MPA PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN (Adopted by the Professional Executive Committee on January 22, 1997; Revisions approved February 2, 2000; Revisions approved September 28, 2001; Revisions approved November 2, 2005; Revisions approved November 17, 2010) Introduction The Maine Principals Association (MPA) is a professional organization serving more than 850 elementary, middle level, and high school principals, technology center directors, and assistant principals throughout the State of Maine. Professional development is a major priority of the MPA. With a focus on assuring a quality education for all students, the first two goals in the MPA s mission statement are: 1) to promote the principalship; and 2) to support principals as educational leaders... For Maine school administrators, professional development includes not only highquality, ongoing training programs with intensive follow-up and support, but also other growth-promoting processes such as study groups, action research, and mentor/coaching. MPA members have a number of avenues for professional development, including statewide conferences and regional workshops. Since technology is an essential tool, it is a viable avenue for providing professional development opportunities to the membership. The MPA holds certain assumptions about adult learning: 1) Adults will commit to learning when they believe that the objectives are realistic and important for their personal and professional needs. They need to see that what they learn through professional development is applicable to their day-to-day activities and problems. 2) Adults want to be the origin of their own learning and should therefore have some control over the what, who, how, why, when, and where of their learning. 3) Adults need direct, concrete experiences for applying what they have learned to their work. 4) Adult learners do not automatically transfer learning into daily practice. Coaching and other kinds of follow-up support are needed so that the learning is sustained. 5) Adults need feedback on the results of their efforts. 6) Adult learners come to the learning process with self-direction and a wide range of previous experiences, knowledge, interests, and competencies (Speck and Knipe, 2001). In carrying out its charge to implement the MPA s comprehensive professional development plan, the Professional Development Committee recognizes that there are a number of organizations which provide professional development for Maine educators. 1
The committee will continue to be guided by the research on the changing nature of the principalship and feedback from the membership. Recommendations 1. While professional development is a major focus for the MPA, the MPA is only one of many organizations school administrators turn to for professional growth opportunities. The MPA should continue, therefore, to carve out its particular niche in providing professional development for its constituency. Based on member surveys, we suggest that the MPA should continue to address the following: 1) Networking for school administrators; 2) Informing the membership about the practical aspects of school leadership; 3) Understanding of trends and theories in education that will influence the school leadership in the future; 4) Assisting school administrators in the recertification process; and 5) Inducting and mentoring new administrators. The MPA provides continuous professional development opportunities by offering: 1) Annual conferences 2) Focused seminars and institutes; and 3) Publications and information. 2. The job of school administrator is complex with constantly changing priorities. Thus, the MPA s professional development offerings must, of necessity, be situational. Additionally, MPA professional development activities are based on guidelines originally developed by the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium and now known as Educational Leadership Policy Standards: ISLLC 2008. 1) Training and networking opportunities must be provided to new school administrators and administrators new to schools. This includes preparation and experience at quickly analyzing a school s culture, traditions, and politics. 2) Seminars and workshops must be provided which support the school administrator s ability to set standards, implement standards-based education, and provide professional development towards the goal of student proficiency of the standards. 3) Opportunities must be provided for school administrators to engage in meaningful activities which directly demonstrate the tie between the ISLLC Standards and the recertification process. The MPA will provide opportunities for school administrators to increase their repertoire as leaders within the following ISLLC Standards: 1) An education leader promotes the success of every student by facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a vision of learning that is shared and supported by all stakeholders. 2
2) An education leader promotes the success of every student by advocating, nurturing, and sustaining a school culture and instructional program conducive to student learning and staff professional growth. 3) An education leader promotes the success of every student by ensuring management of the organization, operations, and resources for a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment. 4) An education leader promotes the success of every student by collaborating with faculty and community members, responding to diverse community interests and needs, and mobilizing community resources. 5) An education leader promotes the success of every student by acting with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical manner. 6) An education leader promotes the success of every student by understanding, responding to, and influencing the political, social, economic, legal, and cultural context. See Appendix A, Educational Leadership Policy Standards: ISLLC 2008, for a helpful amplification of this terminology. 3. The Maine Principals Association should continue to work in conjunction with other organizations to jointly plan and sponsor professional development activities and/or to communicate about the activities of these groups to the MPA membership. 4. The MPA recognizes the need to examine and strengthen current undergraduate and graduate preparation programs for teachers and administrators to ensure that people entering the profession are provided with high-quality training. The Maine Principals Association must work closely with those responsible for developing courses and preparatory experiences for teachers and school administrators. 5. The MPA will continue to regularly survey its membership to collect information on professional development needs and will utilize other ways to assess those needs including: 1) Holding regional round tables or focus groups; 2) Engaging superintendents and other educators as appropriate in conversations about what they see as their school administrators needs; and 3) Tapping into organizations which assess national and state needs and trends. 6. Changes in certification and recertification standards and processes will continue to influence MPA professional development activities. While recertification is not the primary focus of professional development, the MPA should work to provide offerings that meet areas of high need. Opportunities in the recertification area allow school administrators to link professional development to their assessed needs and thereby create an individual plan. 7. The MPA will continue to evaluate its offerings and use the data to plan future professional development activities. 3
The Future The intent of the Professional Development Committee is to provide broad guidelines for the MPA staff to use in planning professional development offerings. We know issues will arise and trends develop which we today can only vaguely anticipate. The plan should be revisited on a regular basis to assess its continuing usefulness. The Professional Development Committee will continue to provide the Professional Management Committee a yearly update regarding progress in meeting the intent of the plan. Finally, we recognize the vision of the Ad Hoc Committee on Professional Development whose outstanding work in 1996 resulted in the original plan. Members of that committee were Valjeane Olenn (deceased), Steven Bailey, Scott Drown (deceased), Elizabeth Johanson, and David Wing. 4
Appendix A Educational Leadership Policy Standards: ISLLC 2008 As adopted by the National Policy Board for Educational Administration CCSSO The Council of Chief State School Officers Copyright 2008 by the Council of Chief State School Officers, Washington D.C. Contributions made by the National Policy Board for Educational Administration All rights reserved. 5
Appendix A Standard 1 An education leader promotes the success of every student by facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a vision of learning that is shared and supported by all stakeholders. Collaboratively develop and implement a shared vision and mission Collect and use data to identify goals, assess organizational effectiveness, and promote organizational learning Create and implement plans to achieve goals Promote continuous and sustainable improvement Monitor and evaluate progress and revise plans Standard 2 An education leader promotes the success of every student by advocating, nurturing, and sustaining a school culture and instructional program conducive to student learning and staff professional growth. Nurture and sustain a culture of collaboration, trust, learning, and high expectations Create a comprehensive, rigorous, and coherent curricular program Create a personalized and motivating learning environment for students Supervise instruction Develop assessment and accountability systems to monitor student progress Develop the instructional and leadership capacity of staff Maximize time spent on quality instruction Promote the use of the most effective and appropriate technologies to support teaching and learning Monitor and evaluate the impact of the instructional program 6
Standard 3 An education leader promotes the success of every student by ensuring management of the organization, operation, and resources for a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment. Function: Monitor and evaluate the management and operational systems Obtain, allocate, align, and efficiently utilize human, fiscal, and technological resources Promote and protect the welfare and safety of students and staff Develop the capacity for distributed leadership Ensure teacher and organizational time is focused to support quality instruction and student learning Standard 4 An education leader promotes the success of every student by collaborating with faculty and community members, responding to diverse community interests and needs, and mobilizing community resources. Collect and analyze data and information pertinent to the educational environment. Promote understanding, appreciation, and use of the community s diverse cultural, social, and intellectual resources Build and sustain positive relationships with families and caregivers Build and sustain productive relationships with community partners Standard 5 An education leader promotes the success of every student by acting with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical manner. Ensure a system of accountability for every student s academic and social success Model principles of self-awareness, reflective practice, transparency, and ethical behavior Safeguard the values of democracy, equity, and diversity Consider and evaluate the potential moral and legal consequences of decisionmaking Promote social justice and ensure that individual student needs inform all aspects of schooling 7
Standard 6 An education leader promotes the success of every student by understanding, responding to, and influencing the larger political, social, economic, legal, and cultural context. Advocate for children, families, and caregivers Act to influence local, district, state, and national decisions affecting student learning Assess, analyze, and anticipate emerging trends and initiatives in order to adapt leadership strategies 8
BIBLIOGRAPHY Educational Leadership Policy Standards: ISLLC 2008. Washington, DC: Council of Chief State School Officers, 2008. Skillful Leadership: Planning for the Professional Growth of School Leaders. South Portland, ME South Portland School Department, 1995. Speck, Marsha and Caroll Knipe. Why Can t We Get It Right?: Professional Development in Our Schools. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 2001, p. 109 in Gary Bloom et al., Blended Coaching: Skills and Strategies to Support Skills and Strategies to Support Principal Development. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 2005, p.7. Standards for Staff Development, Elementary School Edition. Oxford, OH: National Staff Development Council and Alexandria, VA National Association of Elementary School Principals, 1995 Standards for Staff Development, High School Edition. Oxford, OH: National Staff Development Council and Reston, VA: National Association of Secondary School Principals. 1995 Standards for Staff Development, Middle Level Edition. Oxford, OH: National Staff Development Council, 1995 wddata\profdev\professional development plan\revised PD Plan 2010 9