Professional Development
600 Stemmers Run Road
Baltimore, Maryland 21221
Professional development in Baltimore County
Public Schools is intentional, research based, ongoing,
and systemic. The goal of professional development is
to improve the instructional and organizational practices
of all employees in order to increase student achievement.
To meet the standards of “high quality,” professional
development has focused on content knowledge, pedagogy,
the ongoing analysis of student data, and the continuous
evaluation of the impact of instruction on student learning.
Professional development has become increasingly more
site-based and job-embedded with the principal as instructional
leader and with the support of an instructional team.
Therefore, the focus on teaching and learning has been
extended to include the induction, support, and enhancement
of leadership. The professional development planning process
continues to include the follow-up necessary to ensure
the transfer and implementation of new knowledge and skills
by employees throughout the system. The use of technology,
including online courses, e-Learning communities, and
web-based applications, supports best practices in the
development of professional learning communities. The
Department of Professional Development coordinates and
facilitates high quality professional development across
the district by supporting departments and offices in
their delivery of content and by ensuring, through a systemic
review process, the alignment of all activities with the
goals and indicators in the Blueprint for Progress
and the Master Plan.
