>Colleagues,


The message below was originally posted on the Professional Development 
Discussion List by Connie Spencer-Ackerman.  With Connie's permission, I am 
cross-posting on this list.

In the posting, she describes the Leadership Institute for program 
directors that takes place in Kentucky.  Have any of you been involved in 
similar institutes in your state?  If so, was the focus on program 
directors?  What topic areas were included?

-- Kim



> >===== Original Message From Connie Spencer-Ackerman

><c.spencerack at morehead-st.edu> =====

>   I'd like to share what we have been doing in Kentucky to support

>professional development among our local program directors.

>

>For three years, a group of select program directors have been

>participating in what in called the Leadership Institute.  The

>Institute, which brings participants together three times a year,  is

>based on the Education Criteria for Performance Excellence, associated

>with the Baldrige National Quality Program. (a tip of the hat to Jim

>Ford at the Center for Literacy Studies for helping us select this

>framework).  During our times together, we revisit seven categories that

>high performing organizations should be focusing on --  leadership;

>strategic planning; student and stakeholder focus;  measurement,

>analysis, and knowledge management; faculty and staff focus; process

>management; and results -- and we discuss and share practices that

>assist program directors in these areas.

>

>New program directors are introduced to adult education in Kentucky with

>a series of three meetings organized and facilitated by our state office

>that focus on state policies as well as how the state supports local

>achievement of five goals established by the parent organization -- the

>Council on Postsecondary Education.  Then throughout the year the

>directors convene periodically to learn about topics that were

>identified by the previous year's cohort as being especially important.

>One session is dedicated to discussion of those characteristics of high

>performing programs identified in research conducted by Abt Associates.

>During the second year of their induction into adult education, program

>directors are exposed to principles of continuous improvement and a

>"lighter" version of the Baldrige criteria.  Because Kentucky's focus on

>program directors is relatively new, we do not yet have a fully

>developed curriculum for veteran program directors; but all new program

>director sessions described above are open to them.

>

>All program directors can find suitable professional development

>opportunities by searching by specialty area on PDtrack, our new

>professional development tracking system, which also allows them to

>register for workshops and to maintain a transcript of PD activity.

>Another feature of our new system is what are called "self-directed

>activities."  If a director wants to create his or her own professional

>development experience, in other words does not want to rely solely on

>national-, state- or Academy-sponsored events, he or she can submit to

>PDtrack a request to engage in a self-directed activity.   If you would

>like more information, go to http://www.kyae.ky.gov/pd/default.htm.

>There you will find a more detailed explanation as well as a copy of the

>professional development handbook which introduced the system.

>

>A particularly interesting feature of professional development

>introduced this past fall is the way value is assigned to professional

>development experiences.  Our intention was to value the depth of an

>experience rather than seat time.   Any experience that involves

>investigation of a topic (workshop, participation in a study circle,

>conference attendance, etc.) results in one professional development

>unit.  If the participant elects to apply and evaluate in his or her

>classroom or program that topic, an additional five units are earned.

>If the results of application and evaluations are shared with colleagues

>through a workshop, study circle, conference session, etc., three units

>are earned.  This is a rather simplified explanation, and we do not yet

>know what the results will be.

>

>Connie Spencer-Ackerman

>Adult Education Academy

>Morehead State University

>150 University Boulevard, Box 968

>Morehead, KY 40351

>ph:  606-783-9377   fax:  606-783-9111

>

>The reason most major goals are not achieved is that we spend our time doing

>second things first.

>

>Robert J. McKain

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>fantine at ohio.edu wrote:

>

> >Ok, one more question and I'm going to bed:

> >

> >Jackie also asked, what type of PD for administrators do states offer?

> >

> >

> >This year we offered a PD activity for the ABLE program

>directors/coordinators

> >in our region - we invited Kaye Beall from NCSALL to discuss using Study

> >Circles around issues of program management.  It was well received.  We'd

>like

> >to do more PD for administrators - are considering some type of leaderhip

> >series for next year.

> >

> >What are other states offering in terms of PD for administrators?

> >

> >Jeff Fantine

> >Director, Literacy Center

> >College of Education

> >Ohio University

> >340 McCracken Hall

> >Athens, OH  45701

> >----------------------------------------------------

> >National Institute for Literacy

> >Adult Literacy Professional Development mailing list

> >ProfessionalDevelopment at nifl.gov

> >To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to

>http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/professionaldevelopment

> >

> >

>

>-

>

>

>

>fantine at ohio.edu wrote:

>

> >Ok, one more question and I'm going to bed:

> >

> >Jackie also asked, what type of PD for administrators do states offer?

> >

> >

> >This year we offered a PD activity for the ABLE program

>directors/coordinators

> >in our region - we invited Kaye Beall from NCSALL to discuss using Study

> >Circles around issues of program management.  It was well received.  We'd

>like

> >to do more PD for administrators - are considering some type of leaderhip

> >series for next year.

> >

> >What are other states offering in terms of PD for administrators?

> >

> >Jeff Fantine

> >Director, Literacy Center

> >College of Education

> >Ohio University

> >340 McCracken Hall

> >Athens, OH  45701

> >----------------------------------------------------

> >National Institute for Literacy

> >Adult Literacy Professional Development mailing list

> >ProfessionalDevelopment at nifl.gov

> >To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to

>http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/professionaldevelopment

> >

> >

>

>--

>Connie Spencer-Ackerman

>Adult Education Academy

>Morehead State University

>150 University Boulevard, Box 968

>Morehead, KY 40351

>ph:  606-783-9377   fax:  606-783-9111

>

>The reason most major goals are not achieved is that we spend our time doing

>second things first.

>

>Robert J. McKain

>

>

>

>----------------------------------------------------

>National Institute for Literacy

>Adult Literacy Professional Development mailing list

>ProfessionalDevelopment at nifl.gov

>To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to

>http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/professionaldevelopment