C-2.1 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Chapter C - Human Resources

Part 2.0 Training and Meetings

Section 2.1 Professional Development

Policy Statement:

Required Training

It is the aim of American Prep to make available to our staff quality professional development opportunities that will assist our staff in becoming experts in their field. Our staff training will center on the following objectives:

Each staff member (full and part-time) will attend all scheduled team meetings and staff meetings
Each teacher will attend annual training each year of employment, Professional Development days as scheduled throughout the year, and Post-Service.
Elementary level teachers will hold grade level team meetings at least once per month where they review the 180-day plan and share plans for the upcoming month. Grade level and subject-matter teachers are required to follow the 180-day plan so that the students across the schools are learning the same content at the same time. Secondary teachers meet with their content area teams monthly.

Pre-Service Training Week

Pre-service training occurs at each campus just prior to the start of school. All APA staff members are required to attend the pre-service week. Important topics specific to the campus, the school community, practical application of American Prep's mission and philosophy, and staff policies are reviewed. Staff photos are taken. Teachers set up classrooms and student orientations are held during Pre-Service week. No PTO will be approved to be taken during Pre- or Post-Service.

The state of Utah has required that all staff receive annual or periodic training in areas essential to student and staff safety. These required trainings occur during pre-service meetings as well as through online modules completed independently by each staff member. Online training modules generally include a PowerPoint presentation followed by a short quiz. Every staff member must demonstrate understanding of the material with a score of 100% in order to be recertified annually on these training modules. Because these are state-mandated requirements, failure to complete the certification in a timely fashion may jeopardize employment status.

Instructional Trainings

All of the teaching staff at American Prep Academy or any American Prep School is required to be certified each year in the following areas:

Classical Education Pedagogy Training, including Direct Instruction programs
Spalding Spelling (if assigned)
CHAMPS classroom management
American Prep Transitions and Procedures
Data Collection and Reporting

Classroom teachers must also be certified in the following areas, including, but not limited to:

Core Knowledge subjects (elementary levels)
American Prep Writing programs
Shurley English, Saxon Math (as assigned)
State and National testing ethics
State required trainings (compliance)

American Prep Teaching Institute

Every year, the teaching staff at American Prep Academy or any American Prep school will be invited (at no cost to the employee) to the American Prep Teaching Institute where certification in the above areas is available.

It is the teacher's responsibility to ensure they attend all required training sessions so they can qualify for the appropriate certifications to fulfill their job duties throughout the year.

At the conclusion of the American Prep Teaching Institute week, certifications will be emailed to each participant. Those certifications should be kept by the employee to ensure they have the information available to submit to the state for re-licensure points.

Other Certification

Any teaching employee (teacher or instructor) who is unable to receive a certification for an area they will be teaching during American Prep Teaching Institute may attend certification trainings held by other organizations. These trainings must be approved by the District Academic Director in advance of attendance. These trainings may include (but are not limited to) the following:

Direct Instruction training in Eugene, Oregon
Spalding trainings held at other venues or other charter schools
Core Knowledge training held at the National or State level
Shurley English training held by the Shurley English representative
CHAMPS training held at a national or state level
Advanced Placement course Institutes

Teaching staff that are unable to attend the certification trainings held at American Preparatory Academy or at other venues may be placed in a substitute teaching position until their training is complete.

Make-up Trainings for New Hires

Make-up trainings will be held at different times throughout the school year to provide new employees the opportunity to become certified to teach at an American Prep School. Employees who are hired after the training weeks will be responsible for ensuring they are certified as close to their hire date as possible. Some of the training for new employees will occur on the job. APA teaching coaches will certify these employees as they see they have developed the skills needed to be effective in the classroom.

Waivers

Teaching staff that have been certified in previous years may apply for a certification waiver if conflicts occur that prohibit them from attending the yearly certification training during the Teaching Institute in August. All waivers must be approved by the District Academic Director in advance of the Teaching Institute Training week. It is up to the discretion of the Director whether to grant the waiver for all subjects or to require the staff member to seek training in certain areas before school begins (or at the beginning of the year).