The Teaching Center is once again offering professional development in the area of Collegial Circles, providing teachers and teaching assistants with structured time for reflection on classroom practices.   The program enables teachers and teaching assistants to take responsibility for identifying and satisfying needs for professional growth.
       
Any proposal must advance study of and reflection upon the West Genesee Strategic Planning Foci:

C&I: Following the timelines established in the WG Continuous Curriculum Improvement Cycle, guaranteed and viable curricula, aligned to NYS Standards and WG Essential Standards, will be written, revised and evaluated utilizing the unit plan template.  

DEI: By June 2026, increase the participation rates of underrepresented groups (students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged students, and non-white students) in both academically advanced classes as well as extracurricular activities by 10%.

SEL: By June 2024, all WG schools will establish Guiding Coalitions as part of becoming a district-wide Professional Learning Community (PLC). These coalitions will develop a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework focusing on instructional schedules which allow for the development of the PLC, and an MTSS “triangle” encompassing Academics, Behaviors, and Social-Emotional Learning. These Guiding Coalitions will create building-wide SMART goals as a means to align professional learning opportunities and to monitor their progress.

Groups of four to seven teachers and/or teaching assistants will identify a common area of interest to study.  Each group must meet for 10 hours during the grant period.  Each member is eligible for a $330 stipend.  (Facilitators will receive additional $50 compensation).  A presentation and workshop of the Circle’s discoveries will be made at the Action Research / Collegial Circles Café in May. In addition, an electronic version of the Circle's discoveries will be published on the Teaching Center's website.

In addition, teams will utilize their presentations to offer "Summer Dive" and "Fall Follow-up" workshops, offered to any WG staff member interested in embedding the findings in their own practices.
 
Funding is competitive and requires a formal application (attached).   Below is the timeline for major Collegial Circle events during the year:

• By October 13       We hope to post a "How-to" video Teaching Center website for "best practices"
• October 25            Deadline for submission of Collegial Circle application by 3 PM
• November 8         Collegial Circles Review Committee
• November 13   Directing Council approval
• April 12                  All facilitator paperwork due to Center
• May 20             Action Research / Collegial Circles Café
• July / August Summer Dive workshop presented by collegial circle participants
• October 2024 Fall Follow-up workshop  (no later than 10/12)