Policy 5:100
Staff Development Program and Professional Opportunities
The Superintendent or designee shall implement a staff development program. The goal of such program shall be to update and improve the skills and knowledge of staff members in order to achieve and maintain a high level of job performance and satisfaction. Additionally, the Development Program for licensed staff members shall be designed to aid staff so that student learning objectives meet or exceed goals established by the District and State including, but not limited to, programs to effectuate the Strategic Plan.
The staff development program shall include the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act (ANCRA), School Code, and awareness and prevention of child sexual abuse and grooming behaviors (Erin’s Law) training as follows (see policies 4:165, Awareness and Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse and Grooming Behaviors, and 5:90, Abused and Neglected Child Reporting):
- Staff development for local school site personnel who work with students in grades pre-kindergarten through 8, in the detection, reporting, and prevention of child abuse and neglect.
- Within three months of employment, each staff member must complete mandated reporter training from a provider or agency with expertise in recognizing and reporting child abuse. Mandated reporter training must be completed again at least every three years.
- No later than January 31 of each year all school personnel must complete evidence-informed training on preventing, reporting, and responding to child sexual abuse, grooming behaviors, and boundary violations.
The Staff Development Program shall include all annually required training as detailed by the Regional Office of Education training plan.
The Staff Development Program shall provide, at a minimum, at least once every 2 years, the in-service training of licensed school personnel and administrators on current best practices regarding the identification and treatment of attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, the application of non-aversive behavioral interventions in the school environment, and the use of psychotropic or psychostimulant medication for school-age children.
The Staff Development Program shall provide, at a minimum, once every two years, the in-service training of all District staff on educator ethics, teacher-student conduct, and school employee-student conduct.
The Superintendent shall develop protocols for administering youth suicide awareness and prevention education to staff consistent with Board policy 7:290, Suicide and Depression Awareness and Prevention.
Adopted: May 4, 1998
Revised: January 22, 2008; March 23, 2015; September 23, 2019; December 14, 2020; April 25, 2022