Extension Self Assessment of Competencies Educator

Planning for Professional Development Using Extension Competencies

The following steps will help you determine what professional development goals to set for yourself. Choose one or two areas on which to focus so that you can dedicate enough time to strengthen your skills. It might be helpful to review your job description or consult with your supervisor in development of your plan. Your CED/DED will visit with you about your plan during your annual performance review.

Step 1: Identify your strengths

You will receive a customized link inviting you to complete the 2016 UF/IFAS Extension Competency Self-Assessment. Personalized results will be e-mailed back to you from PDEC no later than November 1, as long as you complete the assessment by October 17. Your scores are for your use only.

Instructions for Interpreting Your Scores: The possible range of scores is 4 to -4. However, your scores are likely to fall within the +/- 2 range because they are based on a gap between skill and importance (see below), and all competencies in the assessment are of average importance or more.

· A score greater than or equal to 0 mean that you’ve achieved or exceeded a desirable level of skill for that competency.

· A negative score indicates your skills fall below the desirable level of proficiency for that competency.

· Use your scores to determine in which competency area or areas you want to build your expertise, which will help when writing your Professional Development Plan for 2017.

Calculation of Scores: Your scores were calculated to determine the gap between your self-reported level of skill and the level of importance for each competency. Each competency was rated for importance by members of the Extension Professional Development Advisory Team. Using this method helps you create a plan that focuses on what matters the most.

Step 2: Identify areas to develop your skills.

There are two ways to approach professional development. You may want to choose a competency area for which you tend to have lower scores, so that you build your skills in that area. Negative scores are generally an indication that there is an opportunity for improvement.

However, it is also valid to select a competency area for which you tend to have positive scores if you have a goal of establishing expertise in that area. For example, you may already be able to conduct good program evaluations but have a desire to become a recognized expert in this area. A plan to develop expertise should clearly focus on engagement in professional development activities offered at the intermediate or advanced level.

The competency area(s) I will focus on:

Competency Area 1:

Competency Area 2:

Step 3: Professional Development Goal Writing

Use the following pages to set measurable goals for the coming year to develop your skills in the competency area(s) you’ve selected. Set realistic goals; your CED/DED can help you determine what is realistic within a one year time-frame. You will be asked to report on the progress you made on reaching your professional development goals when you have your 2017 performance evaluation. Use the IST catalog to help you select appropriate activities to advance your expertise. If you have a need for an IST that is not in the current catalog, contact Amy Harder, PDEC Coordinator, at or 352-273-2569 for assistance.

The following pages are the only pages you need to provide to your CED/DED. The deadline for submission of the Professional Development Plan is December 9, with your ROA.

Professional Development Action Plan

Name:

Date:

Competency area:

Goal Statement:

What specific actions will you take to further develop your competency?

I will: / What? / By When?
Watch:
Read:
Enroll in and complete:
Attend: