Knowledge and Skills Component
Overview
Research shows that teachers have the greatest impact on student learning because they have the closest contact with pupils on an ongoing basis. To address the complex and shifting needs that students bring with them to the classroom, teachers need to continually hone their skills. Professional development and growth is a hallmark of professionalism in every field.
Denver Public Schools and DCTA encourage and provide avenues for teachers and student services professionals to expand their expertise and skills as they progress through their careers.
For these reasons, ProComp’s knowledge and skills component represents a significant portion of the total compensation available under the salary system.
Professional Development Units
Purpose of PDUs
Professional development units (PDUs) are one of the primary salary-building elements of ProComp. They are designed to motivate teachers and student services professionals (SSPs) to increase their knowledge and skills on topics that directly relate to their classroom instruction or their discipline. Some PDUs are offered for pre-approved study that helps the district support new teachers in its teaching force and allows all teachers the opportunity to do a PDU for something the District requires for the implementation of the Denver Plan.
Foundational Principles of PDUs
1. Knowledge and skills development helps educators learn the instructional strategies and content area expertise that increases student learning.
2. Development of professional expertise is the major factor producing career salary increases.
3. Those closest to the teaching and learning process are the most effective change agents.
4. PDUs:
u Develop educators’ professional status and motivation to increase instructional expertise
u Encourage professional practices that contribute to student learning
u Encourage educators to develop content area expertise appropriate to current or proposed assignment
u Develop the district as a leader in educator compensation and quality professional development
5. Self-directed professional development, which is grounded in district and individual goals, maximizes the possibility of educators meeting instructional and career needs:
u Educators have professional discretion around the content of their PDUs (unless they have received an unsatisfactory evaluation), including developing innovative or creative PDU plans
u The methodology for conducting PDU activities is determined by the educator and may include working individually or with a team
u Educators have the option of completing any part of the three-step process (study, demonstrate, reflect) during or outside of the regular workday as appropriate
6. Demonstrating and reflecting knowledge and skills optimizes the time spent on professional development.
7. The PDU is for enhanced knowledge and skills, even when the individual is compensated for their time during acquisition.
Operational Principles of PDUs
1. There are minimal limitations around starting times or the duration of PDU activities.
2. PDU payment is “on-demand” for the next scheduled payday that is at least 25 days after submission of the required documentation.
3. PDU payment is limited to one per contract year; additional PDUs can be banked and deferred for up to two years.
4. The district will support educators by providing information and access to available professional development opportunities.
5. Educators are responsible for selecting their opportunities for PDUs and completing PDUs within the established timeframe they identify in their PDU proposals. (Exception: PDUs topics may be required of educators who have received an unsatisfactory evaluation in the previous year).
Approval of Employee-initiated PDUs
Teachers and SSPs who design their own PDUs must submit a proposed application describing the purpose of their PDU and how it will benefit or relate to their current or proposed assignment. (See “Proposed Assignment” form in Section 11) The proposal also should describe how the educator will complete the three steps of study, demonstrate and reflect. The educator must spend a minimum of three months working on the Professional Development Unit. PDU proposals should be turned into the PDU administrators by February 15. Secondary and SSP go to Shirley Scott; elementary and K-8 go to Connie White.
Study - Research a topic that addresses an identified need with students or clients (SSPs)
ProComp members can choose a pre-approved PDU or design a specific study. To be considered eligible for earning a PDU, the study should be:
u Ongoing and take place over time
u Collaborative and involve extending learning beyond the individual and his or her classroom to colleagues, parents, and/or community members
u Job-embedded (i.e., directly relevant to the individual’s job responsibilities)
u Reflect best instructional practice
Types of study may include, but are not limited to, book study, taking university classes, teaching in a lab classroom, working with a coaching lab, establishing or being part of a virtual online community, action research, and/or facilitating professional development experiences for others.
Demonstrate – Use the technique or insights in professional practice
Participants will demonstrate their learning not through a single test or performance, but rather through an ongoing body of work accumulated during the course of the proposed time. Methods of demonstration include, but are not limited to, ongoing classroom visits; self-reporting; one-on-one conferencing; teacher’s journals, portfolio, and videotapes; student reports and surveys; focus groups; and artifacts posted on walls.
In addition to selecting how to demonstrate learning, the participant, in collaboration with his or her team, will use the PDU rubric to judge the ultimate success of the professional development study.
Reflect – Determine how the learning can inform practice in the future
Participants and their teams will use the PDU Reflection form throughout the course of the study and at the study’s culmination to engage in deep reflection. True to the concept of a cycle of inquiry, ending one study naturally leads to new questions and new areas of study, encouraging ongoing learning.
The act of reflecting may be defined simply as purposefully planning a desired future based on the past. Research describes reflection as a higher-order skill that encompasses extending and refining thought, clarifying experiences, and defining connections between ideas and concepts. Reflection requires multiple levels of inferring, including supposition, theorizing, conjecture, and speculation. Like the cyclical nature of inquiry, one never truly finishes reflecting. Reflection is the critical process that enables one to weigh challenging feedback and use it to develop new mental models that change our current practice. Reflective educators can consider future possibilities based on the current reality. Thus, reflection is an inextricable part of the deep learning that will improve the quality of teaching and learning that DPS students ultimately will experience.
Proposed Assignment Requirement
A Professional Development Unit should support the teacher’s current assignment or a proposed assignment. The Proposed Assignment Declaration Form may be submitted once a year and allows an educator to notify his or her supervisor and Human Resources of a desire to prepare to work in a new assignment. The supervisor’s signature is required to show notification, but not approval. If a PDU is to support a proposed assignment, a copy of the declaration form should be turned in with the PDU application.
How to Use Pre-Approved PDUs
Some classes or online courses are offered that already meet the three-step criteria of study-demonstrate-learn. These offerings (Option C) may be completed for a PDU after the educator has personalized the pre-approved plan and submitted the plan for review. The personalized PDU plan is turned in to the course instructor. An example of a pre-approved PDU is the online English Language Acquisition (ELA) courses.
Participants in pre-approved PDU programs will have an instructor who will organize and facilitate discussion among the participants and review work. The instructor will determine whether the educator has completed the PDU successfully.
Payment of PDUs
Teachers and student services professionals can earn and be paid for one professional development unit per year. A PDU can also be banked or saved for up to two years. Upon completion of the final PDU review, the participant receives a certificate of completion to keep in his/her records. The instructor for Option C pre-approved PDUs or the PDU Administrator turns in the list of names of participants who completed the work in a satisfactory manner to Payroll/Business Services for pay.
The PDU is worth 2% of the ProComp index. The increase builds salary, becoming a permanent part of the educator’s compensation. The increase is added to an employee’s pay every month in 12 increments. Additional information about PDU payments is included in Section 2 of the ProComp Handbook.
The handbook and forms can be found at MyDPS on the DPS website.
55.B Tuition Reimbursement
Purpose and Description
DPS educators may pursue a range of professional development opportunities and get paid for learning and growing by tapping into the tuition reimbursement element of the Knowledge and Skills component of ProComp. This element provides a lifetime account that will pay for teachers and student services professionals to take classes.
Payment Amount
The tuition reimbursement element offers educators a $1,000.00 lifetime account to cover fees for classes, professional conferences or other developmental opportunities. ProComp employees may use the reimbursement at any point in their career. It may be used all at once or spread out over multiple years. Payment guidelines are included in Section 2 of this handbook. Forms to receive payments are provided in the Toolkit section.
5.C Advanced Degrees
Overview
The largest one-time increase offered under ProComp is the salary advancement offered for advanced degrees and advanced licenses and certificates that are relevant to the employee’s current or proposed assignment. The amount of the increase is indicative of the value placed on acquiring and maintaining credentials in the employee’s chosen professional field. This section provides guidance on how an employee may qualify for these increases and how they are paid.
Rationale
ProComp provides significant salary increases for advanced degrees for the following reasons:
u Knowledge and skills development helps teachers learn the instructional strategies and content knowledge that boost student learning
u Development of professional expertise and content knowledge are the major factors contributing to career salary increases
u Those closest to the teaching and learning process are the most effective change agents
u Self-directed professional development that is grounded in district and individual goals maximizes meeting instructional and career needs
u Setting professional goals is essential to reaching them
Purpose
These incentives for advanced knowledge and skills share several purposes:
u To develop educators’ professional status and motivation to increase instructional expertise.
u To encourage professional practices that contribute to student learning.
u To encourage educators to develop content area knowledge appropriate to their current or proposed assignment.
u To provide a path to increase career earnings through professional development.
u To commit district structures and funding to the compensation of advanced credentials.
Qualifying Advanced Degrees
Teachers and SSPs must complete an advanced degree that is relevant to their current or proposed assignment to qualify for this incentive. In the case of a degree that is only relevant to a proposed assignment, the employee must complete a Proposed Assignment Declaration Form, which can be downloaded from the ProComp website, www.denverprocomp.org, under “Teacher Toolkit.”
A relevant degree must require courses that develop content area expertise appropriate to a current or proposed assignment, enhance professional practices that contribute to the delivery of knowledge or services or assist the employee in the development of strategies for delivery of subject content or service. The degree must be conferred by an accredited graduate institution and supported by a transcript. Graduate degrees in law or theology are not eligible. Graduate degrees in school administration are eligible as they develop expertise valuable in all DCTA bargaining unit assignments. Accordingly, a Proposed Assignment Declaration Form is never required with a graduate degree in school administration.
Eligible advanced degrees are those earned past a bachelor’s degree, including a master’s degree and a PhD. Educators may complete more than one advanced degree at the same level, but credit will not be granted for more than one degree in any three-year period. Dual graduate programs that award two separate degrees will each receive credit three years apart. Educators receiving multiple advanced degrees are encouraged to submit the required paperwork to Payroll/Business Services as soon as it becomes available, even though an increase in pay for one degree may be deferred due to the three-year waiting period.
Obtaining Payment for Advanced Degrees
Employees in ProComp may earn 9% of the ProComp index for an advanced degree. To be compensated, the individual must complete the Request for Salary Advance portion of the Employee Information Change Form that is available on the Payroll and ProComp websites. Also required is the official transcript clearly indicating the degree conferred and the date the degree was conferred. Payment will be made on the next scheduled payday that is at least 25 days after the educator has properly submitted all required documentation to the Department of Payroll/Business Services.
5.D Advanced Licenses and Advanced Certificates
Teachers and counselors who earn a National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) license shall be awarded a salary increase equal to 9% of the index. Teachers may complete more than one NBPTS license and receive an additional salary increase of 9% as long as it is relevant to their current or proposed assignment. This license is available in several subject areas.
A number of advanced licenses and advanced certificates held by Student Services Professionals have also been approved for an increase equal to 9% of the index. The distinction “advanced certificate” is important. Extra compensation is not provided for licenses and certificates required for employment. Compensation is limited to one such license or certificate per discipline.
Approved Licenses and Certificates
Below is the complete list of advanced licenses and advanced certificates that currently qualify for the ProComp salary increase.
Position Recognized Licenses
Teacher National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS)
School Counselors National Certified School Counselor (NCSC)**
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) (DORA)
National Certified Counselor (NCC)
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS)
Speech Language Pathologist Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC)
Educational Audiologist American Board of Audiology (ABA)
Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC)
Certified Auditory Verbal Specialist (CAVS)*
School Psychologist National Certificate in School Psychology (NCSP)
Licensed Psychologist (LP) (DORA)**
School Social Worker Licensed Clinical Social Worker (DORA)
Teacher of the Vision Impaired ACVREP Certification
Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS)
Certified Low Vision Therapist (CLVT)
School Nurse School Nurse Practitioner Certification (SNP)
Community and/or Public Health Specialty Practice*
Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)*
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP)*
In addition to the above licenses, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) for Teachers, Counselors, etc. has been recognized for salary advancement and will continue to be recognized by ProComp.
* Licenses added December 14, 2005 for first opt-in window
** Licenses added January 18, 2006 for second opt-in window
Licenses added March 14, 2006 for second opt-in window
*License Added May 14, 2006 for third opt-in window
Approval of New Advanced Licenses and Advanced Certificates
A procedure has also been established for approving additional licenses for this incentive as warranted. To qualify as an advanced license or certificate for the ProComp salary increase, the following standards must be met:
u The license or certificate must be recognized by the Department of Human Resources and appropriate professional council.
u The license or certificate must exceed the entry level requirements called for by the District and the Colorado Department of Education.
u The licensing or certification process must require documented or supervised practical experience or reflective practice verified by the licensing agency.
u The licensing or certification process must require passing an examination that requires rigorous content knowledge.
u The license or certificate must be renewable through a process that may require further demonstration of expertise.
u The licensing or certification process may also require demonstration of results by exceeding national benchmarks for performance set by the licensing institution.
The HR Advanced License and Certificate Review Committee meets on the second Thursday of each month to consider new licenses and certificates.
As new licenses are added, the salary increase will be calculated and paid forward from the date the required documentation is received. Documentation cannot be submitted for licenses or certificates that have not been approved and added to the list. The complete list of approved advanced licenses and certificates is available on the ProComp website.
Procedure to Receive Payment
To be compensated for an advanced license or advanced certificate, an educator must complete the Request for Salary Advance portion of the Employee Information Change Form that is available on the ProComp and Payroll websites. Attached to the form should be a copy of the license or certificate clearly indicating the name of the licensee and the effective dates of the license or certificate.
Educators will be compensated for advanced licenses and advanced certificates related to their current assignments. Employees who change to an assignment unrelated to the license or certificate will no longer be entitled to this ProComp incentive.
Salary Decreases for Failure to Renew a License
If an employee received a salary increase for acquiring an advanced license or certificate and fails to renew that license or otherwise causes the license to lapse, the employee will lose that salary increase. The amount lost will be the same percentage as awarded when the license was obtained, only it will be calculated on the index in effect at the time the license lapsed. Salary will be reduced on the next scheduled payday following the expiration of the license. The salary increase will be restored at the same percentage once the license is renewed; but it will be calculated on the index in effect at the time the proper renewal documentation is submitted to the Department of Human Resources.
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