MISSISSIPPI BEND AREA EDUCATION AGENCY

Transcription

1 MISSISSIPPI BEND AREA EDUCATION AGENCY Regulation Title: Staff Development Courses Code No: 600.4B References: Board Policy Date of Adoption: May 14, 1997 REVISED: June 12, 2002; May 11, 2005; June 8, 2011 REVIEWED: ; ; PURPOSE STATEMENT The purpose of personal development and organizational development offerings by the Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency (Agency) is to provide an opportunity for school improvement efforts to be successful in districts/buildings and to provide opportunities for teachers and administrators to meet licensure, recertification, and degree requirements. Agency staff should follow these procedures when planning to teach a staff development course: Step One: Determine the need for the course The Agency is committed to staff development at the district/building level in order to support school improvement and other goals in a building or district. For this reason, you should determine if there is need at that level first. If there is, arrange with the building/district to offer the course on site. Courses offered using this method are Organizational Development Courses and are determined collaboratively with district personnel. The Agency will continue to meet with a staff development advisory committee whose responsibility is to do a yearly needs assessment of staff development needs across the Agency. Typically the courses offered as part of the needs assessment will be Personal Development Courses or DE Required Training.

2 The need for Degree Courses offered through the Agency as part of a college or university degree program is determined by the college or university. Step Two: Work with your supervisor through the appropriate section of the Pay for Courses Guidelines Sections B and C of the guidelines (Personal Development Courses and Required Training) include options for including the course as part of your regular employment contract or for reimbursement of time or pay. The type of compensation will be determined by the platform director with recommendation from your supervisor. Every effort should be made to offer the course as part of your regular contract work. Following that effort, adjustments to the established yearly calendar should be considered before a supplemental contract. What must be taken into account here is the extent to which services to local schools will be affected by such a calendar change. If a supplemental contract is used, go on to Step Three; otherwise, go directly to Step Four. Step Three: Have a supplemental contract written and approved by the Agency Board before beginning the course. Without a pre-approved supplemental contract, an instructor will not be paid for teaching a course. It is the responsibility of the instructor to make certain that a contract has been requested and approved. Step Four: Complete the "Information Regarding Courses Taught by Agency Staff" form and return it to the Executive Director of Integrated Services.

3 Information Regarding Courses Taught by Agency Staff Course Title Agency Instructor Dates of Course Number of Students Type of course (complete one) Organizational Development Personal Development Required Training Degree Program Method of Compensation District/Building Involved Needs Assessment Topic Requirement Addressed College/University involved Degree Addressed Time counted as part of regular contract with prior approval by supervisor Details: Supplemental Contract paid from course fees (Agency Board Policy and Regulation and 400.2B) Contract Amount: Supplemental Contract paid from agency funds (Agency Board Policy and Regulation and 400.2B) Contract Amount: For staff development sessions outside the normal workday or work week: Flex time may be used by staff with supervisor approval when staff development sessions are more than 2 hours and less than 4 hours per session. Calendar changes may be used by staff with supervisor approval when staff development sessions are greater than 4 hours per session. Schedules for courses will be completed by April prior to the next contract year.

4 PAY FOR COURSES GUIDELINES FOR AGENCY STAFF INTRODUCTORY NOTE: For purposes of these guidelines, the normal work year as specified in Appendix B of the Master Contract will be followed. Staff members are expected to provide service to schools from July 1 through June 30. The annual calendar for each employee is established by board policy. Any adjustments to an employee's established work calendar are made by the employee and his/her supervisor. Where not specified, the number of students necessary to offer a course will be determined jointly by the district and the Platform Director in the case of organizational development courses, by the Executive Director of Integrated Services and the instructor in the case of personal development courses and required training, and by the college/university offering the course in the case of degree courses. Where approval by the Platform Director is specified, that approval will be based on the need for the course as determined by the yearly staff development needs assessment or by the needs of a specific district as determined by the Platform Director. Organizational Development Courses Offered by the Agency Definition: Courses offered at the district site in support of district/building school improvement or other district/building goals. o Courses During Agency Hours contract/assignment. See introductory note above. o Courses After Agency Hours contract/assignment. See introductory note above. Personal Development Courses Offered by the Agency

5 Definition: Courses offered through the on-line catalog are courses on an at-large basis across the Agency for individual teacher or administrator graduate credit or recertification credit. o Courses During Agency Hours No cost except for graduate credit and the Agency processing fee. contract/assignment. See introductory note above. o Courses After Agency Hours contract/assignment. See introductory note on the first page. or The Agency can pay the Agency staff member on a supplemental contract as instructor from Agency funds with approval by the Platform Director. Students pay for instructor costs, graduate tuition, and the Agency processing fee (if asking for graduate credit) The base price for all courses for which an instructor is paid from student fees is $50 per credit hour. The minimum number of students for courses is 12. Any tuition costs for graduate credit will be in addition to the base price. The Agency issues a supplemental contract for $500 per credit hour paid from the charges to students. The additional (or decreased) stipend for classes that exceed (or fail to reach) 12 students will remain in place. (Board Policy and Regulation 400.2B) Required Training Offered by the Agency Definition: This training relates to specific Department of Education regulations regarding the needs of individuals who expect to be a teacher or administrator in Iowa. Human Relations training is one example of such a requirement. o Training During Agency Hours

6 No cost except for graduate tuition (if available) and the Agency processing fee. contract/assignment. See introductory note on the first page. o Courses After Agency Hours o No cost except for graduate tuition (if available) and the Agency processing fee. employment contract/assignment. See note on the first page. or The Agency can pay the Agency staff member on a supplemental contract as an instructor from Agency funds with approval by the Platform Director. o Students pay for instructor costs, graduate tuition (if available), and the Agency processing fee. The base price for all courses for which an instructor is paid from student fees is $50 per credit hour. Any tuition costs for graduate credit will be in addition to the base price. The Agency issues a supplemental contract from the charges to students. Degree Courses Offered Through the Agency Definition: Courses offered through the Agency as part of a college or university degree program. o Courses During Agency Hours Assignment of instructors is the responsibility of the respective college or university. Agency policies and procedures will be followed. o Courses After Agency Hours Assignment of instructors is the responsibility of the respective college or university. Agency policies and procedures will be followed. Extended contracts may be an option at the discretion of the Division Platform Director and when data indicate that the additional time working with districts in an

7 after hours pattern is ongoing. Supplemental contracts may be used in shorter term cases where additional work is needed with districts following the completion of a 200 day contract, and where advance planning was not possible. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * COURSE OFFERINGS MISSISSIPPI BEND AREA EDUCATION AGENCY Structure Course offerings from the Mississippi Bend AEA Agency will consist of four "streams." *Organizational development *Personal development *Required training *Degree programs Organizational Development Organizational development courses and workshops will be offered at district/building sites. These courses will have no cost to students except when graduate credit is offered as an option. For those courses, the only fee will be graduate tuition and the Agency processing fee. Courses will be planned between the Agency and the local district or building as part of district or building school improvement or other goals. Personal Development Personal development courses and workshops are offered by the Agency and advertised in the online catalog of courses. Graduate credit will be offered from Drake University or other appropriate institutions. Instructors may be hired from outside the Agency. Agency staff will also be available for teaching based on the Pay for Courses Guidelines for Agency. Fees may be charged to students for graduate credit, staff development credit, and Agency processing.

8 A needs assessment will be conducted by the Agency on a yearly basis to determine personal development/licensure needs. With support from the Staff Development Committee made up of local district personnel, the Agency will determine the delivery method. Courses that are offered on a "students pay for instructor costs" basis will have a base price of $50 per credit hour in addition to any graduate tuition to be paid to the college/university and Agency processing fees. Required Training Although similar to Personal Development offerings, these are sessions that are related to specific Iowa Department of Education regulations. Human Relations is one example of this course category. Degree Programs In some cases, degree programs are arranged by the Agency with colleges and universities in order to meet the needs of district educators. When staff members are asked by a college or university to teach a course in such programs, the staff member will be employed directly by the college or university. Agency board policies will provide guidance in matters of conflicting employment.