Dear Mr. Huntley:

The Carthage Central School District is pleased to be a part of the "Learner
Centered Classroom/Standards Focused Initiative" under the "Targeted
Instructional Staff Development" grant.

Our team from Black River Elementary had a most exciting and worthwhile year during 1999/2000. There summer work and release time during the year provided a window of opportunity to expand their horizons regarding learner centered classrooms. I always find it a pleasure to visit their room and observe the students so engaged with their daily activities. CCSD is excited about the proposed expansion of including an additional team from Carthage Elementary. The new team of staff members are excited about the training opportunities that they will be involved with.

Our district's professional development plan, along with the academic intervention plan, focus the staffs efforts to engage our students with activities that focus on state standards. The professional development plan highlights local training on such areas as diversified learning strategies, cognitive strategies, cooperative learning, block scheduling strategies, rubric writing, curriculum alignment, etc. Our AIS plan focuses on providing needed instruction for those students who need even more time and/or different instructional strategies to be successful. The district is dedicated to provide opportunities for our staff to grow and learn as to which are the best ways to instruct our students.

The use of technology by staff and students to assist in the learning process is another area that continues to be developed. CCSD looks to the grant to provide opportunities for our staff to learn how new technology can be used to enhance both teacher and student learning.

Staff involved with the grant are prepared to share with staff, both formally and informally, the new ideas they will develop during the grant period.

Carthage Central will support this grant by providing each of the participants with a computer in their room so that participation in computer related projects for the grant can be performed. Staff will also be released on scheduled basis so that direct participation with other grant members can take place. Taking a conservative estimate that our staff members will work on this project an equivalent of ten percent of their time and our two building principals five percent of their time, in-kind contribution of salaries alone equate to over forty thousand dollars. If you add in all the costs related to copiers, supplies, and paper, another five thousand dollars could be added to that figure. The grant has the districts support; and if additional funds are necessary to help and assist the staff participating, they will be made available.

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