Another Florida state department, the Office of Professional Training Services, provides assistance to school districts and colleges and universities through the preparation, maintenance and coordination of a variety of programs and services. This establishes a high-performing professional education workforce who can directly impact increased student performance. Staff development experiences are offered for all 30,000 district employees from the janitor to the superintendent. Scheduled workshops are available for the most commonly used software programs in the district. In addition, many workshops are available for implementation of technology into instructional programs.
Skills are important and the foundation for implementation.
Without federal and state funding, schools may not have money to invest in teacher training, but then again, they may not have a choice if it is required. In 1994, the U.S. Department of Education established a professional staff development team under Richard W. Riley. This unit, through Goals 2000 allows for money to be spent on professional development that involves systemwide efforts for all students to achieve higher standards. 1997 Reviews the best professional development programs in K-12.