The Benton CSD is committed to providing quality professional development opportunities to staff. There is an abundance of research that supports the positive impact of high quality professional development on student learning. The Annual Progress Report for the school district includes a section on the professional development priorities in the District.
Focus area for PK-12 will be the on the Core Standards; collaborative learning teams; characteristics of effective instruction; alignment of curriculum, instruction, and assessments; and technology application. Elementary staff will be focusing on literacy and math alignment and instruction and the Secondary staff will be working on collaborative learning teams, characteristics of effective instruction and integration of technology in teaching and learning.
In an effort to support professional development efforts the school calendar has been developed with early dismissals generally scheduled on Wednesdays throughout the school year. During the month of October, professional development is scheduled for Wednesday, October 3rd from 1-4 p.m. and all day on Wednesday, October 17th. The Benton Community staff and administration are appreciative of the support provided by the Board of Education in supporting professional development activities and learning.
