The Missouri Staff Development Council

The 2016Commissioner’s Award for Excellence in Professional Learning

Application Guidelines

LearningForward-Missouri

Application Deadline: October 31, 2015

LearningForward - Missouri

2015-2016

Commissioner’s Award for Excellence inProfessional Learning

Supported by

LearningForward-Missouri

An affiliate of the

LearningForward

formerly

Application Deadline: October 31, 2015

For Additional Information Contact:

Jody Wood, President

11200 Raymond Dr.

Wright City, MO 63390

Dear Applicant:

Dear Applicant:

Professional learning plays an essential role in successful education improvement, serving as the bridge between where prospective and experienced educators are now and where they need to be to meet the challenges of guiding all students in achieving high standards of learning and development.

As part of the continuing effort to celebrate and honor excellence in professional learning in Missouri, the Missouri Staff Development Council is pleased to announce The 2016Missouri Learning Forward Award for Excellence in Professional Learning, MSDC’s goal is to identify and honor high-quality staff learning programs that will serve as comprehensive models to districts and buildings throughout the state. This recognition will:

1. highlight best practices in staff learning,
2. provide a link between high quality professional learning to improved student achievement, and
3. provide opportunities for teachers and administrators to collaborate, network and learn from each other so that these practices can be adopted and adapted throughout Missouri.

Your district is invited to apply for this award having met the initial award criteria of being accredited through MSIP. A district is only eligible to apply for The Commissioner’s Award for Excellence in Professional Learning, after accreditation is awarded. The primary consideration for selection is a district’s alignment with the seven professional learning standards, which include impact of student learning. In addition, MSDC is committed to ensuring that selected districts reflect the size and geographic diversity of the state.

Detailed instructions for applying for this award are provided within this application package. Winners will be announced at the Missouri Show-Me Professional Learning Conference, March 6-8, 2016. Public recognition at the conference and a possible monetary award to support professional learning efforts are among the benefits of winning this award of excellence.

We encourage you to apply for this award, as it will enable LF-MO to highlight best practices and enable Missouri to cite specific evidence regarding the importance and impact of professional learning. We look forward to receiving your application for the 2016The Commissioner’s Award for Excellence in Professional Learning

Sincerely,

Jody Wood

President

LearningForward-Missouri

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Professional learning for teachers and school leaders is a high priority for educators in Missouri as evidenced by the passage of two significant pieces of legislation: The Outstanding Schools Act of 1993 and No Child Left Behind. Districts throughout the state now spend at least 1% of their state funding on professional learning as a result of the Outstanding Schools Act. Having professional learning as a high priority has motivated school leaders statewide to identify exemplary practices for professional learning through the current MSIP accreditation process.

In 2000, the Commissioner of Education, Dr. Kent King, requested that the Missouri Staff Development Leadership Council, a group affiliated with the MSDC, create a scoring guide that would provide a clear, consistent picture of professional learning that leads to high levels of learning for all students. Such a scoring guide could then be used by districts to self-evaluate their current quality of staff learning and serve as a guide for improving the quality and results of their staff development practices.

This Commissioner’s Award Scoring Guide uses the National LearningForward 7 standards as a framework. Adequately addressing each of these principles is necessary for a full realization of the potential of individuals, school communities and institutions to improve and excel. The National and Missouri standards emphasize that, ultimately, professional learning needs to be evaluated on the basis of its impact on teacher effectiveness and student learning.

The Commissioner’s Award for Excellence in Professional Learningis based on the degree to which a district meets these standards. To be considered, a district’s application must demonstrate alignment with the evaluation scoring guide for professional learning. The application includes an open-ended format allowing each district to provide evidence of meeting Levels 3 and 4 Indicators from the evaluation scoring guide included in these application guidelines. Districts self-nominate for The Commissioner’s Award of Excellence for Professional Learning.

LF-MO oversees the review and selection process. After reviewing the written applications, review teams will make on-site visits to the districts selected as semi-finalists. The on-site visits are designed to expand on the evidence outlined in the application. On-site team members will conduct interviews and make classroom visits as well as look at specific artifacts that support the district's application. Based on the results of these on-site visits, districts will be recommended for The Commissioner’s Award for Excellence in Professional Learning.

It is hoped that the information you have gathered in your MSIP review will assist you in completing this application. In addition, districts that have received the award during the previous two years are willing to assist you in your efforts. Please feel free to contact them. LF-MO is willing to provide support and is available to provide regional workshops on the standards and the AwardScoring guide for Excellence in Professional Learning in conjunction with the Regional Professional Development Centers. Please contact your RPDC if you are interested in having LF-MO come to your region to support your efforts.

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Contact information follows:

LF-MOJody Wood ()

MSDC Regional Representatives

Region 1 / Patty Robertson /
Region 2 / Mary Sasser /
Region 3 / Rochel Daniels /
Region 4 / Kim Winkler /
Region 5-Northwest RPDC / Donella Sherry /
Region 6 / Jamie Thompson /
Region 7 -Southwest RPDC / Jay Roth /
Region 8 / Adam Estes /
Region 9 / Beth Mulvey /

In addition, previous award winners are able to provide assistance to you as they have been through the process and are currently implementing high quality professional learning. These districts represent different regions of the state and various sized districts, ranging in size from 250 to over 16,000 students. Please contact any of the districts for assistance in the application process.

Wentzville School District / Nichole Nolan /

Fort Osage

/

Maria Fleming

/ Waynesville School District /

Susan Gettys

/

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General Information

Applicants must document improved student learning as a result of professional learning. The application will be rated using the evaluation scoring guide included in this packet as well as its impact on teacher practices and on student learning. The application must show how the district aligns its professional learning goals to the district’s Comprehensive School Improvement Plan. The application may be downloaded from the LF-MO website in September.

For additional information that may be helpful in preparing applications for this award contact your LF-MO regional rep or previous award-winning districts listed on the previous page.

The Review Process

Applications will be reviewed in five stages.

During the first stage, applications will be reviewed by the LearningForward-MO to determine their eligibility, whether they contain all necessary information, and meet the required formatting. Eligibility includes: Full accreditation through MSIP

A broad range of practitioners and policymakers will conduct the second stage of the review to determine semi-finalists. Each application will have multiple readers and be evaluated according to how well the application addresses the evaluation scoring guide. This review will be completed in November 2015.

In the third stage, site visits will be conducted to verify the information presented in the semi-finalists’ applications and to collect any additional available data related to the evaluation scoring guide. If the school district becomes a semi-finalist, it will be expected to have documentation available for reviewers that verifies the effectiveness of its professional learning. This documentation must be available for each of the 7 professional learning standards included in the scoring guide as well documentation on the alignment between district professional learning and five years of student achievement. The on-site reviews will occur between late November 2015 and January 31, 2016.

In the fourth stage, LearningForward-MO will review the applications and site visit reports at its February Board Meeting, and will recommend districts for consideration of the award. Recommendations go to the Commissioner for her approval.

LF-MO will notify award-winning districts by February 10, 2016.

The selected districts will be honored at a banquet at the annual LF-MO’s Show-Me Professional Learning Conference, March 6-8, 2016. Public recognition, a plaque for professional learning will be formally presented to each award-winning district at an awards banquet at the conference.

Award-winning districts will be expected to present at the 2017 Show-Me Conference in order to promote the use of best practices in other districts.

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Components of the Application

The application consists of the following components:

1. District Contact Information.

1. District Demographic Profile.

1. Abstract of Program: provide a one-page abstract that highlights how the district’s professional learning program addresses its CSIP, the professional learning standards outlined in this booklet (beginning on page 10), and how it has impacted teacher behaviors and student achievement (link the changes in teacher practice to student achievement results data).

1. District MSIP Professional Development Data

1. District Achievement Data – copy and complete pages 26-27 in this booklet. These pages provide MAP data as well as the opportunity for you to link achievement data to professional learning. Applicants may attach other pertinent achievement data that helps demonstrate a link between their professional learning efforts and student performance. Additional achievement data does not count against the page limit.

1. Description of the Initiatives – provide a description of the district’s professional learning efforts that responds to the standards in the evaluation scoring guide in this application packet. It is helpful to the reviewers to include a heading for each standard with the description following each heading. You should provide specific examples and information of how your district addresses each standard. Maximum length – 20 pages.

1. Attachment – a district should list specific documentation that is available in your district to verify each of the 7 professional learning standards in the Learingforward’s Award Scoring guide. The actual documentation included with the application should be the CSIP and PD Plan. Other documentation should be available for the on-site review to team during their on-site visit. Only include a copy of the district CSIP and PD Plan with your application.

As an example for on-site visit documentation:

• Process Standard – Design: Level 4 includes action research. An attachment could list specific action research or study group initiatives that the reviewers could look at during the on-site review.

Please note: Any forms to be completed may be written/typed on the forms provided in the application guidelines OR you may download a copy of the guidelines in MS Word format from the LF-MO web site, and complete the forms in the guidelines electronically.

Formatting Information

• The applicant should include a 1-page, single-sided abstract that provides an overview of their professional learning program. This abstract should provide a summary of how the professional learning program aligns with the district’s CSIP, meets the National Learningforward Professional Learning Standards, and impacts teacher behaviors and student learning.

• The Narrative Section is limited to 20 single-sided pages. Any narrative pages beyond the 20th page will be discarded.

• Margins must be one inch on all sides.

• The spacing for the narrative must be at least space-and-a-half.

• Type size must enhance readability – at least 12 point.

• Any charts or tables may be single-spaced.

• Please number all pages of the narrative.

• The attachment section allows applicants to cite specific documentation available in your district to support the narrative section for each standard. The format should include all Professional Learning Standards with a numbered listing of existing documentation for each standard. This documentation should be available for the on-site team to review. The list of standards should be in the same order as the standards represented in the scoring guide. Do not include the actual documentation in this application.

• Assemble your application package in the following order:

1. District Contact Sheet
2. District Demographic Profile Sheet
3. District Abstract
4. MAP Data Sheets
5. Other Student Achievement Data
6. Narrative
7. Attachment Section – CSIP, PD Plan, list of supporting documentation available in the district

Mail (no faxes) send electronically if all data can be scanned in or send an original and three (3) copies (4 total) of your application to:

Jody Wood

11200 Raymond Dr.

Wright City, MO 63390

Additionally, it is imperative an electronic copy of the district’s full application or at least all components except the attachments of the application must be sent to Jody Wood, by Oct. 31, 2015.

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ASelection Criteria

Selection will be based upon the degree to which applicants demonstrate alignment with The Commissioner’s Award for Excellence in Professional LearningScoring guide included in this booklet andimpact on student learning. The description of the professional learning program must address each of the seven standards in the scoring guide and provide documentation that the professional learning is exemplary and impacts all schools and students.

A team of education professionals with extensive experience in professional learning will review each written application. Based upon their recommendations, an on-site team will visit each district selected as a semi-finalist.

Awards, when appropriate, will reflect the various sized districts that exist in Missouri.

1. Background Information

In this section, applicants will provide basic information to provide background information concerning the district. This will ensure districts of varying sizes are recognized.

1. Professional Development MSIP and Student Achievement Data

In this section, applicants will provide specific numerical student achievement and teacher data on professional learning and achievement from your MSIP data.

1. Response to Professional Learning Standards (28 points)

In this section, the applicant must describe and document its professional learning program in relation to each of the seven (7) standards included in the scoring guide. The district should detail how their professional learning designs meet each standard in the scoring guide as measured against the LEVEL 4 indicators. The focus of this scoring guide should be on specific and objective evidence and data. In the past, higher scoring districts provided specific district examples of how professional learning aligned to The Commissioner’s Award for Excellence in Professional LearningScoring guide.

1. On-Site Review (28 points)

Districts will be selected as semi-finalists based upon the review of the written applications. These districts will then have an on-site review. On-site reviews will enable districts to provide additional documentation in support of their application. This will include both written documentation and personal interviews. Personal interviews will be conducted with district teachers, administrators, board members, and parents. This additional information will be linked to each of the 7 standards of the scoring guide.

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The Commissioner’s Award for Excellence in Professional Learningwill highlight best practices in professionallearning. In addition, this award will provide opportunities for teachers and administrators to collaborate, network, and learn from each other so these best practices can be adopted and adapted throughout the state.

Benefits to Award Winning Districts

Award winning districts will receive:

Recognition at a banquet at the 2016 Show-Me Professional Learning Conference on March 6-18, 2016;

Opportunities to serve as model programs and network with other districts throughout Missouri.

Be highlighted on the LF-MO website;

Benefits to Districts Throughout the State

In order to support high levels of learning for all by communicating and facilitating standards-based professionallearning practices throughout Missouri, award-winning districts will be expected to:

Attend Recognition reception at the 2016Show-Me Professional Learning Conference.

Present at the 2017Show-Me Professional Learning Conference. This presentation will be in partnership with any other district in your size category also receivingThe Commissioner’s Award for Excellence in Professional Learning.

Serve as a resource for other districts, professional learning committees, and legislators on best practices in professionallearning, especially in your RPDC region.

2016Commissioner’s Award for Excellence in Professional Learning

Applicant Contact Information

District Name:______

Name of Superintendent:______

District Address:______

______

E-mail:______

Phone:______Fax:______

District Code:______Student Enrollment:______

Contact: (person in district with whom LF-MO representative or site team can communicate about the application throughout the review process).

Name:______

Position:______

Address: ______

Phone:______Fax:______

E-mail:______

Names and positions of the professional development planning team involved in the completion of this application:

NamePosition

______

______

______

______

______

Certification of Compliance with Laws Protecting Students with Disabilities:

Good teaching and learning must support the rights of all students to an appropriate education. Therefore, by submitting this application, the school or school district certifies that there are no findings of violations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in an applicable U.S. Education Department monitoring report, and if there are such findings, the state (or district, as applicable) has corrected, or agreed to correct the findings. (Applicants are reminded of their obligations under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act to ensure that their activities are accessible to persons with disabilities.)

Applicant’s Demographic Profile

District Name:______

Number of Teachers: ______Student Enrollment:______

Number of schools/buildings at each level served by district:

______Pre-kindergarten

______Elementary