Professional Development

Professional Development

The following professional development workshops are being sponsored by the Japan Council of International Schools. Please contact the schools directly for more information about the workshops.

2021

Lesson Design to Promote Learner Engagement in a New Learning Environment
February 23, 2021
Host: Fukuoka International School

2020

Mission, Vision and Values
February 7-8, 2020
Host: Tokyo International School

2019

Child Protection
January 16-19, 2019
Host: American School in Japan

Comprehensive Sexuality Education
November 29-30, 2019
Host: International School of the Sacred Heart (ISSH)

2018

Japanese Language Teachers
January 20, 2018
Host: American School in Japan

Japanese Language Teachers
October 13, 2018
Host: American School in Japan

2017

Japanese Language Teachers
November 4, 2017
Host: American School in Japan

Sir John Jones: Leading Change to Support a Positive Future for our Students
November 10, 2017
Host: Tohoku International School

Kazuhiro Isomura: Developing Communication Skills
November 4, 2017, January 20, 2018
Host: American School in Japan

>>Past Workshops


JCIS Meeting and Professional Development Structure and Funding

Section I: Explanation of Meeting and Professional Development Structures
Section II: JCIS PD Subsidy Program


Section I: Explanation of Meeting and Professional Development Structures

JCIS encourages interaction and collaboration between all JCIS schools to enhance the learning of teachers and administrators. This may take the form of meetings, workshops, job alikes and/or sharing of highly skilled and knowledgeable educators between schools.

1. JCIS Meetings
JCIS heads of school meet twice per school year to fulfill the JCIS Mission. These meetings usually take place in September and March or April.

JCIS business managers meet one per school year to learn from and support each other in financial, legal and operational matters relevant to their positions. This meeting will take place annually in the Fall.

2. JCIS Hosted Professional Development
The Core Team, based upon that year’s Spring Meeting discussions, will propose PD opportunities for two school years down the road at the next Fall JCIS head of school meeting. These PD workshops, lectures or seminars will focus on larger trends in education and/or support the running of international schools in Japan. Workshop participants may or may not be limited to heads of school.

3. School Hosted Professional Development Workshops
JCIS schools can apply for professional development funding by following the JCIS PD application process. If approved by the JCIS heads of school at the Spring heads meeting, applicant schools are responsible for inviting all JCIS schools to join the workshop. To receive funding, at least 50% of the total number of workshop participants should be from other JCIS schools.

4. JCIS Job Alikes
Job alikes are for groups of teachers or staff from different schools to gather to learn from, participate with and support each other in relevant educational topics and initiatives. Job alikes are free of cost.

JCIS Point Person for Job Alikes
JCIS supports continued communication between like-groups within member schools. To facilitate this a JCIS “point person” for each of the following groups should be designated by the head of school on an annual basis:

Designated JCIS PD Representative (who will be the Curriculum Coordinator) to coordinate all JCIS job alikes including:

  • K-12 Curriculum Coordinators
  • Nurses
  • Guidance & College Counselors
  • Child Protection Officer
  • Librarians
  • Admissions
  • Marketing/Development/Advancement

These like-groups have the opportunity to arrange job alikes if they so wish but it is not expected that job alikes would occur annually.

5. JCIS Mentors, Coaches and Trainers
JCIS encourages highly skilled and knowledgeable educators within JCIS schools to share their passion with their JCIS school colleagues. With the permission of the relevant JCIS heads of schools such educators may be “lent” to mentor, coach or train teachers in the receiving school for a short period of time free of charge. The receiving school is responsible for paying any transportation and accommodation costs for those mentors, coaches and trainers when such opportunities occur.

Criteria:

  • Recognized certification
  • Proven workshop leader
  • Expert in the field including significant previous work in area of need
  • Demonstration of excellence
  • Identified and endorsed by head of school

Process:

  • School makes a request to the JCIS heads group identifying a need
  • Supporting school heads respond directly to the request if they have a faculty in mind who might be the right fit
  • Requesting school head compiles names and contacts a supporting school head if they wish to pursue this further.
  • The two school heads come to an agreement on the terms and conditions of this relationship

Section II: JCIS Professional Development Subsidy Program

1. Overview

JCIS member schools may apply for a JCIS Workshop Subsidy of up to 300,000 Yen for any professional development (PD) event that is open to all member schools. The subsidy can be put towards the cost of the presenters (including the logistics for the presenters).

At least half (50%) of the total number of spaces for the workshop must be reserved for participants from JCIS member schools other than the host school. Provided the school has made all reasonable efforts to advertise the event to JCIS schools in an attempt to fill the places, the workshop will be eligible for a subsidy. However, a subsidy will normally not be payable when fewer than 25% of the spaces are actually filled by non-host school staff.

2. Conditions Pertaining to the Organizers

Eligibility
To be eligible for a subsidy, the chief organizer(s) must be from a member school and all member schools must be invited to send participants as a matter of priority. Attendees may be invited from non-member schools or organizations subject to availability of space.

Responsibilities of the Organizers
The organizers shall be responsible for all of the arrangements made with prospective presenters or consultants and all of the logistics of the workshop, including payment, transportation, hotel and meals if any, per diem if any, printing and distribution of materials, communication with the participants, etc.

3. Conditions Pertaining to the Subsidy

Amount of the Subsidy
JCIS will subsidize up to 300,000 Yen towards the cost of the presenter(s), including hotel, transportation and consulting fees. None of the subsidy is to be used to cover costs of food or transportation for the participants. The subsidy cannot be used to pay the costs of any presenters who are employed by the host school.

Expenses Covered by Participant Fees
Any additional expenses such as snacks, meals, printing, accommodation or transportation related to the participants, and any costs of the presenters over the subsidy amount must be covered by the hosting school or through participant fees.

Payment of the Subsidy
The approved subsidy amount will be paid to the host school after the workshop has taken place, and upon receipt of the relevant documentation.

4. Conditions Pertaining to Participant Fees

Participant Fees
All participants should pay the same amount in participant fees. This means that the staff of the hosting school are to be charged the same participant fee as external member school participants.

Example: If you have additional expenses of 150,000 yen and you plan to recoup them through participant fees, you must charge all participants 5000 yen. If a workshop has 15 participants from the host school and 15 external member school participants, the host school will pay 75,000 yen (15 x 5000 yen) and the other participants will pay 75,000 yen (15 x 5000 yen).

5. Conditions Pertaining to Participants

Participants from Non-Member Schools
When there is limited space, if participants from non-member schools are to be invited, the organizers must give JCIS member schools a certain amount of time (e.g. one month) to respond to the invitation before opening the workshop up to non-member schools.

Nature of JCIS Support
The nature of the support offered by JCIS is a financial subsidy to support the costs of the presenters only, and only up to the pre-approved amount. JCIS shall have no liability or responsibility whatsoever for any misunderstandings, mishaps, or additional liabilities that may occur.

Publicizing the Workshop
Information about the workshop will be sent to JCIS member schools through the JCIS Heads mailing list. Heads of schools will distribute the information to the relevant members of their school community. Whether or not the schools provide support other than leave time (if any) for their staff members or teachers to attend, is, however, up to the sending school.

Distributed information should clearly list JCIS as an official sponsor or co-sponsor of the event and this should be announced at the event as well. Announcements of the event may be publicized online and posted on the webpage of the hosting school or organization. An announcement will be posted on the JCIS website as well.

6. Application Procedure

Those interested in applying for a JCIS Workshop Subsidy should complete an “JCIS PD Workshop: Expression of Interest” form as a preliminary step. Once the expression of interest has been acknowledged by the JCIS PD Committee Chairperson, the organizer must submit an “JCIS PD Workshop: Application for Subsidy” (docx or pdf) by the April of the previous school year, subject to an understanding of the above conditions. The organizers will submit a “JCIS PD Workshop: Summary Report” (docx or pdf) to JCIS within two weeks of the event which will include the number of participants from each school or organization in attendance and copies of the receipts for the costs related to the presenters.

PD Request Flowchart
JCIS PD Workshop: Expression of Interest > Acknowledged by JCIS PD Committee Chairperson > JCIS PD Workshop: Application for Subsidy (docx or pdf) > Workshop Approved by JCIS Executive > Workshop takes place > JCIS PD Workshop: Summary Report (docx or pdf) > JCIS payment of subsidy to hosting school