Keeping Track of Professional Development Activities

Macomb New Teacher Academy Policy 

The Macomb Intermediate School District's Macomb New Teacher Academy was established to assist new teachers as they comply with Section 1526 of the Revised School Code. The sessions offered by the Macomb New Teacher Academy specifically refer to the 15 days of professional development that must be completed within the first three years of teaching.

The Macomb New Teacher Academy offers a number of professional development offerings throughout the year for the new teachers of Macomb County, Michigan. Teachers are able to attend their choice of sessions or series related to a variety of professional development topics. Meticulous records are kept to verify the teacher's attendance at these sessions.

At the end of the school year, a record of New Teacher Academy sessions attended and hours spent at such sessions is sent to the new teacher, their principal and their central administration. This report includes only workshops sponsored by the New Teacher Academy. Remember, that hours can be compiled through a number of sources, with the New Teacher Academy being one of many sources. Therefore, we encourage new teachers and their administration to also keep a record of total hours spent on professional development throughout your entire career. If you attend other workshops through the MISD or through other facilities, they will not be included on the MISD report. So, keep track of all of your professional development experiences!

These total hours should then be divided by the number of hours their local district defines as a "contract day". This helps determine how many "days" the new teacher has earned in compliance with Section 1526.

At the end of the school year, taking all of the new teacher's accumulated professional development hours and dividing the total by the number of hours which constitute a contract day for their local district, the new teacher will get a determination of how many professional development days they have earned toward the 15 days of professional development as required through Section 1526 of the Revised School Code.

New Policy Interpretation

In the most recent interpretation of this policy by the Michigan Department of Education Office of Professional Preparation Services, if an activity (series) is spread out over a number of sessions, the activity still may constitute a "day." The individual sessions, however, should be in a series of thoughtfully, purposefully, planned and related meaningful activities as a series. Participants should attend all sessions of the series. The total number of hours spent at these sessions may still be accumulated and divided by the number of hours which constitute a "contractual day" as defined by the local district.

As a result of this new MDE interpretation, most Macomb New Teacher Academy sessions will be included within related series themes. Participants must attend all sessions within the series. To insure complete attendance at these sessions, participants will be asked to sign in when they arrive and sign out upon leaving. Individual single sessions can be considered within the "Learning Matters" series theme.

Prior to 1999-2000, total hours accumulated through the Macomb New Teacher Academy can be divided by the number of hours which constitute a "contractual day" as defined by the local district. Starting with the 1999-2000 school year, attendance at an entire series will constitute one professional development day.