The District Professional Development Team aims to develop effective professional learning for educators. Their goals are to define research-based beliefs around professional learning, create an adult-focused professional development model, identify staff learning needs, and develop short and long-term professional learning plans along with an evaluation system. Their core values center around meaningful, tailored, collaborative learning that impacts practices and student success. Core beliefs include professional development leading to teacher effectiveness and improved student performance.

1. District Professional
Development Team
Purpose, Goals, Core Values, Beliefs and Working Norms

2. OUR PURPOSE
• The purpose of the District Professional Development Team is to
develop a system of highly effective professional learning to support
deep implementation in our schools – so that every educator can
engage in highly effective learning so every student achieves.

3. OUR GOALS
• Use research to define and publish our beliefs around highly effective
professional learning, including the development of Newington Public
Schools Standards for Professional Learning.
• Develop a professional learning delivery model based on adult learning
theory and brain research.
• Create and implementing methods for identifying the professional
learning needs of our staff.
• Develop a short-term and long-range professional learning plan based
on the school and district improvement model.
• Develop and implement a professional learning evaluation and
monitoring system.

4. CORE VALUES AROUND
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
• Professional learning that is meaningful to the individual professional;
• Professional development, tailored to our needs, delivered by highly
skilled practitioners’ and / or experts in the field;
• It involves collaboration;
• Learning that directly impacts our practices and the success of our
students; and
• Professional development based on research.

5. CORE BELIEFS AOURND
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT and
• Professional development helps teachers to be highly effective
leads to improved student performance;
• Professional development should support all learners; and meet the
needs of the organization;
• Professional development is most effective with strong follow-up;
• Professional development is designed to meet current and long term
professional needs of all educators and the organization; and
• Professional development leads teachers to reflect on their current
practice to promote effective change.

6. WORKING NORMS
• Value and respect different view points
• Body language and tone
• Respect is huge! Respectfully disagree