| An Overview of Summer Heat 2006 | | | | the secondary school level. On the other |
| | | | end of the spectrum, special attention is |
| Miami Schools are offering a range of summer | | | | also given to the design and implementation |
| professional development courses for its | | | | of Pre - Kindergarten curriculum. Miami - |
| public school teachers and administrators in | | | | Dade County School District teachers are also |
| order to help teachers meet federal | | | | given the opportunity to explore general |
| requirements and learn new methods and | | | | instructional methods to promote leadership |
| approaches to teaching. Teachers are | | | | in the classroom, including the Continuous |
| eligible to take one Summer Heat course. | | | | Improvement Model (CIM), Object - Based |
| These courses will be offered during June and | | | | Learning, and many others. |
| July. Most courses last about a week and | | | | |
| meet from 8:15 AM to 3:15 PM daily. | | | | Professional Development for Administrators |
| | | | |
| The teacher must attend every day of the | | | | Miami - Dade County School District |
| session in order to receive Master Plan | | | | administrators also benefit from the Summer |
| Points. The Miami - Dade County School | | | | Heat course offerings. Principals, Principal |
| District's Master Plan Points Program help | | | | Trainees, and other support staff have |
| teachers earn the graduate level credits that | | | | opportunities to learn how to improve their |
| they need to meet the Highly Qualified | | | | own performance and to help motivate the |
| Teacher Status outlined by the No Child Left | | | | teachers on their staffs. The Principal |
| Behind Act. Six Master Plan Points per day | | | | Preparation Program runs courses for |
| are awarded for all the courses with the | | | | Principal Trainee both in their first and |
| exception of those that grant actual college | | | | second year of training. Several meetings |
| credit. | | | | of the Assistant Principal Academy are |
| | | | scheduled to help teachers make the |
| Professional Development for Teachers | | | | transition to administrative roles. In |
| | | | addition, the role of the school psychologist |
| Miami - Dade County School District teachers | | | | and the teacher - counselor are also explored |
| benefit from a range of courses that help | | | | in various course offerings. The School |
| focus their teaching on special at - risk | | | | Support Team also has a variety of courses to |
| groups as well as providing instruction in | | | | choose form in learning how to implement |
| key subject areas. Many courses focus on | | | | school reform. |
| the needs of children with Limited English | | | | |
| Proficiency. These courses help teachers | | | | University and Community Partnerships |
| improve literacy of Limited English | | | | |
| Proficiency students as well as learn | | | | Miami - Dade County School District teachers |
| culturally sensitive techniques for including | | | | and administrators rely on the support of |
| such children in the general classroom. | | | | many university and community partners. |
| Other special groups include children with | | | | Courses take place at many Miami - Dade |
| autism and children with behavioral problems. | | | | County area schools in addition to |
| | | | universities and private businesses. Barry |
| In addition to these special groups, Miami - | | | | University, the University of Miami, the |
| Dade County School District teachers have the | | | | University of South Florida, and Florida |
| opportunity to enrich their teaching of | | | | International University all offer their |
| various core subjects. Courses abound in all | | | | campuses for professional development |
| aspects of literacy and mathematics as well | | | | courses. The Miami Lakes Educational Center |
| as science, the arts, and social studies. | | | | also plays a vital role in providing a |
| Both elementary and secondary education is | | | | location for Miami - Dade County School |
| covered, including preparation for teaching | | | | District teachers and administrators to meet |
| the Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations at | | | | and share ideas. |