Professional development planning is an annual, collaborative process using surveys and/or established meeting groups. The district uses a research-based protocol, multiple data sources, aligns to National Staff Development Council standards and also produces district goals, plans of action and measurements. Human Capital serves as one of the Future Planning goal areas through 2015. One action step under this goal include the establishment of D102 University which will organize professional development offerings for educators and provide no less than 50 hours of professional learning for each teacher in each year.



Language Arts Professional Development Opportunities

District 102 is progressing in their use of MYAccess®!, an on-line writing tool helping to take our students into the 21Century.  By using MY Access®! In the classroom, teachers can provide students with the practice they need to improve their writing skills. The program's powerful scoring engine grades students' essays instantly and provides targeted feedback, freeing teachers from grading thousands of papers by hand and giving them more time to differentiated instruction and individualize the learning environment. With MY Access®!, students are motivated to write more and attain higher scores on statewide writing assessments. All teachers who are instructors of writing, in grades 4-8, will participate in training over the next several years.



We are also building the leadership capacity of our own teachers to lead in the area of writing. We have selected some of our talented teachers to participate in a 6 + 1Traits ® Writing Assessment for Trainers Institute in Chicago.  This core group of trainers will then provide staff development to all teachers on the 6 + 1 Writing Trait Model, writing in the teaching-learning cycle, and how the cycle relates to balanced literacy. They will also instruct on student goal setting, providing family support, and lesson planning.  Institute days as well as building professional development will focus on the 5-Day Writing Model, UbD units, writing rubrics, as well as concept lessons for the 6 + 1 Trait.


Personalizing Learning For the Whole Child


Beginning with Summer Academy in 2010, and continuing throughout the current school year, teachers will have an opportunity to participate in professional development on differentiation.  We will continue to utilize our own talented staff for different offerings like Best Practices for ELL Students, Differentiation for All Learners, and Differentiation for Talented Students. We also plan to continue supporting Tier I Social Emotional Learning through professional development from the Division of Teaching and Learning.


We have several teachers and administrators that will participate in professional development using the on-line tool ASCEND. This is an intervention program that is used for students that are in RtI (Response to Intervention) for math services. The purpose of this program is to benchmark students’ abilities, discover their area(s) of weakness, and provide specific corrective instruction. The goal is to accelerate learning to diminish the discrepancy between the student’s skill and expected skill level.


We also have a district-wide in-service for all teachers and administration sponsored by Loyola University’s Chicagoland Partners for English Language Learners (CPELL). The CPELL program is dedicated to creating effective teacher leaders in multicultural, multilingual schools. Due to many of our teachers participating in their Master’s program, our district is offered professional development to help build all teachers’ aptitude for working with ELL students.


21 Century Learning~ Transformative Learning Environments


Classrooms in District 102 continue to transform into state-of-the-art learning environments. All rooms have white boards, multiple multimedia computers, and access to mobile technology. We are pleased to confirm that all core classrooms across the district have been configured with Promethean Interactive White Boards.

To support the new technology, we have a cadre of D102 local trainers who participated in an intensive three-day training in the spring of 2009 designed to create a group of local trainers for the District. In the spring of 2010, the cadre created several courses designed to build the capacity of teachers in D102. Each year's Summer Academy and continuing throughout the school year, teachers have the opportunity to attend many levels of training on Promethean. Some professional development classes are Promethean Essentials Beginners, Promethean Essentials Intermediate, Promethean Advanced, and Promethean Ancillary Equipment. We also offer Social Emotional Training and Math training using the Promethean board.

Other 21st Century Professional Development courses are Wikis, Blogs, and More; 21 Century Communication, where staff has the opportunity to learn how to create wikis and blogs and implement the tool with students, as well as Digital Literacy, how to transform and deliver curriculum in new ways. The course gives attendees practical activities to bring back to their classroom to infuse their teaching with 21st Century skills. Another course, Photos and “Philm,” helps teachers refine their use of importing and organizing digital media for use with students. It also explores the use of iPads with students and digital media. We also offer Informational Literacy, which educates teachers on the how to access information efficiently and effectively, evaluate information critically and competently, and helps teachers understand the ethical and legal issues surrounding the access and use of information. Another class that infuses technology and curriculum is Literacy Expands: Multiliteracies in the 21-Century Classroom. This class meets the needs of students, recognizing they are mulit-literate. The Course examines curriculum and instruction practices and identifies openings for critical engagements. Common classroom practices that are examined are community building; interactive read aloud, interest groups and drama. The course also examines social networking tools like wikis and blogs, with special interest given to 6+1 Traits of writing.

We have also worked with outside consultants to enhance ways to transform student learning in classrooms using rich media sources available through Mobile Technology (e.g., iPods and iPads) and Discovery Education (DE) Streaming. We explore the benefits of joining the Discovery Educator Network, and work to become a STAR Educator (as well as offering a new strand of professional development provided for by some of our talented staff).


Mentoring and Induction Program

District 102 is in its fourth year of a State-approved mentoring program. Aptakisic-Tripp school district recognizes the importance of entry-year support as a significant bridge to professional practice.  Our mentoring program offers professional development for the mentor teachers as well as new teachers.  Our conceptually developed mentoring program focuses on the qualities of mentoring, commitments, roles, and responsibility through several meetings throughout the school year.   Mentors work with new teachers to develop individual plans for new teachers and create mentor logs that reflect formal and informal meetings between the mentor/mentee.


New teachers participate in monthly meetings comprised of topics that have been determined to be high value to a District 102 teacher.  The professional development topics for the school year are, working with ELL, RtI, and special education students, student assessment and grading, communication and conferences, 6 Traits Writing, ISAT preparation, and record’s day procedures. New teachers will also have the opportunity to develop a collegial relationship with other mentors through activities at each meeting as well as participate in any other professional development provided at D102.