Professional Education Report

Pennsylvania Department of Education

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
333 MARKET STREET
HARRISBURG, PA 17126-0333

Professional Education Report
Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Entity: Scranton SD
Address: 425 N Washington Ave
Scranton, PA 18503-1305
Phone:
Contact Name:

Professional Education Planning Committee

Name	Affiliation	Membership Category	Appointed By
Dave Bieri	Scranton School District	Administrator	Association of School Administrators
Jeff Rubel	Scranton Chamber of Commerce	Business Representative	Scranton School Board
Lori Wagner	Parent Teacher Organization	Parent	PTO
Mary Ellen Reese	Scranton School District	Elementary School Teacher	Scranton Federation of Teachers
Mary Kay Salvaggio	Scranton School District	Middle School Teacher	Scranton Federation of Teachers
Melissa Hatala	Scranton School District	Ed Specialist - Nutrition Service Specialist	Educational Specialist
Nancy Hlavaty	Scranton School District	Administrator	Administrators
Patti Schreckengaust	Scranton School District	Ed Specialist - School Nurse	Educational Specialists
Peggy Gladys	ESL Coach/Teacher	Secondary School Teacher	Scranton Federation of Teachers
Robert Chamoni	Scranton School District	Secondary School Teacher	Scranton Federation of Teachers
Sheila Durkin	Scranton School District	Elementary School Teacher	Scranton Federation of Teachers
Thomas Gummer	Scranton School District	Middle School Teacher	Scranton Federation of Teachers
Tom Gilbride, Esq.	School Board Member	Board Member	School Board President
William F. King	Scranton School District	Administrator	Administrators

Needs Assessment

The Scranton School District has assessed the professional development needs of our staff through the utilization of the following resources:

· The vision, mission, and goals established in the strategic planning process

· School district profile information

· Special education compliance reviews conducted by the Department of Education’s Bureau of Special Education

· Federal programs monitoring reports

· PATI Surveys

· Middle States Reports

· Drug and Alcohol surveys

· PSSA results

· Benchmark assessments

Our plan will address the following:

· Professional Staff

· The Scranton School District Induction Plan and Act 178 Plan

· Staff evaluations of previous professional development programs

· Ongoing, sustained professional development

· PSSA results

· Standardized achievement test results

· Student progress on Title I performance tasks

· Dropout reports

· Safe and Drug Free School surveys

· SAT test results

· Communities That Care Surveys

· Adult Education Program evaluations

· GED graduation program evaluations

· Chamber of Commerce Program evaluations

· Scranton Tomorrow’s needs assessments

The following areas of professional development needs will be addressed but not be limited to:

· Using technology as an instructional tool across the curriculum

· Aligning curriculum, instruction and assessment with the PA Academic Standards

· Implementing instructional strategies and assessment practices across the curriculum that result in increased student achievement

· Integrating reading and math across the curriculum in the middle and high schools

· Differentiating instruction to meet the diverse needs and styles of all students

· Aligning IEP goals and objectives with the curriculum

· Integrating vocational and academic education

· Developing and utilizing multiple classroom measures for determining student achievement

· Increasing capacity of administrators in instructional leadership

· Expanding, further developing and supporting building level student assistance teams

· Increasing capacity of counselors, psychologists, and behavior management specialists in crisis prevention and crisis management

· Consistently implementing classroom positive behavior management support, district wide

· Increasing the quality and the amount of positive parent involvement in our students’ education and in our school community

In addition, the Act 48 Planning committee shall review and include those best practices that educational research has identified as most conducive to student achievement. The following will be integrated into the staff development programs of the Scranton School District’s Act 48 plan:

· Current knowledge base and best instructional/assessment practices in their grade level and standards categories areas

· Understanding the levels of critical thinking

· Effective communication skills

· Knowledge and application of effective approaches used in classroom management, discipline, and motivation

· Recognition and respect of economic, cultural, intellectual, and physical differences among students

· Effective utilization of community resources

· Developing and utilizing performance-based assessment

· Actively engaging students in learning

Representation on the Act 48 Committee includes, but is not limited to: the school nurses, instructional technology specialists, dental hygienists, home and school visitors, ESL teachers, and library media specialists.

Professional Education Action Plan

Goal: FOUR-YEAR GRADUATION RATE (for districts and schools that graduate seniors)
Description: The percentage of students who graduate from Scranton High School and West Scranton High School in four years will increase 1% per year.

Strategy: Additional Educational Opportunities
Description: Additional learning opportunities will be provided for students who are not proficient on PSSA tests and/or are failing a class that will keep them from graduating on time.
Activities:

Activity	Description
Summer School	Traditional Summer School will be provided for juniors and upcoming seniors who need to recover credits in order to graduate on time.
Person Responsible	Timeline for Implementation	Resources
District Administrators	Start: 7/1/2007 Finish: 4/1/2008	$5,000.00
Professional Development Activity Information
Number of Hours Per Session	Total Number of Sessions Per School Year	Estimated Number of Participants Per Year
1	4	20
Organization or Institution Name	Type of Provider	Provider's Department of Education Approval Status
School District of the City of Scranton	School Entity	Approved
Knowledge and Skills	Research and Best Practices	Designed to Accomplish
Strategies to increase student achievement in order to graduate on time	These documents provide best practice instructional strategies to increase student achievement in order to graduate on time.	For classroom teachers, school counselors and education specialists: Enhances the educator's content knowledge in the area of the educator's certification or assignment. Increases the educator's teaching skills based on research on effective practice, with attention given to interventions for struggling students. Provides educators with a variety of classroom-based assessment skills and the skills needed to analyze and use data in instructional decision-making. For school and district administrators, and other educators seeking leadership roles: Provides the knowledge and skills to think and plan strategically, ensuring that assessments, curriculum, instruction, staff professional education, teaching materials and interventions for struggling students are aligned to each other as well as to Pennsylvania's academic standards. Provides leaders with the ability to access and use appropriate data to inform decision-making. Empowers leaders to create a culture of teaching and learning, with an emphasis on learning. Instructs the leader in managing resources for effective results.
Educator Groups Which Will Participate in this Activity
Role	Grade Level	Subject Area
Classroom teachers	High school (grades 9-12)	Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening Science and Technology Civics and Government Environment and Ecology World Languages Mathematics History Geography
Follow-up Activities	Evaluation Methods
Analysis of student work, with administrator and/or peers Creating lessons to meet varied student learning styles	Classroom observation focusing on factors such as planning and preparation, knowledge of content, pedagogy and standards, classroom environment, instructional delivery and professionalism. Classroom student assessment data

Activity	Description
Tutoring	Before, during and after school tutoring will be offered to students who are not proficient on the PSSA and/or are failing a subject necessary for graduation.
Person Responsible	Timeline for Implementation	Resources
District Administrators	Start: N/A Finish: N/A	$452,000.00

Activity	Description
Winter School	An after-school credit recovery program is offered every January for students who will not graduate on time.
Person Responsible	Timeline for Implementation	Resources
District Administrators	Start: N/A Finish: N/A	$0.00

Goal: MATHEMATICS
Description: At least 56% of all students will be proficient in Mathematics, as measured by the annual state-wide PSSA assessments.

Strategy: 4Sight assessment test
Description: 4Sight is one of our progress monitoring tools used in grades three through eleven. It will be administered at least four times per year, this includes baseline testing. The results are used to monitor student progress towards proficiency on the PA Mathematics Standards. Teachers will develop class level strategies based on 4Sight results. All data and plans will be submitted to the building and district administrators.
Activities:

Activity	Description
Implementing benchmark assessments	4sight tests will be administered as four times throughout the school year in grades 3 through 11. Teachers will evaluate student achievement data through use of the 4Sight member center. This evaluation of data will take place during two-district wide early dismissals and two Act 80 days. Following data analysis, teacher will develop student and class-wide action plans to address areas needing improvement.
Person Responsible	Timeline for Implementation	Resources
District Administrators	Start: 9/10/2007 Finish: 5/5/2008	$42,000.00

Activity	Description
Tutoring	Before, during and after school will be provided for students who were not proficient on the PSSA and/or who are failing a math class needed for graduation.
Person Responsible	Timeline for Implementation	Resources
District Administrators	Start: N/A Finish: N/A	$453,500.00

Strategy: Differentiated Instruction
Description: Differentiated instruction will be used in lesson planning to address individual student needs.
Activities:

Activity	Description
Identification and Implementation of Technology	Scranton City School District will continually identify and implement technologies that support teachers and increase achievement for students.
Person Responsible	Timeline for Implementation	Resources
District Administrators	Start: N/A Finish: N/A	$453,600.00

Activity	Description
Plato Math Software	Math software will be used to assess each student's ability and provide practice for continuous improvement
Person Responsible	Timeline for Implementation	Resources
District Administrators	Start: N/A Finish: N/A	$55,000.00

Activity	Description
Teacher Professional Development	Teachers will attend workshops or take coursework in differentiation and best practice instructional strategies to increase student achievement in mathematics.
Person Responsible	Timeline for Implementation	Resources
District Administrators	Start: 7/1/2007 Finish: 10/7/2007	$0.00
Professional Development Activity Information
Number of Hours Per Session	Total Number of Sessions Per School Year	Estimated Number of Participants Per Year
2	4	20
Organization or Institution Name	Type of Provider	Provider's Department of Education Approval Status
Scranton School District or designated approved provider	School Entity	Approved
Knowledge and Skills	Research and Best Practices	Designed to Accomplish
Knowledge of differentiated instruction and ability to individualize content presentations and assessments.		For classroom teachers, school counselors and education specialists: Enhances the educator's content knowledge in the area of the educator's certification or assignment. Increases the educator's teaching skills based on research on effective practice, with attention given to interventions for struggling students. Provides educators with a variety of classroom-based assessment skills and the skills needed to analyze and use data in instructional decision-making.
Educator Groups Which Will Participate in this Activity
Role	Grade Level	Subject Area
Classroom teachers	High school (grades 9-12)	Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening Mathematics
Follow-up Activities	Evaluation Methods
Creating lessons to meet varied student learning styles	Student PSSA data

Goal: READING
Description: At least 63% of all students will be proficient in Reading, as measured by the annual state-wide PSSA assessments.

Strategy: Differentiated Instruction
Description: Differentiated instruction will be used in lesson planning to address individual student needs.
Activities:

Activity	Description
Identification and Implementation of Technology	Scranton City School District will continually identify and implement technologies that support teachers and increase achievement for students.
Person Responsible	Timeline for Implementation	Resources
District Administrators	Start: N/A Finish: N/A	$360,000.00

Activity	Description
Plato Reading Software	Reading software will be used to assess each student's ability and provide practice for continuous improvement
Person Responsible	Timeline for Implementation	Resources
District Administrators	Start: N/A Finish: N/A	$55,000.00

Goal: STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN STATE ASSESSMENTS
Description: At least 95% of eligible students will participate in required state-wide assessments.

Strategy: Student Education
Description: Educate students on importance of state assessments and enlist support of students in test preparation activities.
Activities:

Activity	Description
Presentations to Students
Person Responsible	Timeline for Implementation	Resources
District Administrators	Start: N/A Finish: N/A	$0.00

Annual Review Process

Evaluation procedures will include but are not limited to the following activities:

1) Monitoring the Professional Education Plan
2) Needs Assessment Surveys to faculty, staff and administration
3) Evaluation of implemented professional development activities

In addition to the above assessment procedures, the Professional Development Committee will review student achievement as measured by the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) and Benchmark Assessments to determine areas for professional development designed to improve student achievement.

APPENDIX B

ENTITY INFORMATION PAGE

Entity: Scranton SD

Address:
425 N Washington Ave
Scranton, PA 18503-1305

Superintendent or Chief Administrative Officer: Michael M. Sheridan
    E-mail: mickeysheridan@yahoo.com
    Telephone: 570-348-3465
    Fax: 570-348-2929

Professional Education Committee Chairperson: Nancy Hlavaty
    E-mail: hlavaty@epix.net
    Telephone: 570-348-3432
    Fax: 570-348-2929

Act 48 Reporting Contact: Nancy Hlavaty
    E-mail: hlavaty@epix.net
    Telephone: 570-348-3432
    Fax: 570-348-2929

APPENDIX C

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION REPORT ASSURANCES

We affirm that this Professional Education Report focuses on the learning needs of each staff member to ensure all staff members meet or exceed high academic standards in each of the core subject areas.

____________________________________________________________________________
Signature                   Professional Education Committee Chairperson                   Date

I affirm that this Professional Education Report provides staff learning that improves the learning of all students as outlined in the National Staff Development Councils Standards for Staff Learning.

____________________________________________________________________________
Signature                   Superintendent or Chief Administrative Officer                      Date

We affirm that his Professional Education Report has been developed in accordance with the laws, regulations and guidelines for the development, implementation and evaluation of the Professional Education Report as designated in Chapter 4 of the Regulations of the Pennsylvania State Board of Education.

____________________________________________________________________________
Signature                   President of the Board of School Directors                            Date