collaboration and professional development faq this … · collaboration and professional...

CollaborationandProfessionalDevelopmentFAQEarlyReleasetobeginSeptember13,2017

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Thisdocumentwillbeupdatedduringthe2016-2017schoolyearUpdatedAugust2017

In mid-June 2016, the District ratified a three-year contract agreement with our teachers’association.Theagreementaddressestheneedforconsistentcollaborationtimeandadditionalstudentcontactdays.BeginninginAugust2017,studentshaveaweekly90-minuteWednesdayEarlyRelease so teachershaveconsistentand sustainable time for collaboration. Inaddition,theagreementbuildsinmorestudentcontactdaysbygraduallyaddingninestudentdaysoverthreeyears.Morefullweeksofschoolwillincreasethecontinuityofinstructionforstudents.2016-2017:Add2studentcontactdays2017-2018:Convert4staffdevelopmentdaystostudentcontactdays2018-2019:Add3studentcontactdaysThe District’s Strategic Plan, developed with broad community involvement and support,identifiedteachercollaborationasthekeystrategyforensuringindividualstudentgrowth.Beginningwiththe2017-2018schoolyear,studentswillbereleased90minutesearlyonWednesdaystoallowteacherstimeforcollaboration.1. What isteachercollaboration?Teachercollaborationisanongoingprocessofsmallteams

ofeducatorsworkingtogethertoknoweachstudent’sstrengthsandchallenges,andtomeetstudents’specificlearningneeds,whilestrengtheningtheteacher’sownteachingpractices.Collaborationtimegivestheseteamsamorecomprehensiveviewofeachchild’sacademicprogressandresultsingreaterachievement,individualstudentgrowthandpersonalsuccess.Collaborationoccurswhenagroupofeducatorsmeetsregularly,sharesexpertise,andworkscollaboratively to improve teaching skills and the academic performance of students.(http://edglossary.org/professional-learning-community/)

2. Howwill the time be used? The timewill be used to collaboratewith colleagues and to

participateinprofessionaldevelopmentoptionsrelevanttoinstructionalpractice.Whilenotall professional development will occur on Wednesdays, many opportunities will beprovided.MostrequiredprofessionaldevelopmentwillbeprovidedduringthesummerandAugust pre-service week. To avoid conflicts, the Professional Development AdvisoryCommitteehasdeterminedprofessionaldevelopmentoptionswillbeprovidedonthethirdWednesdayofthemonth.


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Examplesofcollaborativeworkwithcolleaguesincludeanalyzingdata,creatingandscoringassessments, calibration,ensuring consistentexpectationsandpracticesacrossgrade levelteams and content areas, deconstructing learning targets, unit development, selectingcommoninstructionalstrategies,determiningresults indicators,creatingatheoryofactionand reflection, monitoring and evaluating results, etc. With the exception of the 5thWednesdayofthemonth,thetimeisnottobeusedforindividualplanning.

Note:Additionalexamplesmaybeaddedthroughouttheyear.

AcceptableuseofEarlyRelease UnacceptableuseofEarlyRelease

Deconstructinglearningtargets Individualplanning(exceptthe5thWednesdayofthemonth)

Analyzingstudentdata Meetingswithparents

Calibration Non-instructionalmeetingswithcolleagues,e.g.socialplanning

Creatingandscoringassessments Committeemeetings

Selectingcommoninstructionalstrategies IEPmeetings

Determiningresultsindicators Autonomousdecision-makingaboutessentiallearning,pacingandassessment

Creatingatheoryofactionandreflection Non-emergencypersonalappointments

Monitoringandevaluatingresults Collaboratingforlessthan90minutes

Unitdevelopment Workingoff-siteratherthanataschoolorotherdistrictfacility

VoluntaryparticipationinDistrictorsitePD

Professionalbookstudywithcolleagues

Inter-schoolcollaborationwithgrade


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levelorcontentcolleagues

LearningTeams

3. If my collaboration colleagues want to attend professional development on the third

WednesdayandIdonot,canIusetheninetyminutesforplanning?No.Youwilldecideasateamwhethertousethetimeforcollaborationorprofessionaldevelopment.

4. Whatarethebenefitstostudents?Studentsbenefitwhenteachersarehighlyskilledand

utilize the best instructional and assessment practices. Providing teachers with time forprofessional development and time to collaboratewith peers on each student’s progressincreases their effectiveness. Theopportunity for teachers to calibrate scoringof studentwork and collaborate with peers will provide students with better feedback and greaterinstructional consistency from classroom to classroom and across grade levels. Providingprofessionaldevelopmentduringnon-studentcontacttimereducesrelianceonsubstitutesand increases the continuity of instruction for students. In addition to the instructionalbenefits for students, thenon-classroom timewill provide secondary studentswithmoreopportunitiesforinternships,jobshadowsandhomeworkcompletion.

5. Don’t teachers already have individual planning time? Why can’t collaboration occur

during the time they already have? The teachers’ contract provides for daily lessonpreparation time. The former contract did not provide any time for collaboration withpeers.

6. My school already has collaboration time.Why ismore needed?Over the past several

years,a fewschoolswereable toprovidesometime forcollaboration,primarilybyusingsubstitutestoreleaseteamsofteachers.Thesepracticeswereinconsistentanddifficulttosustain. Having consistent time across all schools provides opportunities for inter-schoolcollaborationandprofessionaldevelopment,aswellasreducinginequitiesrelatedtosomestudents receiving differing amounts of time for PE or music to create time forcollaboration.

7. What does thismean for PYP schools?PYP schools are provided additional plan time in

their respective schedules in order to complete PYPunit plans.PYP schoolswill have thesameamountofcollaborationtimeasallotherelementaryschools.


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8. Wasalatestartconsidered?Yes.However,latestartcreatesmorechallengesforfamiliesof elementary students and for transporting students to Special Education programs.Implementing an afternoon Early Release maintains the stability of transporting SpecialEducationstudents.

9. Why wasWednesday selected?Wednesday typically has the fewest District and school

schedulingconflicts. It is alsoapeakday forafter schoolathleticsandactivities.AnEarlyRelease on this day allows the District to transport a significant number of these tripsoriginatingat2:45p.m.orlaterwhichwecurrentlyhavetooutsource.

10. Why is late start beginning September 13 instead of September 6?Due to the half-day

transitionactivitiesoccurringonSeptember6,e.g.LINK,WEBandkindergarten,itwouldbetoodisruptivetoalsohaveearlyrelease.

11. Whowill direct the time on September 13? Since this is the secondWednesday of the

month,thetimewillbeteacher-directed.12. Dootherschooldistrictshavereleasetimeforteachers?Mostschooldistrictsinthemetro

area have some form of late start or Early Release for educator collaboration andprofessional development. These include Portland, Hillsboro, Forest Grove, Sherwood,OregonCity,Canby,Tigard-Tualatin,DavidDouglas, LakeOswego,Reynolds,ParkroseandWest Linn-Wilsonville, to name a few. This is a common practice for schools across thenation.

13. How do our number of student contact days compare to neighboring districts? We

anticipatethataddingninemorestudentcontactdayswillprovideBeavertonstudentswithmoredaysof instruction thananyofourneighboringdistricts.Portlandcurrentlyhas176days,Hillsborohas178daysandTigardhas180days,thenationalaverage.Priorto2016-2017,Beavertonhad175days.

14. Will instructional time remain the same? In 2016-17, there will be an increase of

approximately thirteen (13) hours of instructional time due to the addition of two (2)student days. In 2017-18 therewill be a net increase of six (6) instructional days.Whilestudentswillbeinschoolforsixmoredaysandhavemorefullweeksofschool,therewillbealossofapproximatelyeighteen(18)hoursofinstructionaltimeforoneyearonlywiththeimplementationofEarlyRelease.Thesehourswillberestoredin2018-19withtheadditionof three (3) more student days. At the end of the three-year implementation period,


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students will have nine (9) more days in school, more full weeks of instruction andinstructionalhourswillremainthesame.

15. Whyare twodaysbeingadded to June insteadofAugustnext year?Since thecontract

with teacherswas ratifiedmid-June2016, therewasnotadequate time tonotifyparentsandstaffofthechangeifthedayswereaddedtoAugust2016.Pendingstakeholderinputand completion of major bond projects, these two days will likely be moved to Augustbeginningin2018.

16. Howwillfuturecalendarsbedeveloped?Asiscurrentpractice,acalendarcommittee,with

parentrepresentation,willdevelopmultiplecalendaroptions.Staffandcommunitywillbesurveyedregardingtheirpreferredcalendars,andthisinformationwillbepresentedtotheSuperintendentwhowillmakethefinaldecision.

17. Will school eventually begin before Labor Day? From an instructional perspective, it is

beneficialtomaximizethedaysofinstructionstudentsreceivebeforetheytakeexamssuchasACT,SmarterBalanced,AdvancedPlacement(AP), InternationalBaccalaureate(IB),etc.Severalcalendaroptionswillbepresentedtostaffandparentsthroughasurveysimilartowhathasoccurredinthepast.

18. How will collaboration time on Wednesdays work with the current semester and

trimester calendar for schools? All schools will be on a semester schedule whencollaborationtimebegins inAugust2017.Elementaryschoolswillreportstudentprogressmid-year, the end of the year, as well as during fall and spring parent conferences.Secondaryschoolswillreportstudentprogressfourtimesperyear.

19. Will theDistricthaveto increaseclasssizetocoverthecostoftheadditionaldays?No.

PartoftheagreementwithBEAistomaintainreasonableclasssizes.Ifthereisinsufficientrevenuetoadddaysandwecannotidentifymutuallyacceptableoptions,theEarlyReleasewillbediscontinued,andwewillreverttothecurrent175studentdays.

20. InwhatwayisthemodelsavingtheDistrictmoney?Theremaybeasavingsbasedonan

anticipatedreductionofsubstitutecostsandextendedpayforteachersworkingoutsideoftheircontractualdayoryear.Thiswillallowschoolstousethesefundsforotherpurposes.

21. WhatinputwillparentshaveontheimplementationofEarlyRelease?Parentfocusgroups

were conducted in July 2016 to advise the District on challenges that will need to be


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addressed prior to the implementation of Early Release. Parents are able to submitquestions and suggestions at [email protected]. Additionalinputmaybecollectedthroughparentsurveysandfocusgroupsoverthecomingyear.

22. WhatwillbetheroleofprincipalsincommunicatingcollaborationtimeandEarlyRelease

information?Principalssupportstaffcollaborationtime.Theywillassisttheircommunitieswith understanding how this will benefit students and will be supported with commonmessagestosharewithstaffandcommunity.

23. Howwillthesechangesbecommunicatedtostaff?Thesechangeswerecommunicatedto

staffinthespringof2016.Theywillcontinuetobecommunicatedtostaffandcommunityin August/September and throughout the 2016-2017 school year via Districtcommunications,socialmedia,Districtwebsite,BeavertonEducationAssociation(BEA)andstaffmeetings.Finaldetailswillbeprovidedduringpre-serviceweekAugust2017.

24. Doteacherssupportthesechanges?Thecontractwiththesechangeswasoverwhelmingly

approvedby82%ofteachers.25. Howwill these changes be communicated to parents? Following the ratification of the

teachers’contractinmid-June2016,changeswerecommunicatedviaBSDBriefsandsocialmedia.ApageontheBSDwebsitewascreatedinJuly2016,andparentfocusgroupswereconducted to determine how to ensure an effective transition for families. Additionalcommunication will be provided in September and throughout the fall and winter viaDistrict and school communications in preparation for implementation of additional daysandcollaborationtimein2017-2018.

26. Howwillthis impacthighschoolathleticsandactivities?Wednesdayathleticandactivity

events will begin no sooner than 110 minutes following the release of students, e.g. ifrelease is at 1:00 p.m., practicewill start no sooner than 2:50 p.m. This allows studentsopportunities to participate in academic support, including Options students whoparticipateinactivitiesattheirhomeschool.

27. Willcoachesbeallowedtoleaveforgamesratherthanparticipateincollaboration?Yes.

Coacheswillaccompanyathleteswhengametimesrequirethemtoleaveearlyfromschool.


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28. WhatwillbedonetoassistparentswithrememberingtheweeklyEarlyRelease?Forthefirstfewmonthsofimplementation,weeklyreminderswillbesenttoparentsregardingtheWednesdayscheduleviaSchoolMessenger.

29. Whatafterschooloptionswillbeavailable?TheDistrictwillworkwith localafterschool

providersandcommunitypartnerstoidentifyandpublishoptionsforstudentsandfamilies.Familieswillberesponsibleforafterschoolplansfortheirchildren.

30. What is the Wednesday early dismissal time for my school beginning in September

2017?*Atthistime,theplanistodismissschoolsasfollows:Elementaryschoolsthatstartat8:00a.m.willdismissat1:05p.m.Elementaryschoolsthatstartat8:30a.m.willdismissat1:35p.m.SchoolshousedatTimberlandduringrebuildswilldismissat2:25p.m.Middleschoolswilldismissat2:20p.m.Highschoolswilldismissat1:00p.m.BridgesAcademywilldismissat1:00p.m.ACMA,Health&Science,SST,ISB,RachelCarsonandMerlowilldismissat12:35p.m.

*Subjecttochangeasnewschoolsandbusroutesareadded.

31. WillstudentsreceivelunchpriortodismissalonWednesdays?Yes.Itmaybeatadifferenttimethanotherdaysoftheweek.Eachschoolwilldeterminetheirlunchschedule.

32. Howwillfinalsweekbeimpacted?TomaintainK-12continuity,studentswillbereleasedat

the regular Early Release time during finals week, e.g. comprehensive high schools willreleaseat1:00p.m.ReleasetimesduringfinalsweekforMonday,Tuesday,ThursdayandFridaywillbedeterminedbyTransportationasiscurrentpractice.

33. Whatifastaffmemberneedstohavesometimetoprepareforcollaboration?Staffare

expectedtobefullypreparedtoengagein90minutesofcollaborationtime.Themajorityofindividual preparation should be done during daily individual planning time or on a 5thWednesday. If teams periodically find they need additional data ormaterials as they aremeeting, it is reasonable for them to take a fewminutes to gather this information andcontinueworking.

34. Can teachers take this time for personal appointments, etc.?The time for collaboration

and professional development is to be protected. All contractual requirements for leaveusageapply.


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35. Howwill theWednesdayschedule impactpart-timestaff?Principalswillworkoutaplan

withpart-timestaffinadvanceoftheimplementationofEarlyReleaseinthesamemanneras they have done in the past with part-time staff members regarding other schoolexpectations,e.g.staffmeetings.

36. How will this impact classified staff? Classified staff will be able to participate in

professional development and/or be partners in collaboration, as determined by thesupervisor.Thistimecanalsobeusedtosupportteachersandclassroominstruction.Therewill be no reduction to classified hours. Schoolsmay not flex, comp or otherwise adjustclassifiedemployees’hours.

37. NEW:Whatare theexpectations forbusaides?OnEarlyReleaseWednesdays,classified

staff assigned to ride homewith students on District buses will be allowed to either godirectly home after the student is dropped off or may return to the school for theremainderoftheirshift.Thenatureoftheworkperformedineithercasewillbedeterminedbythesupervisor.Employeeswhochoosetogohome:- Willmakeupthe90minutesorthedifferencebetweenthetimethestudentisdropped

offandtheendoftheirscheduledshift.Timewillbemadeupatamutuallyagreeduponwiththeirsupervisor.

- TimefrommultipleWednesdaysmaybeaccruedtoallowforemployeestobeonsiteduringgradingdaysorconferences,or

- Timemaybemadeupbyarrivingearlyorstayinglatethroughouttheweektoaccountforthe90minutes.

Employeeswhochoosetogobacktotheschool:- Willfinishouttheremainderoftheirshift.- Willbepaidone-waymileagefromthestudent'sdrop-offpointbacktotheschool.- TrackandsubmitmileageperArticle8Joftheclassifiedcontract,ifapplicable.

38. Howwillthisimpactlicensedstaffwhoarenotpartofagradelevelorcontent-areateam,

e.g.counselors,nurses,specialists,etc.?Licensedstaffwillbeexpectedtocollaboratewiththeirpeerseitherattheirschooloratanotherschool.


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39. Is there a minimum number of people that constitutes collaboration? Generally,collaboration should include anyone with relevant information or data regarding thestudent(s).Usually,thiswillinvolve2-8people.

40. HowlongwillsubstitutesworkonEarlyReleasedays?Theywillwork90minuteslessthanotherdays. Forexample, if the teacher’sdayendsat 4:00onotherdays, substituteswillleaveat2:30onWednesdays.

41. How will elementary specials work during Early Release? Each school will develop a

shortenedscheduleforWednesdayspecials.Itisrecommendedsomeclassesrotatesothesameonedoesn’talwaysgettheshortenedschedule.

42. How will 90 minutes of PE andmusic per week be configured with Early Release? All

principals will develop a specials schedule to accommodate the needs of their schools,ensuring90minutesofPEandMusicperweek.

43. DoEarlyReleaseminutescounttowardcontractualplanningtime?No.44. Are plan timeminutes adjusted onWednesdays, or do the additional student contact

dayshelpwith theaverages?Weeklyplan timeaverages remain thesameasoutlined inthe contract. Principals will determine the best way to ensure this occurs within theschedule.

45. Howwillweaddresstheissueofschoolsbeingondifferent90-minuteblocksoftimedue

tovaried start times?Withtheexceptionofelementaryearly/latestartschools, timesateachlevelwillbethesame.

46. Optionsschoolsalreadyhavelessinstructionaltimethanothersecondaryschools.What

willbedone toaddress this issue? This iscurrentlyunderreviewasnewbusroutesareaddedtoaccommodatenewschools.

47. What measures will we use to determine if Early Release has made a difference in

continuityofinstruction,teachereffectivenessandstudentoutcomes?Wewilltrackdatasuchasstudentachievementovertime,teacherevaluations,substituteusage,staffsurveydata,teacherretention,parentfocusgroupsandWednesdaystudentattendancerates.

48. Howwill A/B scheduleswork onWednesdays?Tomaximize instructional timeand limit

timestudentsspendtravelingbetweenclassesonEarlyReleaseWednesdays,A/Bschedules


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willcontinue.Thisalsoallowsteacherswhoaresharedbetweenschoolsandstudentswhotravelformagnetprograms(HealthCareers,TerraNovaandAutoTechnology)tocontinuethispracticewithoutmissingotherclasses.

49. Whowill decide if EarlyReleasewill continueafter the2017-2018 school year?Per the

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between BEA and the District, Early Releasewillcontinue unless resources do not allow theDistrict to reach 184 student days. Ifmutualagreementisnotreached,EarlyReleasewillbediscontinued,andthecalendarwillrevertto175studentdays.

50. Will Early Release occur on Wednesdays if there is a two-hour school delay due to

inclement weather? There will be no two-hour delay onWednesdays due to inclementweather.Schoolwillbecanceled.

51. What will elementary grading and reporting look like? Beginning in year two of the

contract,gradingwilloccurattheendofeachsemesterwithconferencesinbetween.Theother two contractual grading dayswill be used for assessment in the samemanner theformerspringassessmentdaywasused.

52. Whatwillsecondarygradingandreportinglooklike?Beginninginyeartwoofthecontract,

gradingwill occurmid-semester and semester. Teacherswill update their gradebooks forParentVueaminimumofevery6weeks.

53. Will conferences remain the same as in the past? Yes. Elementarywill conduct fall and

springconferences,andmiddleschoolswillconductspringconferences.54. Will staff be able to collaborate with colleagues at other sites? Yes. They will have

opportunities to collaborate with colleagues both outside and within their buildings.Collaborationisteacherdirectedsofrequencyofoff-sitecollaborationwillbebasedonstaffpreference.

55. WilltheDistrictreimburseformileagebetweensites?No.Sincecollaborationisteacher-

driven,mileageisnotreimbursed.56. Whowilldecidethecollaborationlocationforateacherwhoissharedbetweenschools?

Principalswillconferwiththeteachertodeterminethebestmodel.


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57. How will schedules be determined to avoid conflicting priorities between professionaldevelopment offerings and collaboration options? To avoid conflicts, the ProfessionalDevelopment Advisory Committee has determined professional development optionswillbeprovidedonthethirdWednesdayofthemonth.

58. When will a professional development calendar be available for teachers to review

Wednesday offerings to help them coordinate collaboration with colleagues? TeachingandLearningwillprovideaprofessionaldevelopmentcalendareachJuneforthefollowingyear.

59. Inyearstwoandthreeof implementation,will theDistrict trytocondenseprofessional

development to only those Early Release Wednesdays? Whenever possible, Districtrequired or optional professional development will be scheduled onWednesdays duringEarlyRelease.Thiswillnotalwaysbepossible,e.g. in curriculumadoptionyearsorwhenrelatedtoimmediaterequirements.

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