Here are answers to some frequently asked questions.

1. What is SB 472 and how does a district qualify for it?
2. What is "materials-based professional development"?
3. What other sources of funding may be used for professional development?
4. Are districts required to offer materials-based professional development? Are teachers required to take it?
5. Who may provide the professional development?
6. By what date must I spend the SB 472 funding?
7. What about the 80-hour follow-up?
8.What are the costs of the 40-hour and 80-hour offerings?

1. What is SB 472 and how does a district qualify for it?

SB 472 is the reauthorization of funding for Mathematics and Reading Professional Development. This grant program provides funding for materials-based professional development in mathematics and reading/language arts. Visit the California Department of Education Web site (www.cde.ca.gov) for more details about how to apply.

2. What is "materials-based professional development"?

Research shows that even the most exciting professional development experiences rarely result in improved instructional practices in the classroom. In most professional development experiences, teachers are taught something new, but how they use that new knowledge is up to them. Teachers are very busy people, and, for the most part, they do not have time to create curriculum or figure out how to integrate what they have learned from a professional development experience into their day-to-day teaching.

Materials-based professional development builds on current and confirmed research to build depth of content knowledge and expand teaching strategies within the context of the instructional materials the teacher will be using in the classroom. The beauty of Calabash's SB 472 professional development is that teachers are given time during the 40- and 80- hour trainings to 1) observe model teaching; 2) develop lesson plans that incorporate what they are learning; and 3) practice and refine those lesson plans in a collegial, supportive and fun atmosphere. When they finish the 40-hour training, they feel very confident about what they are going to teach, and how they are going to teach it. They are familiar with all aspects of the instructional program, and know how to select materials and strategies that have the best chance of success with their student populations. They understand how to use the instructional resources to make standards-based choices, i.e. how to 1) differentiate instruction to meet the needs of different students while ensuring that all the standards are taught, and 2) assess to determine which standards have been mastered and which require more (or different) instruction.

3. What other sources of funding may be used for professional development?

There are many professional development funding sources at the state and federal levels. The newest of these—Reading First—is described below. For a comprehensive listing of state funding sources go to the California Department of Education Web site (www.cde.ca.gov).

4. Are districts required to offer materials-based professional development? Are teachers required to take it?

Schools designated as high-priority/low-performing schools are required to provide SB 472 professional development for their reading/language arts and mathematics teachers. (See item 16 in the California Department of Education's Action Plan in High Priority Schools Grant Program (PDF file).) All other districts and schools are encouraged , but not required, to participate in SB 472. The participation of individual teachers may be a collective bargaining issue.

5. Who may provide the professional development?

Providers must be approved according to regulations established by the California State Board of Education. You can see a list of approved providers at the California Department of Education Web site (www.cde.ca.gov). Calabash Professional Learning Systems is approved by the State Board of Education to provide the following courses.

• Reading First 40-Hour Course for Educators
• SB 472 40-Hour Course for Educators
• 20-Hour Course for Paraprofessionals
• 80 Hour Follow-up; Early Success Institute Level I
• 80 Hour Follow-up; Soar to Success Institute, Level I
• 80 Hour Follow-up; Soar to Success Institute, Level II
• 80 Hour Follow-up; LETRS The Challenge of Learning to Read
• 80 Hour Follow-up; LETRS Seminar Phonemic Awareness
• 80 Hour Follow-up; LETRS Seminar Phonics
• 80 Hour Follow-up; LETRS Seminar Vocabulary Development
• 80 Hour Follow-up; LETRS Seminar Fluency
• 80 Hour Follow-up; LETRS Seminar Comprehension

6. By what date must I spend the SB 472 funding?

Funding for SB 472 will be available until 2012. But since the intent of the funding is to provide teachers with in-depth professional development to help them understand the recent research underlying the program, and to make optimal use of new instructional resources, it makes sense for districts to train as many teachers and paraprofessionals as early as they can.

7. What about the 80-hour follow-up?

Calabash offers a menu of LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) Seminars and intervention institutes to meet the 80-hour follow-up requirement in California. The LETRS courses were developed by renowned reading specialist Dr. Louisa Moats. These one and two-day seminars are designed to support teachers as they implement Houghton Mifflin Reading.

These LETRS training seminars include:

• The Challenge of Learning to Reading (for administrators)
• Phonemic Awareness
• Phonics
• Vocabulary
• Fluency
• Comprehension

The Early Success Institute was designed in cooperation with Dr. Barbara Taylor to support teachers in the implementation of the Reading Intervention for Early Success program for grades 1 and 2. Finally, the Soar to Success Institutes were developed by senior author, Dr. J. David Cooper to ensure the successful implementation of the Soar to Success Program in grades 3–8.

For more information call 888-892-2377.

8. What are the costs of the 40-hour and 80-hour offerings?

Contact Houghton Mifflin Professional Development 888-892-2377 or your Houghton Mifflin sales representative for more information.

Opening PDF Files