SECTIONS 56240-56245 - California Statutes

EDUCATION CODE

SECTION 56240-56245

56240. Staff development programs shall be provided for regular and
special education teachers, administrators, certificated and
classified employees, volunteers, community advisory committee
members and, as appropriate, members of the district and county
governing boards. The programs shall be coordinated with other staff
development programs in the special education local plan area,
including school level staff development programs authorized by state
and federal law.

56241. Staff development programs shall include, but not be limited
to, all the following:
(a) Provision of opportunities for all school personnel,
paraprofessionals, and volunteers to participate in ongoing
development activities pursuant to a systematic identification of
pupil and personnel needs.
(b) Be designed and implemented by classroom teachers and other
participating school personnel, including the school principal.
Teachers shall comprise the majority of any group designated to
design local staff development programs for instructional personnel
to be established pursuant to this part. Positive efforts shall be
made to ensure the individuals with exceptional needs and parents of
such individuals are involved in the design and implementation of
staff development programs.
(c) Allowance for diversity in development activities, including,
but not limited to, small groups, self-directed learning, and
systematic observation during visits to other classrooms or schools.
(d) Scheduling of time which is set aside for such purpose
throughout the school year, including, but not limited to, time when
participating school personnel are released from their regular
duties.
(e) Evaluation and modification on a continuing basis by
participating school personnel with the aid of outside personnel, as
necessary.
(f) Inclusion of the school principal and other administrative
personnel as active participants in one or more staff development
activities implemented pursuant to this chapter.
(g) Provision of a budget for reasonable and necessary expenses,
relating to staff development programs.

56243. It is the intent of the Legislature, pursuant to this
article, that a local educational agency provide regular classroom
teachers serving individuals with exceptional needs appropriate
training each year relating to the needs of those individuals.

56244. The superintendent shall, to the extent possible using
federal and state funds appropriated for this purpose, provide staff
development to child care center staff and family day care providers
to improve child care services to individuals with exceptional needs.

56245. The Legislature encourages the inclusion, in local
in-service training programs for regular education teachers and
special education teachers in local educational agencies, of a
component on the recognition of, and teaching strategies for,
specific learning disabilities, including dyslexia and related
disorders.