PASS Teacher Training

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“We [teachers] learned a lot in the PASS training program. I looked forward to teaching PASS because
of its unique approach to teaching. We all had fun and grew together.”
—Verna Castro
PASS Teacher

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• Features
• Teacher Criteria
• Outcomes and Benefits
• Teacher Rating Summary
• Training Schedule and Tuition
• Contract and Agreement

To teach PASS, one or several teachers from a school participate in the comprehensive, 120-hour professional development PASS Teacher Training Program (PTTP). Teachers are invigorated as they learn new approaches to student-centered and results-oriented learning that challenge, engage, and motivate students. In addition, teachers learn strategies and techniques to involve parents/guardians. The teachers are then able to bring these new approaches to their other classes as well as the PASS class.

As part of the PTTP, teachers receive the PASS Teacher’s Guide, all class materials, hands-on training in how to present the PASS curriculum, and ongoing support.

Features

The PASS Teacher Training Program is very intense. During the training, the teacher becomes a student and experiences PASS through the eyes and experiences of a student. In particular, the PASS Teacher Training Program:

• Is a three-phase, 120-hour professional development program that prepares a certificated instructor from your school to teach the PASS class.
• Builds confidence in using the PASS Teacher’s Guide, a comprehensive collection of lesson plans; student materials; reading, writing, and speaking assignments; record-keeping and reporting forms; parent/guardian involvement information; and student recruitment procedures.
• Provides opportunities to practice-teach components of the PASS curriculum and receive immediate feedback in a supportive environment.
• Gives personalized attention in a small, interactive class, limited to 14 participants.
• Offers quality instruction and ongoing support from the American Sports Institute’s faculty who are experienced classroom teachers.
• Provides the opportunity for interaction with like-minded educators.

Teacher Criteria

In order to be a candidate to become a PASS instructor, a teacher must:

• Be a certificated teacher at an accredited middle or high school.
• Have an appreciation for and a familiarity with sports.
• Have strong reading, writing, oral presentation, and organizational skills.
• Be able to maintain class discipline while promoting mutual respect and positive relationships with students.
• Display a dynamic, enthusiastic, upbeat attitude toward teaching.
• Be open to change in education, high school athletics, and physical education, and be willing to invest the time and energy to help make this change.
• Live a healthy lifestyle and be physically fit.
• Be endorsed by the principal.

Teacher Training Outcomes and Benefits

The PASS Teacher Training Program provides teachers with new approaches to student-centered, self-paced, mastery-based, project-oriented learning. Teachers who participate:

• Learn how to present all aspects of the PASS program.
• Obtain firsthand experience of the Fundamentals of Athletic Mastery and an understanding of how the FAMs relate to a student’s academic, physical, personal, and social success.
• Expand teaching strategies, gain new insights, and learn innovative techniques for challenging, engaging, and motivating students.
• Develop positive relationships with the students and their parents/guardians, along with a strong sense of camaraderie among the students.
• Strengthen their leadership skills and ability to positively influence their peers.
• Enjoy the support of a collegial network of educators and administrators.
• Can earn up to six semester units of professional development credit.

Teacher Rating Summary

At the end of the three-week PASS Teacher Training Program, teachers evaluate the training on a 16-item questionnaire. Teacher ratings, based on a five-point scale, have been overwhelmingly positive with an average rating of 4.8. Teachers say:

• “PASS is a much-needed program in our school and one of the most important I have come across. The PASS curriculum supports my values and has reinforced my feeling that sports are an effective tool for helping these kids achieve in the classroom.”
• “After participating in the PASS teacher training program, I feel I’m on the cutting edge of teaching for the 21st century.”
• “The PASS teacher training instruction was great. I learned a new, dynamic way of teaching, and I met a group of wonderful people.”
• “PASS teaches everything a student should know about what’s important in life.”

2025 Training Schedule and Tuition

For the 2025-2026 school year, the three-phase PASS Teacher Training Program is scheduled to be held in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Phase I	Orientation	Spring 2025
Phase II	Summer Intensive	Summer 2025
Phase III	Follow-Up and Support	Ongoing

Tuition: $8,500

The tuition fee includes:

• 120 hours of PASS teacher training.
• The PASS Teacher’s Guide.
• All supplies and materials for the first year of teaching PASS.
• Ongoing support, including several site visits in the first year of offering PASS.

Tuition is to be paid in full prior to the start of the training unless other arrangements have been made.

Contract and Agreement

Upon deciding to offer PASS, the school signs a contract. In addition, the PASS teacher-trainee signs a nondisclosure agreement.

Candidates selected for teacher training must attend all training sessions. They are expected to be on time, prepared, and display the qualities that generate success in the classroom.

If the school and ASI agree to continue the PASS program after the first year, the school pays an annual renewal fee of $420 per PASS class section before the beginning of each subsequent year.