Requirements

The Virginia Standards of Quality requires all instructional personnel to participate in a program of professional development. All instructional personnel, except instructional assistants, including 10-, 11-, and 12-month employees, are required to complete the equivalency of two days of district professional development activities. Most instructional personnel will attend four 2-½-hour workshops to have additional leave on the professional development days. Two days, November 21, 2012 and April 1, 2013, are designated as professional development days. The professional development choice program allows instructional personnel the opportunity to have two regular, contractual professional development days free, by participating in these workshops and activities. Personnel who do not complete this contractual requirement will receive a compensation adjustment in the spring. 

We encourage teachers who find it difficult to attend workshops after school to attend workshops in the summer, and/or the 2011 Instructional Showcase Conference in April of 2013.

The Design of the 2012—2013 Professional Development Program

Fauquier County has had a tradition of offering a variety of quality professional development workshops. The No Child Left Behind Act and Virginia’s licensure guidelines (based on NCLB) define “high quality professional development” as activities that are sustained, intensive, and classroom focused to heighten the likelihood that the experiences will have a lasting impact on instruction and student learning.” State guidelines clearly state that high quality professional development experiences are not solely one-day, short-term workshops or conferences.
To meet these high quality professional standards, the 2012—2013 professional development program is designed to insure sustained, connected learning. 

The school division also considers graduate level courses as “high quality professional development” because they satisfy the requirements of a sustained, intensive learning activity.  Therefore, FCPS will continue to permit graduate courses to count for professional development credit. Credit values differ for graduate courses. For more information, refer to the Equivalency Time Options Chart listed below. 

THE STEPS:

1. Review the required professional development workshops listed in the Highlights section of the main page. If you are required to take a workshop, you must register for the applicable workshop before choosing other options.

2. Consult your principal or supervisor. A principal has the discretion to assign single workshops to all or any teachers in his/her building. For the 2012-2013 school year, all schools will have at least the equivalent of one full day of school-based professional development as designed by the principal or his/her designee.

3. Turn in your professional development plan. A copy of your plan should be given to your school principal for his/her records or (if applicable) for his/her review.

4. Register in CourseWhere. When you have made your selections, logon to CourseWhere (https://www.solutionwhere.com/fcps/cw/pro_reglogon.asp?action=logon) and register for the appropriate workshops.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES

1. Teachers must choose workshops or courses that will equal or exceed the equivalent of two-days (2.0) of professional development credit. Because most workshops are 2-½ hours, most instructional personnel will attend four 2½-hour workshops (worth 0.5 day each). However, some workshops and courses are worth more (or less) than 0.5, so the total number of workshops may vary. Teachers should refer to the equivalency time options below and workshop descriptions in CourseWhere for this information.

2. Leave days may not be used as equivalency time for professional development activities.

3. The cut-off date for earning equivalency time is April 30. Keeping a record of the time earned is the responsibility of each individual. CourseWhere is available to review personal transcripts whenever it is necessary.

4. There are waiting lists for many workshops. If you cannot attend a workshop for which you have registered, please be thoughtful of others. Please use CourseWhere to register for and withdraw from workshops. Many workshops are conducted by presenters who have traveled a long distance and/or spent many hours of preparation. It is very disheartening if only two or three participants actually attend a workshop for which fifteen or twenty have registered.

5. Every effort will be made to adhere to the professional development schedule of offerings presented here. Occasionally, however, it will be necessary to reschedule or even cancel a session. It is your responsibility to monitor your emailfor rescheduled and canceled workshop sessions and to ensure that you have earned adequate time prior to April 30, regardless of changes in the professional development schedule.

6. Optional professional development activities must be approved 10 days in advance. 

7. As a condition for approval, conference attendance may be limited to those who agree to conduct a workshop or sharing session with other teachers.

8. Prior to selecting workshops, teachers should consult the required professional development workshops listed in the Highlights section of the main Professional Development page. If you are required to take a workshop, you must register for the applicable workshop. 

EQUIVALENCY TIME OPTIONS

THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE TO MEET PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS:

Exclusions & Restriction

Exclusions from Professional Development Activities

The following are examples of “normal responsibilities” which would be specifically excluded for consideration as professional development activities:

· Job related activities such as lesson and unit planning; grading and assessments;

· PTO meetings and other school events; regular parent contact, conferences and calls; web-page maintenance;

· TAT/IEP/RTI meetings

· Faculty/Department/Team/Vertical and grade level meetings and training

· Judging of contests

· Writing of IEP’s,IEP and individual student plan development and record keeping, etc.

· Coaching clinics (other than physical education teachers attending specific, approved physical education conferences)

· Required meetings for staff of a given school

· Graduation, Performances, Chaperoning field trips, student organization conferences, athletic events, after school related activities including student competitions and co-curricular activities

· Attending educational association meetings (exception: SOL State Committees)

· State or regional planning activities

· Attendance at a conference or organization meeting for which a stipend is paid

· Activities for which any monetary compensation is received

· Serving on school-based screening committees or committee appointments for the school and divisions

Restrictions for Using Professional Development Equivalency Time

· None of the activities for equivalency time shall be completed during contractual time.

· Equivalency time is not cumulative from year to year and must be completed by the cut-off date of April 30.

· No equivalency time for professional development credit will be awarded for leading a workshop outside of the county for which you are paid.

· The equivalency time activity must consist of at least two and one-half hours of non-contractual time (exclusive of meals, breaks, etc.).

· Leave days may not be used in lieu of earning equivalency time for professional development days.

· Failure to earn equivalency time for any of the professional development days that the person did not attend will cause the person to forfeit the equivalent compensation for the day(s) missed.

· A maximum of one-half day credit will be granted for out-of-county conferences or workshops that are fewer than three days.

APPROVING AND Recording Professional development Time

WORKSHOPS

Individuals attending workshops offered by Fauquier County Public Schools will sign attendance rosters at the workshop. The roster is used in recording equivalency time for attendance at the workshop.  Participants must attend the workshop in its entirety to receive professional development credit. Late arrival or early departure may result in credit being reduced or withdrawn completely. If you fail to sign-in, you may not receive credit for attendance.

GRADUATE CREDIT COURSES

If you are taking a non-FCPS sponsored course (non-reimbursable), please fill out the “Notification of Enrollment” form and send to the Professional Development Office, SBO, 4th floor. This form is available online at fcps1.org. Equivalency time for courses taken by an individual will only be recorded when a grade report or transcript is turned in that corresponds to the “Notification of Enrollment” form. Spring courses, completed by May 31 will be credited to the current school year.

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES

Optional activities should be requested on the “Application for Optional Professional Development Activity” form available in your school/department office. The form, after approval by your principal and the Associate Superintendent, is returned to the sender. At the completion of the activity, it is signed to certify participation and returned to the Professional Development Office, with an attached proof of completion (i.e. certificate of completion, conference program, or other validation).  Equivalency time is recorded upon receipt of this certified form. Approval for an activity submitted after-the-fact will be reviewed on an individual basis. 

FORFEITURE OF COMPENSATION

Persons who have not fulfilled requirements of equivalency time prior to April 30, will forfeit the equivalent compensation for the days missed. Exceptions may be made only for graduate courses that complete prior to May 31.

OPTIONAL GROUP ACTIVITIES

Approval for optional group activities must be requested on the “Request to Present Workshop” form (available online), “Teachers as Readers” form (available online), or the “Application for Optional Professional Development Activity” form (available in your front office). Please choose the appropriate form. Forms are due at the central office ten days prior to the date of the activity. A list of participants must be attached to the form upon completion of the activity. The facilitator returns the form to the Professional Development Office, and equivalency time is recorded upon its receipt.