Professional Development
BPSTRAINING.ORG
Mandatory State Training
Completion of the quizzes will generate an email with your responses in which you can click VIEW SCORE for feedback. You should soon thereafter receive a separate email with a certificate you can store on your Google Drive.
Here are five required trainings for the 2020-2021 academic year for all certified employees and support staff:
There is one new required training for all CERTIFIED staff, not just for Special Education:
MANDT Training
The training Building Positive Relational Skills is no longer required for all teachers and support staff but is part of the annual training for special education teachers and special education paraprofessionals, who take a paper-and-pencil test at their training. The online training with its simpler online quiz is available for others who can benefit from training on reducing workplace violence through positive behavioral supports.
After completing a training, you do NOT need to print out your completion certificate unless you wish to do so to retain for your own personal records. Periodically ESC staff will update Frontline Professional Growth to record completed trainings.
Other State Requirements
For certified staff, at least two hours per year of professional development are to be technology related. (You can document this yourself and have a principal sign-off.)
All certified and support staff who work with students in early childhood to third grade must complete autism training once every three years.
See the Professional Development page at the State Department of Education's website for a complete listing of various required trainings for various positions.
Frontline Professional Growth
The Professional Growth service from Frontline Education is how the district tracks and supports staff Professional Development, including:
Tracking the professional development points earned by staff members
Signing up for district workshops
Centralizing the evaluations and materials for district workshops
Providing access to a large library of video training resources to assist staff members with targeted professional development, including the new Professional Learning Focus requirement
Staff members set up accounts via email invitations. If you need an invitation sent to you, contact Amy Lawrence at the ESC.
Help with Using Frontline's Professional Growth
There are also instructional videos posted in a "Frontline Training" Team Drive for Instructional Technology Assistants, Instructional Coaches, Department Chairs, Grade Level and Special Area Elementary Coordinators, and Middle School Building Coordinators who have instructor rights in the Professional Growth system.
Professional Development Records
In-district professional development is tracked through sign-in sheets at the workshop/training and is recorded in Frontline's Professional Growth system.
Out-of-district professional development after July 1, 2017 is tracked with Professional Growth.
Before you can attend an out-of-district professional development activity, the activity must be approved by your building principal or your direct supervisor.
All purchase orders for registration, travel, lodging, per-diem, materials fees, miscellaneous fees, stipends and substitutes must be requested six weeks before the first day of the activity. The BPSD Board must approve all Purchase Requests before a Purchase Order can be issued. A Purchase Order must be in place before the first day of the activity. Advanced planning for out-of district professional development activities is critical. You can access the Travel Forms online.
To receive professional development credit for an out-of-district professional development activity, AFTER THE ACTIVITY HAS BEEN COMPLETED you must:
Scan and upload a copy of your participation certificate or some other proof completion into Professional Growth. (If you lack the documentation, you’ll need to insert a comment in the form to that effect and your supervisor will know to work with you on obtaining confirmation.)
Complete and submit the online PDA Out of District Request Form in Frontline's Professional Growth. Click here for instructions on requesting Out-of-District credit.
Professional Development Requirements
Every five years, full-time teachers must acquire 75 hours of professional development.
Two hours per year of professional development have to be technology related. (You can document this yourself and have a principal sign-off.)
Part-time teachers have no defined amount of hours required, but must come to district professional development days.
If you are currently going through alternative certification, you need to verify with Kelli Bryant the amount of hours you must document; the amount varies for different teachers. Please contact her so that you aren’t blindsided by a requirement of 150 hours when it is too late.