Continuing Professional Development
Key Strategy
Provide differentiated professional
development for all personnel that is aligned with
system goals, focused on research-based practices,
and designed to increase the quality of programs
and services.
Program Goals
To extend the knowledge of all constituents
and thereby enhance student learning as measured
by the Baltimore County Public Schools Blueprint
for Progress and the Maryland State Department of
education Division of Certification and Accreditation
Program Approval and Assessment Branch.
To provide all constituents with local
school system-based professional development experiences
for continuing professional development credit to
improve teacher and student performance.
To incorporate state-of -the-art technology
to meet the needs of all constituents.
To use valid assessment approaches,
both formal and informal, which reflect a diverse
audience of learners.
To recruit and maintain a quality work
force and provide for the professional needs of all
employees.
Continuing Professional Development experiences
should be designed to extend, enhance, and/or refine
the employees' development. With changes in teacher
preparation and the recent changes to COMAR, the
following Guiding Principles for the continuing
professional development of Maryland's professionally
certified educators are proposed:
-
- Professional development of teachers and
other educators is an integral part of Maryland's
plan to improve teaching and learning in schools.
- Professional development must include constant
expansion and updating of content knowledge, as well
as continuing growth, in the understanding and application
of current research and best practice regarding the
teaching-learning process.
- Teachers and other educators should engage in career-long
professional development; school systems should provide
assistance to them by helping them develop their
own professional development plans.
-Maryland State Department of Education
Overview of the Program
A commitment to continuous professional growth and
development requires that educators seek new knowledge,
skills, and understanding through engagement with content,
research, best practice, and expert opinion. Courses
offered by colleges and universities are one option
toward that goal. However, the pathways of this growth
vary, depending upon the needs and career stages of
individual educators, CPD offers a variety of
credit options. The following are options that have
been approved as continuing professional development
experiences:
- Courses (units of study offered by colleges and
universities) (1-3 credits)
- Workshops (units of study offered by local school
systems) (1-3 credits)
COHORT PROGRAMS
Key Strategy
Recruit and maintain a quality work force
and provide for the needs of employees
The Program
In addition to courses offered through Continuing Professional Development
opportunities, the Baltimore County Public Schools
have established partnership agreements with The College
of Notre Dame, Goucher College, The Johns Hopkins University
and Towson University to offer courses leading to state
certification and graduate degrees. This cohort approach
allows teachers, paraeducators and clerical employees
to complete specific certification. The cohort program
is research-based, and standards-driven to improve
teacher effectiveness and student achievement as measured
by the Baltimore County Public Schools Blueprint
for Progress and the Maryland State Department
of Education. The cohort program is designed to enhance
the Baltimore County Public Schools retention efforts
to maintain and sustain teacher employment, as well
as support the professional growth of BCPS employees.
These partnerships are designed to reduce financial
strain, assure convenient locations, and create non-threatening
enrollment environments. Course enrollment is generally
limited to teachers from schools identified within
a cluster of schools in close proximity to each other
and with teachers who have completed at least one year
of teaching with the Baltimore County Public Schools.
Teachers must be under contract with the Baltimore
County Public Schools in order to be eligible to enroll.
For more information contact:
Merry C. Macer, mmacer@bcps.org
The Department of Professional Development, (410) 887-6491
GENERAL INFORMATION
Courses are offered three times a year: Fall, Spring
and Summer. Registration is on-line through the BCPS
website. Employees of BCPS are eligible to take any
of the courses, where appropriate. Only those with
Bachelor's Degrees are eligible to take courses for
graduate credit. Non-BCPS employees are eligible
to enroll in the courses on a space available basis
for a nominal fee.
TO REGISTER:
1. Log into the BCPS Internet website at http://www.bcps.org/apps/registration/.
2. BCPS Employees:
- Enter your BCPS e-mail User ID and password and
select the catalog you wish you view and click Log
In to enter the registration system.
- If you have a BCPS e-mail account but do not know
your User ID or password, please call the Customer
Support Center at 410-887-4672. After confirming
your identity, you will be given your User ID and
a new password. If you have both your BCPS User ID
and password, proceed to the next step.
Non-Employees:
- Enter your username and password, select the catalog
you wish to view, and click Log In to
enter the registration system, this will allow you
to register for courses
- If you forgot your password, enter your email address
and click the Forgot Password button.
- Click the Create a New Account button
if you are a new user and need a new account.
- Proceed to the next step.
3. Click on the Catalog hyperlink
to browse available courses and register. All general
questions on the course catalog and registration
process may be directed to the Department of Professional
Development at 410-887-6400.
