Overview
The Sudbury Public Schools embody a culture that is highly supportive of professional development as a key strategy for maintaining excellence in teaching. A Professional Development Committee consisting of teachers, curriculum specialists, and administrators meets over the course of a school year to identify priorities and recommended strategies for a comprehensive professional development program. School and district administrators work with input from the Committee and develop a schedule of professional development activities that address School Improvement Plans and are supportive of Sudbury's District Goals. Two full-days for professional development events, in-service workshops throughout the year, ongoing support for conference attendance, study group activities, and partial tuition reimbursement for graduate courses are some of the strategies used in growing the capacity of our staff. Teachers new to the system participate in a multi-day program customized to enhance their understanding of Sudbury's learning expectations and school culture. Mentoring workshops prepare veteran teachers for working closely with newer teachers to ensure smooth transitions. A commitment to having all Sudbury teachers participate in a graduate course entitled Skillful Teaching, developed by the organization Research for Better Teaching, further ensures a common base of knowledge and capability for our educators. All of Sudbury's educators are committed to attending a full 30-hour course in Empowering Multicultural Initiatives (EMI), a program that instills the principles of antiracism and promotes international vision within our curriculum. As Sudbury brings more new staff aboard (approximately 60% of the district's teachers have been hired in the past five years), the ongoing need for quality professional development is clear.
Beginning in the school year 2007 - 2008, the Sudbury Public Schools implemented an Improved Learning for All (ILAP) plan. This is a professional growth model that uses early release days twice per month to enable educations to attend carefully planned work sessions and collaborative group activities within and across schools, grade levels, and disciplines to help accomplish personal, school, and district-wide goals. A major focus of this year's ILAP program is the improvement of writing skills at the elementary level and to build challenge and creativity into our middle school curricula. Administration and staff work cooperatively to align these efforts with the priorities of the schools and of the system, the district's curriculum maps, and the State Curriculum Frameworks.
During the 07-08 school year, the ILAP/Professional Development program is undergoing an external evaluation. A research team from Harvard University is assessing the quality and efficiency of our staff development offerings in regard to the K-5 Writing Initiative. Trained observers have been attending ILAP sessions as well as our full day professional development offerings, and have been reviewing the district's success in meeting a set of pre-determined criteria. Observations have been shared with Sudbury's administration in an ongoing manner. A Summary Report will be completed this Spring and will be made available to the public.
If there are any questions in regard to Sudbury's professional development program, please contact Bob Milley, Assistant Superintendent of Schools, bob_milley@sudbury.k12.ma.us or call 978-639-3296.