Professional Development

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2008-09 Overview: The American International School/Dhaka employs excellent teachers with a commitment to their students’ learning, as well as their own. At AISD, we provide a program based on American educational principles to students from an international community. We create an academic and social environment that challenges students to achieve their potential, become life long learners and contribute to a changing global society. Teachers at the school are expected and encouraged to stay current with trends in education as well as to grow as professionals through their daily interactions with peers, ongoing professional reading and attendance at workshops, conferences, and courses. In doing so, they model for their students the behaviors they want them to emulate. In order to facilitate a culture of professional growth and improvement, AISD is committed to funding relevant and appropriate professional development opportunities for its staff. While we serve as each other’s best and most immediate professional resources, we also realize that there is a need to supplement daily activities and interactions. Therefore, the school has established a funding mechanism for teachers, which assists individual staff members in fulfilling their professional responsibilities. AIS/D intends to provide individuals with the means to leave the school more skillful, knowledgeable and efficacious educators than when they arrived. Rationale: In order to continue to develop AISD as a “learning organization� and a “true community of leaders/learners,� Professional development opportunities and responsibilities will be shared by individuals, divisions of the school, and the school as a whole. Faculty and the divisional administrators will be able to determine their needs and be guaranteed that they can act accordingly. Faculty members will be actively encouraged to use their funding to continue to grow and develop as professionals. The Professional Development Committee will continue to interpret the needs of the school and make decisions of a global nature. Structure: Funds for Professional Development will be allotted in the following ways: I. Personal Professional Development – All faculty members will be granted a sum of $750.00 annually to be used at their discretion each year for their own professional growth and development. They may elect to save their funds and have them carry over to a maximum of $2250. II. Divisional Priorities (Elementary, Middle and High School)* – Each divisional Principal will control a budget to be used for staff development and training that they feel is appropriate for their division of the school. They will determine a process to be used to make decisions and allocate funds within their control. III. School-wide Priorities* – The Professional Development Committee will control a budget that would be used to address staff development and professional growth on a school-wide basis. IV. NESA Participation* – The school will continue to encourage participation in NESA professional development opportunities by funding, to an extent to be determined by the PDC, faculty members wishing to be workshop presenters at NESA conferences. * Sharing with faculty is expected Personal Professional Development Fund Criteria: The AIS/Dhaka Standards of Teaching Excellence provide the foundation for continued Professional Development. Professional Development money ($750.00 per year) may be spent for: a) Professional conferences and workshops; b) University course work; c) Distance learning course work; d) Summer workshops and seminars. Note 1. Professional development activities must be relevant and appropriate. 2. Funds may be used only for: Registration Travel Lodging Funds may not be used for: Per diem allowance Meals 3. No more than one-half of the available staff development stipends may be applied to the cost of actual intercontinental travel at economy airfare rates. 4. The use of professional development funding for intercontinental travel shall not be authorized during summer holidays for overseas hire staff. However, the cost of actual regional or domestic airfare during the summer break is reimbursable. 5. The Human Resource Office maintains records for each division and individual teachers’ accounts. 6. Professional Development Funds are not available for faculty members who are on unpaid leave of absence from school. Reimbursement for approved activities will be made upon the faculty member’s return to work at AIS/D. 7. The unused Professional Development Funds of a person leaving American International School/Dhaka will revert back into the AIS/D Professional Development Budget. Unused funds cannot be added to the professional development balance of other faculty members. 8. Faculty not returning to AIS/D may apply for reimbursement (submit proof of completion and receipts) from their Professional Development Funds for professional work completed up to thirty (30) days before the last day at school. Proposal For Use Of Personal Professional Development Funds: To apply to use professional development funds: 1. Complete the Personal Professional Development Proposal form found online in FirstClass. 2. Submit the form to your division principal. 3. Arrangements such as registration, transportation, and hotels are the responsibility of the participant. Reimbursement: To receive Professional Development Funds, documentation should be submitted to the Divisional Administrator within one month after the activity, when possible. 1. Funding is on a reimbursement basis. Costs will be reimbursed to the teacher when evidence of participation and receipts are presented to the Divisional Administrator. Reimbursement from Professional Development Funds will not be made unless the teacher completes the entire workshop, course, etc., and provides proof of completion (e.g., a certificate of participation, a university transcript or course grade report). The teacher is responsible for documenting all costs through official receipts. 2. In order to be reimbursed, an Application for Professional Development Support must be submitted to the Divisional Administrator. Upon approval the principal will submit the receipts and application to the Business Office for re-imbursement. 3. Reimbursement will be calculated at the currency exchange rate provided by the Business Office. (with thanks to the Singapore American School for their permission to use parts of their PD Plan)