development Plan as

well as district retirements, we will need to solicit a few new members for the Professional Development

Committee for 2018-2019.

The Office of Professional Development will be integral in the work of the New York State Science,

ELA and Math Learning Standards. We will develop curriculum based on the new standards and work

to assure our teachers understand how to change their practices to a model where students take

ownership of their learning.

The Office of Professional Development will continue to support Digital Conversion, which will include

ongoing job embedded professional development.

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Initiatives from the Office of Professional Development

2018-2019

Continue to develop the skills of each of the 1:1 21st Century Teams at each level to align practices to the

2016 ISTE Standards for students. These teams will support their building level peers during the digital

conversion process.

Continue to infuse literacy and technology into professional development offerings as well as follow-up

with teachers.

Continue to monitor alignment of the District Strategic Plan with our Professional Development Plan.

Continue to increase the types of follow-up used in the CORE and technology programs to increase the

transfer of skills to the classroom. We will continue to infuse Schoology as a mode of learning for our

professional development trainings and book studies.

Continue to connect technology training with classroom instruction. This will include plans to assure

consistency amongst teachers K-12. Work collaboratively with the Assistant Superintendent of

Instruction and the Chief Information Officer and on SMART Schools Investment Plan and the 1:1

initiative.

Continue to expand job-embedded staff development in the CORE content areas and technology to

support use of skills to help all learners achieve success.

Continue to monitor student achievement as a key indicator of staff development program success and as

a method to identify needs of staff development.

Continue to monitor, refine and supervise the New Teacher Induction Program to include mentoring and

portfolio development based on NYSED regulations and District APPR.

Review current staff development offerings for infusion of 21st Century Learning Skills, cognitive

engagement and instructional technology integration.

Continue to monitor Frontline Professional Development Management System and use the reports to

report out on key initiatives.

Develop professional development to assure teachers have opportunities to meet mandatory 100 hours of

CTLE for teachers, administrators and level III teaching assistants with professional certification.

Review and refine new 5-year Professional Development Plan 2018-2023.

Work collaboratively with the Assistant Superintendent of Instruction and district administrators in the

implementation of the new Annual Professional Performance Review based on proposed changes in

2018-2019.

Work collaboratively with the Assistant Superintendent of Instruction on implementation of the Digital

Conversion to support teachers and administrators growing professionally.

The Professional Development Committee will review and revise these initiatives as needed when it

convenes in fall 2018.

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