Michigan ESP Center for Professional Learning

Announcing a new professional development program designed especially for school support staff!

Why ESP Professional Development?

Because you demanded it. School support personnel are vital to the success of Michigan public schools. They, along with parents and school administrators, have expressed a strong desire for support staff training opportunities. While classroom teachers have had access to professional development opportunities for many years, only recently have other school employees been exposed to such training. The Michigan ESP Center for Professional Learning, supported by Lansing Community College, Mott Community College, Genesee Intermediate School District, the Michigan Education Association and the Michigan Department of Education, is the first comprehensive statewide program designed to deliver training for school support staff in a structured program.

Key Elements of the Program

The Michigan ESP Center for Professional Learning Certificate Program is a structured learning experience that provides professional development for Educational Support Professional.

Participants will move from a broad variety of content areas to more concentrated learning in specific topics.

Sessions are pre-approved and evaluated for content and quality.

Community colleges, school districts, ISDs, professional organizations or private vendors offer instruction.

Each participant receives a Certificate of Achievement upon completion of the program.

Level 1 of the certificate requires classes in four core curriculum areas as well as a number of elective choices for 40 hours of structured learning.

ESP Core Curriculum Categories

I. Communication (minimum of 5 hours)

Learning experiences designed to improve an individual's ability to understand and be understood in the work environment. Content might include:

• Work-related writing.
• Speaking/listening.
• Problem solving.
• Decisionmaking.
• Team building.
• Public relations.
• Sign language.
• Telephone skills.
• Foreign language.
• Interpersonal communications.
• Nonverbal behavior (including culturally specific).

I. Legal/ethical (minimum of 5 hours)

Federal and state laws that afford protection, extend privileges and describe rights and responsibilities of educational institutions and the people in them. Content might include:

• Statutes.
• Confidentiality.
• Employment.
• Child abuse.
• Administrative rules.
• ADA.
• Workplace ethics.
• Juvenile code.
• Student/employee rights, responsibilities.
• Indoor air quality.
• Freedom of Information Act.
• Disability laws.

II. Behavior management (minimum of 5 hours)

Prevention/intervention strategies for effectively managing student behavior and difficult situations. Content might include:

• Conflict resolution.
• Crisis intervention/response.
• Discipline strategies.
• Students with special needs/disabilities.
• Peer mediation.
• Protective behaviors.

IV. Growth and development (minimum of 5 hours)

Understanding basic human growth and development-both normal and abnormal-to help school personnel understand and interact with a variety of people/students in the school setting. Content might include:

• Age-appropriate behavior and expectations (early childhood, elementary, adolescent, adult).
• Behavior motivation theory.
• Families/contemporary society.
• Alcohol and other drug addiction.
• Learning styles.
• Human relations.
• Special needs students.
• Abnormal psychology.
• Societal: culture, class, gender.
• Basic human growth/development.

ESP Elective Curriculum Categories

V. Elective categories (minimum of 10 hours)

Minimum of 10 hours in learning activities directly applicable to daily job responsibilities. Content might include:

• Cultural diversity/equity.
• Technology.
• Medical/health.
• Special needs students.
• Nutrition.
• Safety.
• Hazardous materials.
• Work environment/school organization.
• Instructional issues.
• Transitional services/school-to-work.

VI. 10 additional hours in any of the above areas

Can include extra hours from core and elective areas beyond the required hours.

Getting Started

1. The first step is to contact your local school administrators and express your interest in professional development and pursuing the ESP Professional Development Certificate.

2. Confirm that the professional development opportunities currently being offered by your school, ISD or others have been approved by the ESP Center.

3. As courses/trainings have been approved, the ESP Center will maintain a database of providers and topics, which will be available to all.

For more information on getting certified, download "Guidelines for Course/Workshop Participants." (Adobe PDF document)

For more information on providing certification classes in your area, download "Guidelines for Course/Workshop Providers." (Adobe PDF document)

This Certificate Program is supported by Lansing Community College, Mott Community College, Genesee Intermediate School District, the Michigan Education Association and the Michigan Department of Education. Representatives of these entities make up the advisory board.

Michigan ESP Center for Professional Learning
P.O. Box 2573
East Lansing, MI 48826-2573
Phone: 517/333-6260
Fax: 517/336-4009

Updated: February 26, 2009 12:39 PM