School Zone
A Note From Our Professional
Development Department
The mission of the
Professional Development department is to provide
support for the growth and development of teachers,
principals, district staff and administrators by
equipping them with increased knowledge and skills that
result in enhanced professional practices and improved
student achievement.
In Duval County Public Schools, there has been a focused
effort to provide more structure for in-service
education due in part to state and national initiatives.
The Florida School Community Professional Development
Act (1012.98) required the Department of Education to
design methods by which school districts may evaluate
and improve their professional development systems. The
evaluation process required by this legislation is the
Florida Department of Education Professional Development
System Evaluation Protocol. The system is based on
standards established by The National Staff Development
Council (NSDC). All School districts participate in
reviews of their professional development systems by the
Department of Education through multi-year site visits.
The protocols explore four components of professional
development:
- Planning:
What planning occurs to organize and support the
professional development?
- Delivery:
How often and how well is the professional
development delivered?
- Follow-up:
What follow-up is provided to ensure that teachers
use the skills and knowledge gained through
professional development?
- Evaluation:
What evaluation occurs to ensure that the
professional development results in teacher use in
the classroom and improvements in student learning
These components are
addressed at the district, school and faculty levels.
The goal is to align these levels across the district to
establish a collaborative system of training and
development with support for successful implementation
of professional development initiatives.
Click here for a list of services offered by the
Professional Development office. To find out about
Professional Development opportunities, visit their
web site. |
