TITLE 6                 PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION

CHAPTER 65       SCHOOL PERSONNEL - EDUCATOR PREPARATION

PART 2                 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK

 

6.65.2.1                 ISSUING AGENCY:  Public Education Department

[6.65.2.1 NMAC - N, 06-30-06]

 

6.65.2.2                 SCOPE:  The New Mexico professional development framework establishes statewide standards for all professional development that impacts licensed staff in New Mexico public schools.

[6.65.2.2 NMAC - N, 06-30-06]

 

6.65.2.3                 STATUTORY AUTHORITY:  Section 22-2-2 NMSA 1978, 22-2-2-8 NMSA 1978, 22-10A-19 NMSA 1978, and 22-10A-19.1 NMSA 1978.

[6.65.2.3 NMAC - N, 06-30-06]

 

6.65.2.4                 DURATION:  Permanent

[6.65.2.4 NMAC - N, 06-30-06]

 

6.65.2.5                 EFFECTIVE DATE:  June 30, 2006, unless a later date is cited at the end of a section.

[6.65.2.5 NMAC - N, 06-30-06]

 

6.65.2.6                 OBJECTIVE:  The rule establishes criteria for all professional development programs delivered by the public education department, statewide professional development providers, charter schools, public school districts, and for all professional development providers that apply for professional development funds, or who are awarded funding by the public education department ("PED") or by the legislature.  The criteria in this rule also establishes standards for an evaluation component that will be used by the PED in accessing charter school, and school district professional development plans.  The rule creates standards for developing professional development activities for schools that improve teachers' knowledge of the subjects they teach and the ability to teach those subjects to all of their students; are an integral part of the public school and school district plans for improving student achievement; provide teachers, school administrators and instructional support providers with the strategies, support, knowledge and skills to help all students meet the New Mexico academic content standards; are high quality, sustained, intensive and focused on the classroom; are developed and evaluated regularly with extensive participation of school employees and parents.

[6.65.2.6 NMAC - N, 06-30-06]

 

6.65.2.7                 DEFINITIONS:

                A.            "Alignment" means the degree to which program components match purposes and evaluation criteria.

                B.            "Collaboration" means the act of working positively and productively with others to meet a common goal or purpose.

                C.            "Data" means information from a variety of sources gathered for a purpose.  For example, data related to student learning might include student work examples, scripted or video taped observations, student achievement scores, and/or teacher-generated assessments.  Data related to teacher performance might include observations; instructional artifacts; and /or student, peer or parent evaluations.  The terms data and evidence are often used interchangeably.

                D.            "Developmental levels" means descriptors of development for students and teachers.

                    (1)     Developmental levels for students are descriptors of how they develop (cognitively, socially and in other ways) during their formative years in pre k-12 education.

                    (2)     Developmental levels for teachers are descriptors of how they develop across the continuum of their careers.  In New Mexico, the career continuum for teachers include three levels of development:  the level 1 "provisional teacher" (the initial five years of a teaching career where the teacher demonstrates initial mastery of effective teaching); the level 2 "professional teacher" (at least three years of classroom teaching experience during which a teacher demonstrates expert practice); and the level 3 "master teacher" (at least six years of experience where the teacher demonstrates exemplary practice).

                E.             "Differentiated" means the intentional application of multiple modes of instruction or assessment in order to meet the needs of all members of a group.  The New Mexico teacher competencies are differentiated across levels of years of experience and teacher development:  level 1 (provisional teacher); level 2 (professional teacher); and level 3 (master teacher).

                F.             "Diversity" means variety among individuals.  Diversity includes, for example, variations in socio-economic status, race, developmental level, ethnicity, gender, language, learning styles, culture, abilities, age, interests, and/or personality.

                G.            "Job-embedded" means activities that are included as part of the responsibilities of the teacher's work day.

                H.            "Leadership" means the work of members of all levels of educational systems who engage in, collaborate in, and/or guide continuous instructional improvement for the benefit of the entire system.

                I.              "Professional development" means a systemic process by which educators increase knowledge, skills, and abilities to meet professional and organizational goals that build capacity within the individual, organization, and education system for the purpose of ensuring success for all students.

                J.             "Professional development plan" means a plan specifically designed to identify goals, activities and measurable objectives that will support continuous learning related to professional knowledge, skills and abilities.

                    (1)     The district professional development plan is a component of the comprehensive educational plan for student success that supports academic learning for all students.

                    (2)     The individual teacher's professional development plan (PDP) is part of the performance evaluation system requirements.  The teacher's PDP is a collaborative enterprise involving the teacher and principal in establishing a yearly plan for professional learning goals, activities, and measurable objectives based on the nine New Mexico teacher competencies.

                K.            "Professional development program" means an organized set of professional development experiences for an education system that will support instructional learning in an identified area of improvement.

                L.             "Research based" means results from proven, rigorous educational research methodologies.

                M.           "Staff development" means organized professional learning activities.  The terms "professional development and staff development" are used interchangeably by the national staff development council as well as in this rule.

                N.            "Student success" means attainment of knowledge, skills and attributes that will prepare and nurture individuals to become productive, engaged citizens in a democratic society.

                O.            "Sustained" means an effort or activity maintained in a coherent, planed manner over time.

                P.             "Systematic" means something that is characterized by order and planning.

                Q.            "Systemic" means related to an entire system:  in this case, an educational organization that is made up of individual but interdependent components united by a common purpose, action plan, and accountability.

                R.            "Training" means a subset of professional development.  Training includes specialized, often prescribed instruction and practice that help an individual become proficient in a skill or set of skills.

                S.             "Standards for staff development" means criteria and expectations that provide direction for designing a professional development experience that ensures educators acquire the necessary knowledge and skills.

                T.            "Framework for professional development" means a document that establishes the context, processes and content relative to professional development by way of a statewide definition and belief statements of professional development, guidelines for the effective designing, implementation, and evaluating of professional development initiatives at the district and school building-level, establishing the criteria for school districts to apply for professional development funds, and to provide information regarding professional development providers and other resources.

[6.65.2.7 NMAC - N, 06-30-06]

 

6.65.2.8                 REQUIREMENTS FOR PROGRAM DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION:  School district and charter school professional development programs shall meet the highest standards for professional development.  New Mexico has adopted the national staff development council standards for staff development as requirements for designing, implementing, and evaluating professional development programs.  All statewide, PED, charter school and public school district professional development programs and activities shall address and align with the following standards and shall articulate:

                A.            context standards which:

                    (1)     improve the learning of all students by organizing adults into learning communities whose goals are aligned with those of the school district;

                    (2)     require skillful school and district leaders who guide continuous instructional improvement;

                    (3)    require resources to support adult learning and collaboration;

                B.            process standards which:

                    (1)     improve the learning of all students by using disaggregated student data to determine adult learning priorities, monitor progress, and help sustain continuous improvement;

                    (2)     use multiple sources of information to guide improvement and demonstrate its impact;

                    (3)     prepare educators to apply research to decision making;

                    (4)     use learning strategies appropriate to the intended goal;

                    (5)     apply knowledge about human learning and change;

                    (6)     provide educators with the knowledge and skills to collaborate;

                C.            content standards which:

                    (1)     improve the learning of all students by preparing educators to understand and appreciate all students;

                    (2)     create safe orderly and supportive environments, and hold high expectations for their academic achievement;

                    (3)     deepen educators' content knowledge;

                    (4)     provide them with research-based instructional strategies to assist students in meeting, rigorous academic standards and prepare them to use various types of classroom assessments appropriately;

                    (5)     provide educators with knowledge and skills to involve families and other stakeholders appropriately.

[6.65.2.8 NMAC - N, 06-30-06]

 

6.65.2.9                 REQUIREMENTS FOR PROGRAM EVALUATION:

                A.            All statewide, PED, charter school and public school district professional development programs shall be evaluated at least every three years to determine the effectiveness of the program based on evidence of improved educator practice and student learning.

                B.            Levels of program evaluation shall include evidence of:

                    (1)     participant response;

                    (2)     participant learning;

                    (3)     organizational change and support;

                    (4)     participant use of knowledge and skills; and

                    (5)     student learning.

[6.65.2.9 NMAC - N, 06-30-06]

 

6.65.2.10               REQUIREMENTS FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUNDING:  Schools, school districts or independent programs or agencies that apply for or are awarded state or federal funding to support professional development programs or activities must demonstrate alignment between the proposed programs and the New Mexico professional development framework.  Funding proposals shall explicitly address all of the following questions:

                A.            context:

                    (1)     how are the resources (time, leadership, personnel, and budget considerations) structured to support the plan?

                    (2)     how are roles of leaders and participants defined and goals determined?

                    (3)     how are data related to student learning to be used to determine goals and assess outcomes?

                    (4)     how is collaboration among administrators and teachers embedded in the professional development process?

                B.            content:

                    (1)     what should participants know and be able to do?

                    (2)     is the content clearly connected to workplace requirements and clearly articulated goals?

                    (3)     are appropriate adult learning strategies used that will support program effectiveness?

                    (4)     is  there a range of learning opportunities that address areas of need, diversity, skill development and refinement?

                    (5)     how are data related to student learning to be used to determine goals and assessment outcomes?

                    (6)     how is collaboration among administrators and teachers embedded in the professional development process?

[6.65.2.10 NMAC - N, 06-30-06]

 

HISTORY OF 6.65.2 NMAC:  [RESERVED]