1. The degree to which the proposed plan . .
.
The content of our professional development activities models the changes
in teaching and learning and is designed to enable teachers to become facilitators
of learning. During the week-long training we conducted, for participants
in this project, at the summer constructivist conference at SLU it
was evident to anyone who visited that the 35 teachers, parents and administrators
on the six PGP teams, along with the many pilot teachers, facilitators
and resource people were a community of learners, functioning as we would
like a classroom of students to function with their teacher/facilitator.
Every teacher departed the week-long training in early August with a written
plan and timeline which demonstrated how they would change classroom practice
to align it with the descriptors of a learner centered/standards focused
classroom. Each teacher received feedback on his/her plan and met for an
additional two days in late August to revise the plan. At the full day
sessions scheduled throughout the year, project teachers will be required
to provide student evidence of success with their teaching strategies,
and they will continually revise their time line and plans, under the direction
of project facilitators. Building principals of participating schools met
for a day in August and are committed to three full day meetings during
the year. They are on an electronic network that keeps them informed of
project undertakings and affords them the opportunity to communicate with
each other and become their own support system. Participating school superintendents
are committed to a half day session. Also, at the full day sessions with
building principals, they are required to leave with a plan for their own
behaviors (as instructional leaders) and that plan includes steps to keep
the superintendent informed and supportive. The steps to assure teacher
participation are simple: we schedule all sessions for the entire year
before the school year begins, have obtained a commitment from every building
principal and superintendent to support release time or whatever is necessary
for teacher participation, and we have built funds into the grant for stipends,
resources, and substitute teachers, where necessary.
2. The degree to which changes in classroom instruction are targeted.
. .
It should be evident from the narrative that instructional technology
and addressing the needs of students with disabilities are integrated into
the fabric of all of our professional development. The project Web
Site is evolving into one of the most progressive educational web sites
in the world. Utilizing the web site for teacher self assessment and training
(Internet courses) is having the ripple benefit of familiarizing a large
number of teachers with technology that they may now be more comfortable
using in the classroom. The plans designed by project teachers must
address use of technology in the classroom and the needs of students with
disabilities.
3. The degree to which research on professional development.
. . .
David Johnson contends that research goes back 200 years substantiating
the need for people to learn through group study. Giselle Martin Kniepp
who is conducting much of the assessment training for New York State frequently
cites the need for professional development that models the strategies
required of facilitative teachers. Fred Neumann of Wisconsin advocates
for authentic task/assessment as nurtured in our proposed pilot project.
Dr. Ann Martin of Cornell argues for changing the culture of a school if
you want to restructure educational practice. Through project evaluations,
and anecdotal from teachers and administrators in the project, there is
evidence of improved student learning and achievement.
4. The degree to which the proposed program for professional development will be integrated. . . .Lead agency Massena is using its CDEP to guide the professional development in this Initiative and is modeling the use of a CDEP to guide education reform for the partner schools. Every participating school has been required to use data to drive its planning and to integrate the professional development in this project with its PDP. The work of our PGP schools constitutes a Professional Development Plan for their schools.
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