Professional Growth Teacher Re Certification

							     Article XXVII – Professional Growth
 1    A. Professional Growth Statement
 2    The Board shall make no requirements for professional growth in addition to those
 3    required by the State Board of Education for re-certification, with the exception of
 4    those teachers employed at schools affiliated with the Southern Association of Schools
 5    and Colleges; every professional employee is encouraged to grow professionally by
 6    increasing their knowledge and expertise in the following areas:
 7          • Subject or Academic Discipline knowledge
 8          • Meeting requirements for “highly qualified” - No Child Left Behind
 9              criteria
10          • Student management skills, motivational strategies, learning styles, multiple
11              intelligence
12          • Instructional Strategies appropriate to their student’s instructional level(s)
13              and strategies for exceptional needs students
14          • Integration of technology into instruction
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16   B.      Professional Growth Incentive
17   To encourage beginning or experienced teachers toward professional growth the Board
18   will offer a professional growth financial incentive for up to fifty (50) teachers per year
19   who take graduate level academic course work targeting any of the growth areas listed in
20   Section A of this Article. The incentive would reimburse teachers on a cost basis up to
21   an amount equal to $600 per year. If teachers elect to take PRAXIS Exams to meet the
22   NCLB “highly qualified” requirements, the system would reimburse the cost of study
23   materials and testing fees.
24   To qualify for the incentive, the teacher must meet these conditions:
25               a. Be currently employed by the Jefferson County School System with two
26                   (2) or more years experience in the Jefferson County system.
27               b. Be currently licensed by the state of Tennessee for the area in which they
28                   are teaching.
29               c. Complete a Professional Growth Incentive Reimbursement Form and
30                   submit it to the Director of School’s office no later than the August 31
31                   (summer or fall) or January 31 (spring) prior to the school semester in
32                   which they expect to complete the course work or PRAXIS examination.
33               d. For course work or PRAXIS exams completed in the summer term
34                   reimbursement will be made in September; fall term reimbursements will
35                   be made in January; spring term reimbursements will be made in June.
36                   For course work or PRAXIS exams completed in the spring or summer
37                   terms, reimbursement will be in August.
38               e. Submit a credit or grade report to the Director upon completion of the
39                   designated course or satisfactory documentation for expenditures related
40                   to completion of the PRAXIS examination in meeting the “highly
41                   qualified” requirement.
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     Approved on____________________________________

     _______________________________           ____________________________________
        (JCEA Spokesperson’s Signature)            (Board Spokesperson’s Signature)