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5QL Five Stars for Quality Learning

Questions and Answers

What is 5QL?

5QL stands for “Five Stars for Quality Learning.” The 5QL program offers technology training opportunities for teachers. Technology training classes are aligned to the domains of professional practice and are designed to support teachers’ professional growth goals. This new training initiative spans a three year period, and teachers can take up to 63 hours of training during the three years.

 How many classes can I take this year?

You can take up to 21 hours of training during the 2004-2005 school year.

 How do I complete the 5QL program?

You take a minimum of 6 hours of training in each of the five domains: Foundations, Classroom Environment, Instruction, Planning & Preparation, and Professional Responsibilities (a minimum of 30 hours of training during the three year period). However, you have the opportunity to take up to 63 hours of training during the three years.

 Do I get paid for taking a class?

Compensation is made with a 2/3 to 1/3 blended funding model. This means that for a 3 hour class, you will be paid 2 hours at Curriculum Rate, and you will be compensated for 1 hour through AED trade time.

 What is AED trade time?

AED trade time provides flexibility for you in taking advantage of professional growth opportunities. By taking training on one day and “trading” a 1/3 of that time for AED time, you can take training that supports your professional growth goals, be paid for 2/3 of the time, and trade 1/3 of that time for AED time. This means if you accrue enough trade hours, you do not need to be in your building on the AEDs designated for trade.

 Which AEDs are designated for trade?

November 24^th and May 27^th are the ½ day AEDs designated for trade.

 Do I take training on those AEDs?

No. You will take the training at various times throughout the year and “bank” 1/3 of the time for each training session to trade for AED hours on November 24^th and May 27^th.

 What do I need to do to fully trade both the November 24^th and the May 27^th AED?

By taking 21 hours of training throughout the year, you will have banked 7 hours of AED time to trade both the ½ day November 24^th and the ½ day May 27^th AED, and you will not be required to be in your building during those AED times.

 How do I trade the November 24^th AED if I have not taken enough training by that date to trade 3.5 hours?

Since you will declare your plan for AED trade participation in October, you can participate in the November 24^th AED trade as long as you will complete enough training to trade 3.5 hours by May 27^th. If you plan to participate in the May 27^th AED as well, you must complete enough training to trade a total of 7 hours by May 27^th.

 My focus domain for professional growth this year is “Instruction,” but the training I want to take is in the “Classroom Environment” domain. Can I take the training I want to take in the “Classroom Environment” domain?

While you do have a focus domain each year for professional growth/evaluation, you are still working to be proficient in all domains of professional practice every year, and since there are 21 hours of training available to you, you can take training in multiple domains. The building administrator that you work with for goal setting can help guide you in choosing training opportunities that support your professional growth goals.

 Does my building administrator have to approve my plan?

Yes. You and your administrator develop and finalize your plan together during your professional growth goal setting conference.

 Can I take classes in the “Professional Responsibilities” domain this year?

The Professional Responsibilities domain will become active next year. As Professional Responsibilities includes contributing to the school and district, classes in this domain will be designed to engage groups of teachers in collaborative work to create resources to share with their Learning Communities and the district as a whole. As you will be sharing your knowledge and experience in technology integration to do this, it is important that you complete classes in the other four domains before beginning classes in the domain of Professional Responsibilities.

Can I take classes for clock or credit hours?

Yes, both clock and credit hours are available through SPU for the classes.

I am starting my professional certification this year.  I am wondering if this will be available next year and if the courses would count toward my 9 credits I need to take?

Credits will apply to Professional Certification, but the candidate could not apply all of them because of the nature of the professional growth plan that they must match. Technology can be a part of the plan, but probably not for more than 2 credits worth – 4 at the very most.

How do part time employees participate in AED trade?

Part time people can access the same amount of training as full time people, as expectations for technology integration are the same whether a teacher is part time or full time.
If a part time teacher does have AED time to trade on November 24 and May 27, then he or she will accumulate up to the full 7 hours of AED trade time available to full time teachers by taking the appropriate number of hours of training.
If part time teachers have only some AED time to trade, then they will accumulate the AED time that they do have and then be paid for the remainder of the time spent in training classes (for example, if a teacher takes 21 hours of tech training, but has only 2 hours of AED time to trade on Nov. 24 and May 27, then once they have accumulated their 2 hours of AED trade time, they will be paid the for the full 3 hours of training for the subsequent training classes they attend, as they have no additional AED trade time to accumulate and trade).

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