Planning Ahead: Teacher Quality Course & Study Group Timelines for 2019-20

Registration for Teacher Quality (TQ) courses and study groups will begin Aug. 16 and end Sept. 13, 2019. TQ courses and study groups are offered as an additional opportunity for professional learning for Heartland AEA Certified staff. TQ courses meet for 15 hours off contract time, and participants are eligible for a stipend upon completion of the course. All Certified staff members are eligible to register for these opportunities. Staff members who registered for the DMPS Summit on School Climate and Culture for TQ won’t be eligible to participate in another TQ opportunity for pay unless they are teaching a class. 

In addition to study groups developed by Job Alike Groups, staff will be able to develop their own study group proposals. Study groups must have at least four participants, and one participant must agree to be the study group facilitator. The content must align with Heartland AEA’s four goals and/or support a specific job-alike function. 

Study group proposals created by groups of staff members can be turned in Aug. 16-Sept. 13, 2019. The Professional Development Office will work with interested participants in writing their study group proposal and support them in entering the proposal in the AEA Professional Learning Registration System. Study groups can begin on Oct. 1. if books arrive on time. 

Those who complete a TQ course or study group and meet eligibility requirements will be provided a stipend. The amount of the stipend is established after registration closes, as the stipend is determined by the number of participants. For reference, during the 2018-19 school year, eligible participants received $700 for completing a course/study group, and facilitators received a $750 stipend for facilitating a course/study group. This stipend can fluctuate from year to year. 

TQ Timeline for 2019-20 

• Determine TQ proposals: Study Groups for Summer 2019: Submitted June 14 (Rare) 
• TQ Classes and JAF Study Groups for 2019-20: Due June 30, 2019 
• TQ registration open: Aug. 16-Sept. 13, 2019 
• TQ proposals for staff-generated study groups due: Sept. 13, 2019 
• TQ courses and study groups held: Oct. 1, 2019-June 30, 2020

If you have any questions, contact Kevin Fangman, Chief Academic Officer.