Proficiency Practices: PSU Course for PPS Teachers

PPS is partnering with PSU and Diane Smith, the Teaching and Learning Initiative Director at the Business Education Compact, to offer a 3-credit course focused on Proficiency-based practices.  Whether you are relatively new to proficiency or looking to deepen your understanding, this course will provide opportunities to collaborate with other teachers in PPS, to share ideas and resources, and to apply your learning to your classroom practice.

The class will meet at the BESC two days a month from 5-8pm starting January 22, 2015 through May 19, 2015. All classes are held on Tuesdays, with the exception of the first meeting, which is on a Thursday. Credit will be awarded spring term, and PAT members can use their tuition reimbursement to pay for the course.  For more detailed information on the course content click here.

In PPS, teachers are encouraged to use best grading practices. A train-the-trainers model of professional development based on Ken O’Connor’s Fifteen Fixes for Broken Grades began in middle schools and high schools last year. Grading Fixes Boot Camps for K-5 and K-8 schools will take place in the spring of 2015.  Proficiency-based practices extend beyond the realm of grading and incorporate shifts in approaches to curriculum, instruction and assessment. For more information about proficiency in PPS, see the Proficiency-Based Grading page on the PPS website.

If you are interested in enrolling in this course, please email Susan Payne at spayne@pps.net.