As one ot the original six recipients of a Targeted Instructional Staff Development grant, we are in the midst of a three year plan to create and replicate activities and models for statewide professional development. We believe we are on course and that, if funding is continued, we will be able to make a major contribution in the effort to change instructional practices so that they are aligned with the State standards and assessments.
 

Background: Under the initial "Targeted" grant (1998-'99), we engaged 85 teachers in a process which enabled them to develop skills and dispositions for using performance tasks as vehicles for addressing standards and preparing students for State assessments.

Under the 1999-2000 grant, we facilitated 30 of these 85 teachers through a one year training module to create learner centered environments in their classrooms. We now can offer the state of New York a one year training module for preparing any teacher to create a learner centered classroom environment as a major strategy for increasing student achievement.

As a consequence of our success, administrators in schools where teachers have engaged in our one year training module are asking "How do we roll-out the success of our two or three learner centered teachers to the entire staff?"

This is the challenge we will undertake through this third "Targeted Instructional Staff Development" grant. Here is our proposal for creating learner centered school districts throughout New York State - school districts which focus on high standards by encouraging teachers to individualize instruction through learner centered classroom strategies.

Proposal:
1. Six schools have been selected, through a screening process, to be PGP (Professional Growth Plan) Schools. Each of these six schools has at least two teachers who have created learner centered classroom environments through our training module, under this grant. During the 2000-2001 school year, the PGP schools will expand our professional development training module to a majority of their staff, using tailored Internet courses as a major strategy.

2. Champlain Valley Educational Services, the Syracuse School District, and New Visions in NYC will work closely with us with the goal of becoming providers of our training module in their own regions within the next two years.

3. Niagara, St. Lawrence, and Syracuse Universities will integrate preservice and inservice training for teachers and administrators into this model, while Syracuse and SUNY Potsdam will disseminate information about this model throughout the State. Similarly, three teacher centers are actively engaged in the planning, implementation, and dissemination of this model.

4. As in the past two years, our focus will continue on technology and addressing the needs of students with disabilities.

Our model is ready to implement on a wide scale throughout NY State because it addresses the everyday obstacles that confront professional educators.

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