The Superintendent or designee shall annually prepare a comprehensive plan for staff development that supports a curriculum policy articulated by the Systemwide Strategic Plan. Up to twenty clock hours of professional development shall be required of each certificated and auxiliary employee annually, depending on the number of staff development days included in the school-year calendar, provided, however, that in no event shall the number of clock hours required fall below ten hours. To facilitate this mandate, schools and departments will implement professional learning opportunities through job-embedded learning structures, including, without limitation, team planning meetings and grade-level and staff meetings occurring during the school day. Nothing in this policy shall be construed as relieving employees of their responsibility to fulfill the requirements of their professional development plan as mandated by the Georgia Teacher Evaluation Program.
The Superintendent or designee and the Professional Learning staff have administrative responsibility for ascertaining that a continuous program of staff development is operative for the personnel of the system. This responsibility involves the planning, implementation, supervision, and evaluation of such programs at both system and school levels but is implemented through the school principal at the school level for all staff members. These programs may include, without limitation, professional learning communities; new teacher induction; strategic planning; use of technology resources to support instruction; pedagogical and content knowledge enhancement offered through the Professional Learning catalog of courses; use of IDMS Professional Development Planner Portal; district-wide teacher, administrative, and classified leadership conferences; cognitive coaching support of teachers with alternative certifications; and an array of intensive results-based professional learning courses.
Legal References
- O.C.G.A. 20-02-0153.1 — Georgia Early Literacy; definitions; uniform grade appropriate metrics to measure literacy; role of school boards; accommodations. (Lexis)
- O.C.G.A. 20-02-0159.6 — Screening for dyslexia and related disorders;training and professional development; pilot program evaluating early intervention; data reporting (Lexis)
- O.C.G.A. 20-02-0161 — Quality Basic Education formula (Lexis)
- O.C.G.A. 20-02-0162 — Annual recalculation of funding; mid-term adjustment (Lexis)
- O.C.G.A. 20-02-0167 — Funding for direct instructional, media center and staff development costs; computerized uniform budget and accounting system; submission of local budget to state board; provision of certain information by local boards (Lexis)
- O.C.G.A. 20-02-0182 — Program weights to reflect funds for payment of salaries and benefits; maximum class size; reporting requirements; application to specific school years (Lexis)
- O.C.G.A. 20-02-0190 — Professional development centered on state-wide strategic initiatives (Lexis)
- O.C.G.A. 20-02-0200 — Regulation of certificated professional personnel by Professional Standards Commission; rules and regulations; fees (Lexis)
- O.C.G.A. 20-02-0201 — Specific course requirements; in-service or continuing education; online offerings (Lexis)
- O.C.G.A. 20-02-0208 — Dyslexia endorsement for teachers; requirements; assessments (Lexis)
- O.C.G.A. 20-02-0208.1 — Inclusion of identification or interventions for dyslexia and other disorders in teacher preparation programs for elem and secondary ed instruction (Lexis)
- O.C.G.A. 20-02-0209 — Financial literacy endorsement for educators (Lexis)
- O.C.G.A. 20-02-0209.1 — School safety and anti-gang endorsement for eligible certificated professional personnel.
- O.C.G.A. 20-02-0210 — Annual performance evaluation; on-time graduation rate (Lexis)
- O.C.G.A. 20-02-0213.1 — Pay-for-performance for rewarding group activity (Lexis)
- O.C.G.A. 20-02-0217 — Professional and staff development stipends (Lexis)
- O.C.G.A. 20-02-0230 — New board member orientation to educational program objectives required (Lexis)
- O.C.G.A. 20-02-0251 — Teacher recruitment and retention program; purpose; annual evaluation of program; maximum participation (Lexis)
- O.C.G.A. 20-02-0751.7 — Student reporting of inappropriate behavior by teacher/staff (Lexis)
- O.C.G.A. 20-02-0759 — Minimum qualifications for hearing officers, disciplinary hearing officers, tribunals, and panels (Lexis)
- O.C.G.A. 38-03-0022.3 — Memorandum of agreement with military commands in this state to enhance opportunities for Georgians (Lexis)
- Rule 160-5-6-.01 — Statewide School Nutritional Program
- Rule 160-5-1-.02 — School Day and School Year for Students and Employees
- Rule 160-3-1-.07 — Testing Programs- Student Assessment
- Rule 160-4-3-.11 — Extended Day Grant Program
- Rule 160-4-8-.15 — Student Discipline
- Rule 160-3-3-.04 — Professional Learning
- Rule 160-4-9-.03 — Statewide Vocational Staff Development Eligibility
- Rule 160-4-8-.19 — Suicide Prevention Training Requirement for Certificated School System Personnel
- Rule 160-4-9-.07 — Charter Systems