Content Leader Trainings to Lead to Professional Distinction, Career Advancement Opportunities
BATON ROUGE, La. -- The Louisiana Department of Education today announced more than 700 teachers across the state have been selected to serve as
Content Leaders and provide high-quality, content-rich and curriculum-specific professional development to new and current teachers in their school systems. The selected teachers will participate in special training during the 2018-2019 school year that prepares them for this responsibility and culminates in a professional distinction, as well as career advancement opportunities.
"Though most school systems across Louisiana have made great strides in increasing the quality of instructional materials used in classrooms, few teachers report having access to high-quality, ongoing professional development that helps them navigate and use their curriculum effectively," said State Superintendent John White. "At the same time, the teaching profession has limited opportunities between classroom teaching and principalships. The Content Leader role and training aim to satisfy both of these needs, while also providing students more meaningful learning experiences."
The training will begin in summer 2018 and continue through the 2018-2019 school year. The training will include nine in-person sessions--half of which will occur during the summer months to reduce time spent outside the classroom--and will be held in various locations across Louisiana. Participants will receive:
- A deeper knowledge of English Language Arts (ELA) or math content and how to teach it;
- The knowledge and skills they need to effectively use and help others use the ELA Guidebooks 2.0, a nationally recognized curriculum created for Louisiana teachers by Louisiana teachers, or a top-tier mathematics curriculum;
- The knowledge of adult learning theory, and the skills and resources to facilitate meaningful, productive learning experiences for fellow educators; and
- Access to 36 additional hours of turnkey training sessions outside of the program.
The 2018-2019 trainings will be the second of their kind offered by the state. The inaugural Content Leader training, which quietly launched in fall 2017, is now in progress and will conclude by the close of the current school year. About 250 educators are participating in the program.
In 2018-2019 and in subsequent years, this number will grow. In 2018-2019, more than 700 educators, all nominated by their local school systems, will take part in the training.
At the end of the training, participants will take a multi-part assessment to gauge their mastery of the skills needed to serve as a Content Leader and will eventually earn a professional distinction. The distinction, which will include a career credential now in the development phase, will lead to increased opportunities for teachers wanting to remain in the classroom, as well as for those who hope to move into administrative roles.
"Content Leaders play a significant role in the support of teachers in Louisiana because we are providing intense training of deeper content knowledge. This, in turn, builds a stronger foundation for Louisiana educators to present profound instructional content in a meaningful manner to our students," said Amanda Perry, an educator from Caddo Parish who is participating in the current Content Leader training. "This professional development allows us a chance to collaborate with peers across the state in hopes of increasing our capacity to prepare our students for success in the 21st century."
To learn more about Louisiana Content Leaders, click here.
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