Monthly Feature: Highlights From the Agency’s Professional Learning Redesign

May was another month full of exciting action for our Classified Staff and Certified Staff Professional Learning Cadres! A few highlights from each group are below. 

Classified Staff Update 
The work on the Classified Professional Learning Cadre continues with great progress occurring each month. 

• During the April Central Support Meeting, Classified staff engaged in learning and discussion regarding the work of the Professional Learning Cadre this semester. Staff engaged in an activity to consider growth and fixed mindsets. Feedback regarding the redesign process thus far, as well as growth mindset, were collected from participating staff. Thank you for your feedback! 
• Most recently, Professional Learning Cadre members have welcomed additional Classified and Certified staff and leaders to form work teams focused on the identified areas of learning. Work teams met on May 24 for the first time to begin digging into the work of finalizing key components and discussing competencies at the foundational, concentrated and specialized levels. This work will continue through the summer. After finalizing competencies, work teams will begin matching and designing learning opportunities for the various competencies. Each work team is focused on one of the areas of learning previously identified by the PL Cadre. These areas of learning are: 
• Adult Interactions 
• Agency Services 
• Individual Effectiveness 
• Technology 
• Workplace Safety 

Certified Staff Update 
As we wrap up the 2017-18 school year, Martha Condon, Director of Professional Learning, would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to each staff member and leader who is participating in the Professional Learning Pilot. Over 120 people have committed their time, energy, knowledge and thoughts to supporting our efforts at refining the redesigned system. These efforts are greatly appreciated! The feedback from our pilot participants has led to some exciting changes and updates to our system--both our professional learning system as a whole as well as the technology platform we are using to support our internal professional learning system. These enhancements will be experienced by Certified staff beginning in Aug. 2018. As we return for the 2018-19 school year, you will learn more about how each of you will be engaging with the Professional Learning System. Supports for engaging in the redesigned professional learning structure, as well as for accessing and navigating the technology platform will be available to staff throughout the entire year. Stay tuned and get geared up for August - it’s bound to be an exciting time for us all! 

As was shared last month, the Certified Professional Learning Cadre is spending time focused on the vetting, design and alignment of differentiated learning opportunities for each Area of Learning. This work continues, with effectively and well-designed online, face-to-face and hybrid courses, book studies and other learning opportunities available soon for staff. As we prepare for additional Certified staff to engage with the redesigned Professional Learning System, we encourage you to review the key terms associated with our internal processes. 

• Areas of Learning: Eight Areas of Learning required at some level by ALL Certified staff were identified connected to our priority service areas. These eight Areas of Learning are: 
• Adult Learning, Child Find, Data and Assessment, Early Childhood, Instruction, Problem Solving, Social Emotional Behavioral Mental Health and Technology. All Certified staff roles require foundational skills and knowledge across these Areas of Learning. 

The Agency recognizes not all learning required by Certified staff is explicitly included in these identified Areas of Learning. Certain required functions of staff are quite specific and are required by only limited numbers of staff. Growth and development in these areas will continue to be supported, and may be identified as additional areas of growth during PDP development between individual staff members and supervisors. 

• Key Components: Key Components are the critical learnings identified for each Area of Learning. 

• Competencies: Competencies are skills, knowledge and beliefs required to be successfully demonstrated and held by Heartland AEA Certified staff. Stated differently, competencies indicate what Heartland AEA staff should know and be able to do. Each Area of Learning has identified competencies for each key component. Competencies have been classified into three depths of learning: 
• Foundational: All Certified staff should know/be able to do 
• Concentrated: More in-depth learning for staff whose job function is to be able to implement this learning as part of their job 
• Specialized: Deep and extended learning for staff whose job function requires more specialization 

Although foundational competencies have been identified as key skills and learning for all Certified staff, that does not mean each staff member will be required to participate in each and every learning experience at the foundational level. We know staff have prior knowledge and experiences, and in many cases are sufficiently demonstrating foundational (and in some cases, concentrated and specialized) competencies. As foundational competencies are demonstrated and fully developed, staff will move into concentrated or specialized competencies and choose learning opportunities aligned with these deeper skill sets. Every staff member’s path of professional growth may look a little different. 

• Learning Maps: A learning map is a tool that provides a clearer picture of the competencies. Learning maps describe the variations of each key component of the competency on a continuum. Learning maps articulate what achieving the desired state looks like for the learner.

• Professional Learning Profiles: A professional learning profile is a visual display of the competencies that have been identified for Certified staff members based on their job title and function in the Agency. Each profile was developed by a team of staff representing their role, with varying rigor of skills and/or learning based on the function of the role in the Agency. For example, certain roles and functions in the Agency require concentrated or specialized knowledge of Child Find, whereas other roles and functions may only require foundational knowledge in this area. While the profile may not be an exact match to a staff member’s job function, it will support the staff member and supervisor in narrowing the number of competencies and learning maps considered during ongoing goal setting and growth activities. Professional learning profiles are a “starting point” for staff and are intended to help each individual focus in on learning that is supportive of their own professional development plan. Individual adjustments may be made to reflect the unique aspects of a person’s role during the structured conversation between a staff member and supervisor. 

Continued thanks to all staff members and leaders as we continue to refine our Heartland AEA Professional Learning System. Our monthly updates through The Connection will take a summer break, but if you have any questions or would like additional information, contact Martha Condon, Director of Professional Learning, at ext. 14416.