Township High School Dist 214 - PD

For educators, by educators, these graduate course opportunities offered by the District cover a variety of instructional areas.

• All U214 instructors are District 214 staff as well as adjunct faculty with Quincy University.
• Course content supports district initiatives, current and relevant topics in education, and best practices in teaching and learning.
• Graduate credit for each course is earned through Quincy University.
• Courses are taught online and in person.

Graduate Study Support

The Department of Professional Learning oversees the graduate study plans for licensed and support staff.  Licensed staff members are encouraged to complete a master’s degree by their 15th step on the salary schedule. Graduate study credit is applied to advancement on the salary schedule upon completion of the following graduate study plans: Master’s, Master’s +30 and Master’s +60.

District and Building Workshops

The Director of Professional Learning works with the associate principals for instruction to approve workshop plans and goals for both summer and school year workshops. District workshops are approved for staff from three or more buildings; building workshops address specific Professional Learning Community or department needs.

New Educator – Systems of Support

District 214 provides a comprehensive system of support for all new educators. Professional learning is provided in multiple settings and structures to help  each educator prepare for success with the ultimate goal of increasing student learning. 

Mentoring

Educators new to District 214 receive the support of well-trained mentors who coach their mentees on best practices in teaching and learning.

Professional Learning Communities enable new educators to learn, collaborate and problem-solve in a supportive environment.

Instructional Coaching

New educators work with instructional coaches for their first two years in the District. During the first year, they meet monthly on a curriculum that addresses Danielson’s Framework for Teaching and best practices in teaching and learning. During the second year, new educators go through a formal coaching cycle guided by their individual, student-centered goals.

Job-Embedded Professional Learning for Licensed Staff

Teaching and Learning Facilitators: The TLFs in each building are experienced teachers who partner with teachers and teams to provide job-embedded and ongoing professional learning.

Teaching and Learning Facilitators:

• Facilitate the two-year induction program for new licensed staff.
• Provide instructional coaching opportunities for all licensed staff.
• Partner with administrators to plan and lead professional learning opportunities.

 Teacher Leaders: Teachers within each building support their peers in informal and formal ways, helping to build consistency and sustainability of learning. 

Teacher leaders:

• Design and instruct U214 courses.
• Facilitate professional learning sessions.
• Mentor new licensed staff.
• Serve as cooperating teachers for student teachers.

 Job-Embedded Professional Learning for Educational Support Personnel (ESP)

The Professional Learning Department facilitates the Educational Support Personnel (ESP) Staff Development Committee and coordinates the annual ESP Institute Day program.

Learning communities

Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and improves results for all students occurs within learning communities committed to continuous improvement, collective responsibility and goal alignment.

Leadership

Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students requires skillful leaders who develop capacity, advocate and create support systems for professional learning.

Resources

Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and improves results for all students requires prioritizing, monitoring and coordinating resources for educator learning.

Data

Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and improves results for all students uses a variety of sources and types of student, educator and system data to plan, assess and evaluate professional learning.

Learning designs

Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and improves results for all students integrates theories, research and models of human learning to achieve its intended outcomes.

Implementation

Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and improves results for all students applies research on change and sustains support for implementation of professional learning for long-term change.

Outcomes

Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and improves results for all students aligns its outcomes with educator performance and student curriculum standards.

Adopted from Learning Forward's Standards for Professional Learning