Director's Message 12/17/02

     In previous messages I have discussed the goals set forth in the DoDEA Community Strategic Plan (CSP) and the manner in which we address those goals in the Pacific schools. This week I want to highlight Goal 3, Motivated, High Performing, Diverse Workforce. Outcome B states, “Personnel at all levels will participate in continuous professional development and training to support standards which enhance job performance.” DoDDS Pacific has developed an ambitious plan to achieve this goal.

      Our five-year plan establishes outcomes for professional development for administrators and teachers. The overarching goals emphasize the need for our schools to develop capacity for creating and sustaining continuous learning communities and cultures of collaboration, and the need for educators to deepen knowledge and skills required to implement standards-based curriculum and instruction.

     Specifically, professional development in DoDDS Pacific will focus on deepening understanding of content and performance standards in all curricular areas, and on the implementation of research-based instructional strategies that are essential to promote high student achievement. Among those best practices are such activities as principals observing and analyzing instruction through more frequent classroom visits, supporting a balanced approach to developing literacy skills across grade levels, and supporting appropriate instruction in a standards-based classroom. Professional development for teachers will focus on the use of appropriate lesson design for planning a standards-based curriculum, including effective assessment of student performance and congruent learning activities that are differentiated for each learner. Teachers and administrators will learn how to revitalize literacy efforts within our schools so that all classrooms become places where reading, writing, listening and speaking skills are emphasized. They will become more skilled at understanding the underlying principles of system-wide assessment and how to use assessment of all types to make better decisions.

     Our professional development plan supports and encourages a variety of training venues. Site-based, small group training sessions for teachers and administrators will allow for closer contact with trainers and strengthen the notion of creating learning communities. We have fully implemented mentoring programs for teachers, and are working on a plan for administrators. With your district superintendents, we will be selecting and training site-based Curriculum Implementation Facilitators (CIF’s). CIF’s will strengthen our capacity to train at the school level and our ability to respond to local needs for professional development. They will also help us reach one of our most important goals by helping school leaders create a culture of collaboration through distributed leadership.

     This comprehensive professional development plan will ensure that DoDDS Pacific educators possess the knowledge and skills needed to meet our goal of high achievement for ALL students.

Nancy C. Bresell
Director, DoDDS Pacific