Can GEMS Professional Development be funded by Title II?
Yes. All professional development offered by the Lawrence Hall of Science is strongly tied to specific strands in both national and state curriculum standards. When used in conjunction with appropriate ongoing professional development GEMS can provide specific domain knowledge and instructional methods. Participation in these programs can help districts to meet the NCLB requirement of having highly qualified teachers by the end of the 2005-2006 school year. To do so, the district s local improvement plan must incorporate participation in GEMS workshops as part of their overall professional development program. Participation must be proactively incorporated into the school district s written professional development program. There is a deadline for doing so each year. (In California, the deadline is June 1.) If you do not incorporate the program into the district plan and submit the plan to the state by the annual deadline then you will not be able to apply for Title II funds until the
