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3. School Directed Activities: As to the school based activities, where possible such activities shall not be scheduled in any week in which district-wide activities are scheduled. Each principal shall publish a schedule of the school based activities for that year no later than October 15 of each school year, and shall schedule five two-hour blocks and one one hour block. The faculty of each school shall participate in setting the agenda for school-directed professional development activities, which shall relate to such matters as the comprehensive reform model adopted by the school or planning for the adoption of such plan, or to the goals of the school improvement plan.
4. Professional development activities shall be scheduled to start at the close of the teacher's work day, and shall not be scheduled on the first Wednesday of any month nor on Fridays. In no event shall more than two Professional Development activities be scheduled in any one week. Any professional development time missed shall be made up in professional development activities agreed upon by the teacher and his/her principal.
5. Evaluation of Professional Development Activities:
The Superintendent and the Union will develop a mutually agreed upon form for evaluation of Professional Development Activities. At the end of each professional development session, such forms shall be distributed to all attending teachers to elicit their comments and evaluation of the session. At the close of each school year the Superintendent and the Union President shall meet and develop a joint report evaluating the professional development activities for presentation to the School Committee and the Union Executive Board as well as to the Educational Improvement Advisory Council.

6. Effective September 2004, the members of the Professional Development Committee shall be appointed (or reappointed) for a term of two years. Faculty at each school will nominate one member of the faculty to serve on a joint professional development committee. The Superintendent will select from this list a minimum of six (6) members to serve on the committee and may assign up to eight (8) administrators as additional members. The Union will designate two (2) additional members of the committee. The purpose of the committee will be to survey the membership, to discuss any other concerns that will enhance the work of the Lawrence Public Schools, and to make recommendations to the Superintendent on professional development. The committee shall make a report to the Administration and the Union in April of each year.
7. There will be a district-wide early release day on the second Wednesday of every month. Elementary and middle schools will release students at 12:00. The High School will release students at

11:05 a.m. Elementary and middle schools will commence professional development activities at 12:30 p.m. High school professional development activities will commence at 11:35 a.m.
Each early release day, teachers will participate in one and one-half hours (1 ½) of additional hours for the purposes of continued professional development. These activities will continue onward from 2:50 p.m. in the elementary/middle schools and 2:32 p.m. in the high school, and end at 4:20 p.m. in the elementary/middle schools and 4:02 p.m. in the high school.
The aforementioned one and one-half (1 1/2) hours monthly (15 hours per year) will be considered to be included in the negotiated professional development time.
Professional development activities will be planned by school and district leadership, in alignment with district educational initiatives. Activities may include but not be limited to workshops, presentations, trainings, study groups or team meetings addressing the following topics:
Comprehensive school reform activities
School restructuring/block-scheduling training
Student and program data analysis
Success for All component meetings
English as a Second Language techniques Literacy and mathematics approaches
State frameworks and district customization
MCAS articulation and planning
Exemplary professional practices
Middle school planning
Analysis of student work
Model lesson study
Student special needs and adaptations
Conflict resolution and student discipline strategies
Classroom management and organization
Subject specific content knowledge
School team building and problem solving
Classroom and school intervisitation
Leadership development and change process
Mentoring/Peer Assistance
8. Credit for Professional Development - Each teacher shall be granted two credits for advancement on the salary schedule and 21 professional development points for successful completion of professional development activities. Credits earned under this provision shall be permanently accrued and shall not be subject to

forfeiture or expiration of any kind. All documentation regarding in- service credits and PDP’s earned by a teacher shall be given to that teacher in writing by August 30th of each year.
9. Tuition Reimbursement:
a. Effective the 2004-05 school year, the School Committee will reimburse each bargaining unit member up to $600 per year for a graduate level course and up to $800 when evidence is submitted that the member is enrolled in a master’s degree or doctoral program or a program leading to a CAGS or CAES.