The following is Article 41 of the VESPA/VUSD contract referring to professional growth. Please see your office manager or contact the Classified Human Resources Office to obtain a copy of the new application form. It is the responsibility of each employee applying for professional growth to list each category of eligibility for which they are applying. Each category listed must be accompanied by the appropriate verification materials i.e.-transcripts, certificates, etc.
PROFESSIONAL GROWTH
41.1 The intent of this incentive-based professional growth program is to encourage employees to voluntarily gain increased knowledge and skills which enhance their ability to perform the work of the school district; to provide an opportunity for advancement to new positions; or to provide the employee with an awareness of the importance of increased efficiency needed to fulfill his/her role in the total education of students in the Ventura Unified School District. This program is not intended to restrict in any way the training and self-improvement efforts a classified employee may undertake on his/her own initiative. However, such training shall be considered as applicable to a professional growth increment only if it meets the requirements specified by this policy and implementing regulations of the committee. This is an award type program based upon the accumulation of points which will eventually translate into a professional growth stipend.
41.2 PROCEDURES
41.2.1 Review Committee: The Professional Growth Committee, hereinafter referred to as the Committee, shall meet at least quarterly to review applications for professional growth points.
41.2.2 Selection / Composition of Committee: The Committee shall consist of: three (3) representatives appointed by the District including the Assistant Director, Classified Human Resources being a permanent member of the committee.
41.2.3 Tenure of Committee
41.2.3.1 Because of the technical nature of committee responsibility, turnover on the committee shall be kept at a minimum. Terms of committee members shall begin in July and end in June. A Chair and a Secretary shall be appointed by the Committee.
41.2.3.2 Should a vacancy occur on the Committee, VCEA shall fill the vacancy by appointment for those positions which VCEA originally appointed.
41.2.4 Duties of Committee
41.2.4.1 Review policies and procedures.
41.2.4.2 Evaluate activities for professional growth points.
41.2.4.3 Provide the Payroll Department with a listing of those employees who have earned Professional Growth increments for the fiscal year.
41.3 STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE PROFESSIONAL GROWTH POINT PROGRAM
41.3.1 Points may be earned through participation in any of the following:
41.3.1.1 College courses, adult school course, trade and business school courses.
41.3.1.2 Committee approved workshops, training, orientation, and inservice.
41.3.1.3 Institute lecture programs and conducting institute classes.
41.3.1.4 Attendance at educational conferences.
41.3.1.5 Leadership activities in county, state and national educational organizations and in professional organizations.
41.3.1.6 Correspondence, on-line and video courses.
41.3.1.7 Other Committee approved coursework.
41.3.2 The subject matter of the course should relate to the position currently occupied by the employee, or should meet the requirements for career development.
41.3.3 All professional growth candidates taking courses must obtain a passing grade of "C" or better; a certificate of satisfactory completion of a course, or a grade of "Pass" in a course which does not provide a letter grade in order to receive credit points for the that coursework.
41.3.4 Employees must submit evidence of satisfactory completion of coursework within one calendar year from the date of the completion of the coursework in order to receive professional growth points for that coursework.
41.3.5 Points will not be given to an employee who is on leave from the district to become a full-time or part-time student.
41.3.6 If credit has previously been awarded, courses may not be repeated unless special permission is granted by the Committee. Such repeat courses must contain different subject matter.
41.3.7 Course work must be verified by transcript or certificate. All other work must be verified as acceptable and approved by the Committee no later than July 31 of each year in order to receive a professional growth increment for that fiscal year.
41.3.8 Courses not offering semester or quarter units, and other types of educational courses for which the Committee has granted approval, will receive points based on total hours of participation. For such courses and/or activities a certificate or signed documentation verifying satisfactory completion must be submitted with the Professional Growth Application.
41.3.9 Credit for hours of participation in District-sponsored workshops, orientation, in-service educational conferences, institute lecture programs, and other similar programs approved by the Committee and credit for conducting such programs shall have points equated as follows:
The following chart illustrates the value of each hour of such credit:
POINTS POINTS
No. of Hours @ .0625 @.0750
1.0 .0625 .0750
2.0 .1350 .1500
3.0 .1975 .2250
4.0 .2600 .3000
5.0 .3225 .3750
6.0 .3850 .4500
7.0 .4375 .5250
8.0 .5000 .6000
9.0 .5625 .6750
10.0 .6250 .7500
11.0 .6875 .8250
12.0 .7500 .9000
13.0 .8125 .9750
14.0 .8750 1.0500
15.0 .9375 1.1250
16.0 1.0000 1.2000
41.3.10 Sixteen (16) hours shall equal one (1) professional growth point. Fifteen (15) professional growth points shall equal one (1) professional growth increment.
41.4 ELIGIBILITY FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE PROFESSIONAL GROWTH PROGRAM
All regularly employed, Classified employees who are in active, paid status with the Ventura Unified School District shall be eligible to participate in the Professional Growth Program.
41.5 GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL GROWTH INCREMENTS
41.5.1 One (1) professional growth increment may be granted annually in the maximum amount of $200 per school year, not to exceed five (5) such increments in the maximum amount of $1,000.
41.5.2 Increments shall be granted beginning with the fiscal year following the earning of fifteen (15) professional growth points.
41.5.3 Subsequent earned increments, not exceeding four, may be granted in the maximum amount of $200 each. Such increments shall be superimposed on the preceding increment(s) to which the employee is entitled, but shall be awarded not more frequently than once every two fiscal years.
41.5.4 Professional growth recipients may elect to have the professional growth increment payable in one lump-sum payment on or about August 31 of each year or to have the increment equalized, based on their regular number of salary payments annually. Earned increments shall be paid in addition to the employee's regular salary, and shall be subject to customary payroll deductions.
41.5.5 An employee must be in paid status to receive the professional growth increment he/she has been granted, and such payments will end when his/her employment is terminated for any reason.
41.5.6 Credit will only be given for professional growth activities completed while not in a paid, active employment status on the July 1 following the completion of the first year on the job after returning from the leave of absence. Credit will not be given for any professional growth activities completed prior to the employee's beginning date of employment.
41.5.7 Records concerning the Professional Growth Program shall be maintained by the Classified Human Resources Office.
41.5.8 Permanent employees who are promoted or transferred to a new classification may earn increment points while in probationary status in the new classification.
41.6 QUALIFICATION FOR INITIAL PROFESSIONAL GROWTH INCREMENT
41.6.1 Increment points applicable to the initial professional growth increment may be allowed retroactively provided the points were earned after the beginning date of employment and the candidate was actively and regularly employed by the Ventura Unified School District at the time the points were earned.
41.6.2 If more than the necessary number of points are earned for any of the second, third, fourth, or fifth professional growth increments, the excess number will be carried over to the next succeeding increment.