Adopted: November 2025
Revised:
Download 406.2.1AR - District Professional Development Committee
1. Purpose – The District Professional Development Committee shall serve in an advisory capacity to the School Board for purposes of staff development planning and review.
2. Role – The District Professional Development Committee is responsible for carrying out the following activities:
2.1 Develop, adopt and annually review and revise a staff development plan, consistent with Minnesota Statute 122A.40, subdivision 8, for developing and evaluating teachers and for improving student outcomes and with section 123B.147, subdivision 3, for strengthening principals' capacity in areas of instruction, supervision, evaluation, and teacher development. The plan must also be consistent with education outcomes that the School Board determines. The plan must include ongoing staff development activities that contribute toward continuous improvement in achieving the following goals:
2.1.1 Improving student achievement of state and local education standards in all areas of the curriculum, including areas of regular academic and applied and experiential learning, by using research-based best practices methods; and
2.1.2 Effectively meeting the needs of a diverse student population, including at-risk children, children with disabilities, English learners, and gifted children, within the regular classroom, applied and experiential learning settings, and other settings; and
2.1.3 Providing an inclusive curriculum for a racially, ethnically, linguistically, and culturally diverse student population that is consistent with the state education diversity rule and the district's education diversity plan; and
2.1.4 Improving staff collaboration and developing mentoring and peer coaching programs for teachers new to the school or district; and
2.1.5 Effectively teaching and modeling violence prevention policy and curriculum that address early intervention alternatives, issues of harassment, and teach nonviolent alternatives for conflict resolution; and
2.1.6 Effectively delivering digital and blended learning and curriculum and engage students with technology; and
2.1.7 Providing teachers and other members of site-based management teams with appropriate management and financial management skills.
2.2 Assist site professional development committees in developing and evaluating site plans consistent with the goals of the district plan.
2.3 Complete all other duties required of the District Professional Development Committee by Minnesota Statute 122A.60.
3. Membership
3.1 The District Professional Development Committee shall consist of up to 30 members.
3.2 The majority of the District Professional Development Committee shall be teachers representing various grade levels, subject areas and special education. The Committee must also include non-teaching staff, parents and administrators, including the director of instruction and achievement. The president of the exclusive representative of teachers in District 196 shall also serve as a member of the Committee.
3.3 The administration will determine and administer a process to identify and recommend the appointment of members to serve on the District Professional Development Committee.
3.4 Members of the District Professional Development Committee shall serve three-year terms, which may be renewed.
3.5 The School Board approves appointments to the District Professional Development Committee.
4. Meetings
4.1 The District Professional Development Committee shall meet at least two times per year as determined by the Committee, with additional meetings scheduled as necessary.
4.2 Committee meetings are publicized on the district website.
4.3 Committee meetings are open to the public. The Committee may, at its discretion, permit members of the public to address the Committee.
4.4 The director of instruction and achievement ensures that minutes are taken at each meeting and maintains a copy in district records.
References:
- Minnesota Statute 122A.60
- MSBA/MASA Model Policy 425, Staff Development and Mentoring