Professional Development

Directory:

Background on Teacher Quality Committee, Iowa Core Curriculum and Professional Development Supplement per Pupil

Professional Development Supplement per Pupil

Allowable PD Supplement Expenditures

Professional Development Supplement per Pupil Additional Flexibility

Professional Development Supplement per Pupil for Teacher Salary Supplement Purposes

Iowa Core Professional Development

Iowa Professional Development Model 

Professional Development Golf Model

Iowa Department of Education documents to support implementation of the Iowa Core Curriculum


Research confirms that quality professional development focused on student learning, with the purpose of improving instruction toward that end, is one of the best investments a school district can make. Professional development is funded in Iowa through a variety of revenue sources with a range of autonomy and regulation guiding school district actions.


Background on Teacher Quality Committee, Iowa Core Curriculum and Professional Development Supplement Per Pupil

-PowerPoint

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Professional Development Supplement per Pupil:

Below is the code language on the PD supplement - the only place you will find the law directing what you have to do with PD funds. The statute below cross-references the professional development per student supplement back to the original teacher quality committee process.  The highlighted section is the specific job of the TQ committee regarding establishing the uses of the PD money.  Note the reference to the district, building level and individual teacher PD goals.  Those should align with local student achievement goals and follow the Iowa Professional Development Model - at the bottom of the page.

284.6 Teacher professional development.

3. A school district shall develop a district professional development plan. The district professional development plan shall include a description of the means by which the school district will provide access to all teachers in the district to professional development programs or offerings that meet the requirements of subsection 1. The plan shall align all professional development with the school district’s long-range student learning goals and the Iowa teaching standards. The plan shall indicate the school district’s approved professional development provider or providers.

4. In cooperation with the teacher’s evaluator, the career teacher employed by a school district shall develop an individual teacher professional development plan. The evaluator shall consult with the teacher’s supervisor on the development of the individual teacher professional development plan. The purpose of the plan is to promote individual and group professional development. The individual plan shall be based, at minimum, on the needs of the teacher, the Iowa teaching standards, and the student achievement goals of the attendance center and the school district. The individual plan shall include goals for the individual which are beyond those required under the attendance center professional development plan developed pursuant to subsection 7.

5. The teacher’s evaluator shall annually meet with the teacher to review progress in meeting the goals in the teacher’s individual plan. The teacher shall present to the evaluator evidence of progress. The purpose of the meeting shall be to review the teacher’s progress in meeting professional development goals in the plan and to review collaborative work with other staff on student achievement goals and to modify as necessary the teacher’s individual plan to reflect the individual teacher’s and the school district’s needs and the individual’s progress in meeting the goals in the plan. The teacher’s supervisor and the evaluator shall review, modify, or accept modifications made to the teacher’s individual plan.

6. School districts, a consortium of school districts, area education agencies, higher education institutions, and other public or private entities including professional associations may be approved by the state board to provide teacher professional development. The professional development program or offering shall, at minimum, meet the requirements of subsection 1. The state board shall adopt rules for the approval of professional development providers and standards for the district development plan.

7. Each attendance center shall develop an attendance center professional development plan. The purpose of the plan is to promote group professional development. The attendance center plan shall be based, at a minimum, on the needs of the teachers, the Iowa teaching standards, district professional development plans, and the student achievement goals of the attendance center and the school district.


Allowable PD Supplement Expenditures

8. For each year in which a school district receives funds calculated and paid to school districts for professional development pursuant to section 257.10, subsection 10, or section 257.37A, subsection 2, the school district shall create quality professional development opportunities. Not less than thirty-six hours in the school calendar, held outside of the minimum school day, shall be set aside during nonpreparation time or designated professional development time to allow practitioners to collaborate with each other to deliver educational programs and assess student learning, or to engage in peer review pursuant to section 284.8, subsection 1. The funds may be used to implement the professional development provisions of the teacher career paths and leadership roles specified in section 284.15, including but not limited to providing professional development to teachers, including additional salaries for time beyond the normal negotiated agreement; activities and pay to support a beginning teacher mentoring and induction program that meets the requirements of section 284.5; pay for substitute teachers, professional development materials, speakers, and professional development content; textbooks and curriculum materials used for classroom purposes if such textbooks and curriculum materials include professional development; administering assessments pursuant to section 256.7, subsection 21, paragraph “b”, subparagraphs (1) and (2), if such assessments include professional development; and costs associated with implementing the individual professional development plans. The use of the funds shall be balanced between school district, attendance center, and individual professional development plans, making every reasonable effort to provide equal access to all teachers.

9. Moneys received pursuant to section 257.10, subsection 10, or section 257.37A, subsection 2, shall be maintained as a separate listing within a school district’s or area education agency’s budget for funds received and expenditures made pursuant to this subsection. The department shall not require a school district or area education agency to allocate a specific amount or percentage of moneys received pursuant to section 257.10, subsection 10, or section 257.37A, subsection 2, for professional development related to implementation of the core curriculum under section 256.7, subsection 26. A school district shall certify to the department of education how the school district allocated the funds and that moneys received under this subsection were used to supplement, not supplant, the professional development opportunities the school district would otherwise make available. For budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2017, all or a portion of the moneys received pursuant to section 257.10, subsection 10, that remain unexpended and unobligated at the end of a fiscal year may, pursuant to section 257.10, subsection 10, paragraph “d”, be transferred for deposit in the school district’s flexibility account established under section 298A.2, subsection 2.

10. If funds are allocated for purposes of professional development pursuant to section 284.13, subsection 1, paragraph “c”, the department shall, in collaboration with the area education agencies, establish teacher development academies for school-based teams of teachers and instructional leaders. Each academy shall include an institute and shall provide follow-up training and coaching. 2001 Acts, ch 161, §7; 2002 Acts, ch 1152, §14; 2003 Acts, ch 180, §42; 2006 Acts, ch 1182, §13, 14; 2007 Acts, ch 108, §20 – 23; 2009 Acts, ch 177, §36; 2011 Acts, ch 34, §74; 2012 Acts, ch 1119, §5; 2013 Acts, ch 121, §63, 74; 2017 Acts, ch 153, §1 - 3; 2017 Acts, ch 154, §5; 2017 Acts, ch 172, §35 Referred to in §256.7, §256C.3, §284.13 2017 amendment to subsections 8 and 9 by 20    

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Professional Development Supplement per Pupil Additional Flexibility

PD funds may also be transferred to the district's Flexibility Account at any time, with expenditures of the Flexibility Account directed by school board resolution, to be used for any General Fund purpose, expanded preschool, or other specified purposes. See the ISFIS Flexibility Account webpage for more information.

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Professional Development Supplement per Pupil for Teacher Salary Supplement Purposes

PD funds may also be used for teacher salary supplement purposes, pursuant to HF 68 Education Savings Accounts legislation approved in the 2023 Session. The PD balance is removed from the categorical source (e.g., TLC, PD, TAG), transferred to TSS, and is reflected as a balance restricted for TSS purposes. The district would spend from that newly restricted amount.

Guidance: On the Department's Categorical Funding webpage, under the Teacher Salary Supplement heading - Additional TSS sources sub-heading, the guidance document is titled HF 688 Guidance: Categorical Funding and Operational Sharing.

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TQ Committee (Iowa Code 284.4)  

Half teachers appointed by association and half administrators appointed by board (although could mutually agree to use a preexisting committee) TQ Committee has 5 duties:

  1. Monitor the implementation of state requirements, including those that affect contract agreements
  2. Monitor the evaluation requirements of this chapter to ensure evaluations are conducted in a fair and consistent manner throughout the school district or agency.  In addition to any negotiated evaluation procedures, develop model evidence for the Iowa teaching standards and criteria.  The model evidence will minimize paperwork and focus on teacher improvement.  The model evidence will determine which standards and criteria can be met with observation and which evidence meets multiple standards and criteria.
  3. Determine, following the adoption of the Iowa PD model by the state BOE, the use and distribution of the PD funds calculated and paid to  the school district or AEA as provided in section 257.9, subsection 10, or section 257.10,  subsection 10, based upon school district or agency, attendance center, and individual teacher and PD plans.
  4. Monitor the PD in each attendance center to ensure that the PD meets school district or agency, attendance center, and individual PD plans.
  5. Determine the compensation for teachers on the committee for work responsibilities required beyond the normal work day.

Iowa Core Professional Development

History:  the original line item appropriations before rolling the PD into the formula:  

  • $20 million general PD through teacher quality statute
  • $ 8.5 million core curriculum implementation (that's 30% of the total $28.5 million)
  • Total:  $28.5 million

This all became Professional Development Supplement per pupil, now on the Aid and Levy worksheet and subject to annual allowable growth/SSA as set by the legislature applicable to categorical supplements.
 

To Calculate the portion of a district's PD supplement that is Iowa Core Professional Development,:

  • Determine what amount your district receives on line 4.38 (FY 2011 Aid and Levy)
  • 30% is Core Curriculum PD/implementation (account code 3373)
  • 70% is general PD (account code 3376)

If TQ Committee agrees, all could be for Core Curriculum PD/Implementation, but at least 30% of it was required to be before HF564 in 2017. 

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Iowa Professional Development Model

The Iowa Professional Development Model (IPDM) provides guidance to implement the professional development established by the Teacher Quality Act in the requirements of the Iowa Code. The IPDM follows the Iowa Professional Development Standards and is aligned with the National Staff Development Council Standards for Professional Development. 

The development of the model was an effort of the Iowa Department of Education (DE) and a stakeholders group representing Area Education Agencies (AEA), professional organizations (the Iowa State Education Association— ISEA, School Administrators of Iowa—SAI, and the Iowa Association of School Boards—IASB), teachers, local education agencies (LEA), higher education, private vendors of professional development, and others who contribute to school improvement and professional development in Iowa. The process used by the stakeholder group for analyzing state and national policy, reviewing the literature base for professional development, and considering the Iowa context for school improvement was led by Dr. Beverly Showers and Deb Hansen, Administrative Consultant. Beverly Showers, a national expert on professional development, was one of the primary authors of the IPDM and related technical assistance materials. 

The link to the Iowa Professional Development Model technical assistance guide on the DE's website.

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Professional Development Golf Model

Kate and Jeff Panek, Educational Leadership students at Drake University and practicing school administrators, put together a rubric comparing teacher professional learning with golf. Sometimes it helps to have something familiar - background knowledge - to help make the link to new and complex information. Download it here.

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Iowa Department of Education documents to support implementation of the Iowa Core Curriculum

Teacher Quality Guidance Letter - 7/23/2008

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