PROFESSIONAL GROWTH OF CERTIFICATED PERSONNEL

Required Professional Growth Activities
 Northwest Public Schools maintains that each certificated staff member shall improve professionally and personally through staff development activities.  Those activities sponsored and recognized by the Northwest Public Schools are designed to help each individual become a more effective and efficient staff member of the total educational program.  To assist each certificated staff member in this endeavor, the Board shall require evidence of professional growth every six years.

Professional Growth Period - The professional growth period for the Northwest Public Schools is a six (6) year period during which certificated staff members are required to give evidence of professional growth.  A certificated permanent staff member, upon employment on September 1, begins his/her initial six year period and concludes such period six years later on August 31.  The beginning of the seventh year commences the second six year period.

Professional Growth Points - All permanent certificated staff members will be required to reach a total of sixty (60) professional growth points during each professional growth period.  Each activity of professional growth has its own criteria for acceptance.  It is the responsibility of each permanent certificated staff member to make application for professional growth and to show that the activity(s) was completed.  Implementation of any changes in professional growth requirements shall be in such a manner as to cause no penalty to those staff members who are currently working on professional growth requirements for their present professional growth period.  All professional growth activities earned pursuant to these provisions shall be accepted by the Board as evidence of professional growth.

Applicability to the Salary Schedule - Credit hours earned to complete the professional growth requirement shall be applicable for movement on the salary schedule if such hours meet existing criteria for salary advancement as set forth in the negotiated agreement and/or Board policy.

Procedures for Applying for Growth Credit - Application for professional growth activities and college credit shall be completed through SID.  A separate application shall be submitted for each activity that requests professional growth. The SID application shall be submitted to the Building by August 31 for the preceding school year.  Once the application has been submitted, the Professional Growth Committee will review the application to either accept or deny the application.

Professional Growth Committee - The professional growth committee shall be appointed by the superintendent of schools. The professional growth committee is established to review and assign allotted professional growth points. The committee shall consist of each building principal, and two teachers. The teachers will be appointed.

Review of Professional Growth Status - Records of professional growth activities shall be maintained in the employee’s database in SID. Each employee shall have access to the total accumulated professional growth points and the expiration date of the professional growth period through the SID system.

Classification of Activities - Listed below are the activities for which professional growth points may be obtained, the number of points which can be awarded in one calendar year and the total number of points that can be earned within the professional growth period for each professional growth activity.  The required number of sixty (60) professional growth points may be earned in one year or over the six year period.

1. College or Formal Class Work		All college classes need to be educationally related
a. College credit	10 points per credit hour	Ex. taking a college class for credit
b. Auditing College Credit	4 points per credit hour	Ex. taking a college class not for credit
c. Technical Community College Credit	10 points per credit hour	Ex. CCC classes, etc.
d. Adult Education Class	1 point for each 5 hours	Ex. taking a class, Love and Logic
e. LETRS Training (Year Long)	15 point per Volume Completed, 1 & 2 ,     (Max 30 points)	Ex. enhancing your teaching skills
2. Professional Work Done Under the Direction of Northwest Public Schools      • A maximum of 10 points are allowed per each subcategory per year in Category 2.
a. Curriculum Committee Work	1 point for each clock hour
b. Workshop / Conference presenter	5 points per presentation with a maximum of 20 points, within a 6- year period	Ex. NETA, CTE, NCA clinic, ISTE, NAG, ESU, etc.
c. Building in-service presentation or           demonstration	5 points	Ex. In-service presentation day
d. Attending ESU (or other) workshops	3 points per ½ day, 5 points per full day
e. Out of classroom District work	1 point per clock hour	Ex. Curriculum Development, Curriculum Series Choice
3. Teaching
a. College teaching           (outside of the NWPS contract)	10 points per credit hour, 20 points maximum per six-year period	Note: You provide the instruction for a college institution
b. Adult Education classes	5 points per credit hour, 10 points maximum per six-year period	Note: You provide the instruction for a college institution,
c. Supervising student teachers           • Length - 3 - 6 weeks = 3 points           • Length - 7 - 8 weeks = 5 points           • Length - 9 - 15 weeks = 8 points           • Length - 18 weeks = 10 points	20 points maximum per six- year period
d. Mentoring within the District (1 year)	10 points	Ex. Mentor for new teacher in the district
e. Hosting a college student’s classroom           observation	points prorated on portion of school day	(Minimum of 20 hours)
4. Professional Representative	3 points maximum per year, per subcategory in Category 4
a. PTO representative for the school
b. NWEA Representative for the school
c. Negotiations Representative
d. Health and Safety Team member
e. Building HAL coordinator
f. PLC team leader
g. Technology Committee member
5. Professional Memberships	1 point per membership per year (10 points maximum per six-year period)	(Teacher unions do not qualify - NWEA, NEA,)
6. School Improvement Team	15 points maximum per year
a. District Level Steering committee member           / leader	15 points
b. Building committee members	10 points	Note: (MTSS/School Improvement team members)
7. Other Professional Growth activities	Committee Discretion	Ex. Being trained for Mandt (2), CPR (2), Medicine Distribution (2), Mandt instructor (5), Ad Hoc Committees (5)
8. Digital Video Classes / Instructional course work	Maximum of 5 points per year / a total of 20 points in a 6-year cycle	All digital learning needs to be educationally related
a. Digital Learning	½ point per ½ hour, / 1 point per hour	Ex. Callihan’s Cache summer modules, Ditch That Textbook online training videos, etc...
b. Podcasts	½ point per ½ hour, / 1 point per hour	Note: The 1-page online reflection must be handed in for reference (See shared Professional Growth Digital Learning Google Form)
c. Webinars	½ point per ½ hour, / 1 point per hour	Note: The 1-page online reflection must be handed in for reference. (See shared Professional Growth Digital Learning Google Form)
The professional growth committee reserves the right to consider and recommend to the administration, Board, and Northwest Education Association other professional growth activities not covered in the aforementioned activities.