Buffalo Merino

PL – Background Information / Documents

Professional Learning – Background Information / Documents

SSR FindingsBackground Information / DocumentsEvidence

Professional Development Plan

  • Professional Development Plan (district or school) including alignment to strategic priorities and READ PD plans

Learning Communities:

  • Buffalo School District is working to implement the PLC model. This work started with the introduction of Impact Coaches through our NEBOCES. The purpose of the Impact Coaches is to help support and maintain the implementation of professional learning by supporting teachers. We have one impact coach in addition to the two principals. This work is in the initial phases even though the Impact Coach role has been in existence for several years. The elementary has used the PLC model to develop the Behavior Expectations and referral system. The goal is to begin implementing the professional learning community model to classroom instruction and monitoring the effectiveness of resources and curriculum through the use of impact cycle.
  • #1 Collaboration: Merino Elementary teachers attended Love & Logic for the 2022-2023 school year as it aligned with the school goal of Creating a Safe Learning Environment for All Students. Impact Coaches have professional learning throughout the school year to assist in implementing and sustaining professional learning to support school priorities through Professional Learning Communities. This is a position NEBOCES supports through a stipend. We currently have one impact coach in our district.
  • #2 Engagement: A variety of Professional Development opportunities are offered through NEBOCES to support teachers with this priority. Some examples are: Time to Teach, Classroom Instruction that Works, Kagain Cooperative Learning, and Phenomenon Based Teaching.
  • # 3 Teaching Strategies: A variety of Professional Development opportunities are offered through NEBOCES to support teachers with this priority. A few examples are: Classroom Instruction that Works, Kagan Cooperative Learning, Phenomenon Based Teaching, Depth and Complexity, and Universal Design for Learning.
  • #4 Wellness: A variety of Professional Development opportunities are offered through BOCES to support teacher and student wellness by creating a safe learning environment. A few examples are: Trauma Informed Classroom, Love and Logic, and Boystown Classroom Management
  • Managing Emotions Agenda
  • Merino Elementary Group Norms
  • Impact Cycle Template

Professional Growth Plans:

  • Buffalo School District has adopted the Colorado State Model Performance Management System as the educator evaluation system.

Resource Allocation:

  • Buffalo School District relies heavily on our Northeast BOCES for professional development opportunities. These opportunities are designed cooperatively with Superintendents, Principals, and the NEBOCES Director of Instruction, Accountability, and Learning. In addition, our NEBOCES supports teacher training in the areas required by state law such as the K-3 READ Act, ELL requirements, SPED requirements, etc. by offering training in person or virtual that meets those requirements or by acting as a support to find such training through CDE. Although NEBOCES is the main provider of our professional learning, staff members are encouraged and supported in different ways by Buffalo School District RE-4J to seek opportunities that will enhance and grow their professional practice. Some ways the district supports professional development are by providing stipends, covering conference/class costs, providing substitute teachers, and covering mileage reimbursement.
  • In the Summer of 2022, NEBOCES offered a plethora of professional development opportunities for our teachers to take advantage of. For the 2022-2023 school year, NEBOCES coordinated a menu of professional development opportunities teachers, schools, and districts could choose from based on feedback from member districts. Merino Elementary attended Love & Logic for the 2022-2023 school year as it aligned with the school goal of Creating a Safe Learning Environment for All Students. Merino Jr/Sr High School teachers chose the professional development offering that aligned with their goals or needs.
  • In 2022, Merino Elementary fulfilled the READ Act required teacher training as a K-3 and intervention staff together using the CDE offered training Building a Strong Foundation: Developing Early Literacy Skills by the Public Consulting Group, Inc. Paraprofessionals are supported in professional learning with the opportunity to engage in self-paced online modules through Master Teacher. Additionally, paraprofessionals are encouraged by the district to engage in professional development as it pertains to their role. In some instances, additional pay will be provided to them if the professional development occurs outside of their contracted hours.
  • One area of pride in Merino Elementary is the implementation of the STAR Autism Program supported by NEBOCES. All personnel working with this population of students have received training and ongoing coaching by a STAR Autism professional several times throughout the school year since 2019.
  • Professional Learning Calendar
  • Elementary: As a result of budget issues arising from COVID, the district had difficult cuts to make. One such decision was to rescind the six curriculum days designed for teachers to collaborate and continue to work on building our district curriculum with a facilitator. In an effort to not lose the momentum of the project or the project altogether, the elementary teachers are given days quarterly to collaborate in primary (k-3) and intermediate (4-6) teams.

Data Driven:

  • Professional learning needs are assessed through both formal and informal teacher surveys, student achievement and growth data, and students surveys.
  • How staff have input into determining professional learning opportunities: First Semester Reflections

​Evaluated:

  • Professional learning is evaluated through walk throughs, observations, beginning, middle and end of the year reviews with staff members. Additionally, various data is collected to determine its effectiveness such as academic and achievement data, behavioral data through office referrals and suspensions, and teacher and students surveys.