Lake Forest School District 67

Professional Development
The maintenance and development of new professional competencies of the staff is important to sustaining and improving the quality of the schools. Research shows that substantial changes in teaching practice are likely to occur only when teachers have extended, ongoing assistance that is grounded in classroom practice. School is dismissed 1.25 hours earlier than regular scheduling one day a week for grades K-4. Staff development is embedded into the planning periods for grades 5-8. Teachers also meet for a few days during the school year to facilitate implementation of new programs. Notification of these days is made through the District 67 website, and listed in the annual school calendar. Please be alert to these dates as they are announced so that your plans can be adjusted to accommodate the children.

The Board of Education supports staff development by providing funds for continued professional activities, which include workshops, conferences and graduate studies.

The District 67 Professional Development Academy is a professional development program based on the annual educational goals of the District. A Professional Staff Development Committee assists with the design and implementation of the plan to enable faculty to fulfill plans for life-long learning. Courses are taught in all content areas, child development, leadership, and technology. Also, each school establishes site-based annual goals to enhance the instructional program and meet each building’s specific needs. There is a continued emphasis on improving staff knowledge of interdisciplinary curriculum approaches, assessments, higher level thinking skills, working with gifted & learning disabled students, and developing 21st Century Learning practices into the classroom.

District 67 supports the National Boards for Professional Teaching Standards and provides a stipend for teachers earning this certification. This rigorous professional growth experience asks teachers to construct an extensive portfolio of their work; in constructing this portfolio, teachers closely examine and reflect upon their practice, and their use of data to improve instruction. Finally, before being able to earn the designation of “master teacher,” candidates must pass a battery of exams in their content area. Currently there are 23 teachers in District 67 who have achieved this remarkable status. Among K-8 Illinois school districts, District 67 ranks #2 in terms of total Master Teachers on staff.