Douglas Huntley, Superintendent
Massena Central School District
Massena, NY 13662

Dear Mr. Huntley:

St. Lawrence University is pleased to support the 2000-200l Targeted
Instructional Staff Development proposal to be submitted by your district to NYSED. The University's Education Department has long collaborated with the schools and BOCES in our region, especially with respect to sharing goals and methods of curriculum development, instruction, and assessment. It is our belief that schools are best served when pre-service and in-service professional development are aligned, and it is in this arena that we have worked closely with the school districts in the region to promote the same models of instruction in our programs.

As you know, the institutions of higher education in New York are expected to upgrade their programs in many ways in the corning years, including expanded opportunities for field experiences, greater engagement with the learning standards, and greater focus on developing all students' capacity to achieve. Thus, creating ways for university students to participate in this Staff Development project can be of immense benefit. Already, St. Lawrence is collaborating with area superintendents to increase the number of opportunities for administrative and instructional field experience in districts throughout the county. By rolling out the student-centered learning model in school districts throughout our region your project will enable us to place students in sites where research-based, data-driven practices are being utilized. This is key to our success in teacher and administrator preparation.

St. Lawrence University will support the 2000-2001 Targeted Instructional Staff Development project in three ways. It will he supponed by the pre-service teachers and administrators involved in specific sites and activities, by university faculty members from the Department of Education serving as resources and evaluators, and by the University's excellent computer technology system and support staff. In addition, because some of the project's roll out teachers are also adjunct instructors and field-site sponsors in our undergraduate and graduate programs at the University, the project's impact will be broadened as these individuals share their expertise with all of the pre-service teachers and administrators in our programs. This multifaceted collaboration is exceptional.

We look forward to working with the school districts in project. Please keep me informed of your progress with the grant proposal.
                                                            Sincerely yours,

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