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What are the keys to a successful staff development program? This look at two award-winning programs -- at Hungerford School in Staten Island, New York, and at Montview Elementary School in Aurora, Colorado -- might provide some insight.
Ask Dr. Mary McInerney, the principal of Hungerford School in Staten Island, New York, what makes the school's staff development program successful, and she replies, "The staff. They are responsible."
Dr. McInerney credits a unique degree of staff involvement for creating
the teacher development program that made Hungerford one of six schools
and two school districts nationwide to be honored in 1999 as part of The
National Awards Program for Model Professional Development.
It wasn't always that way. When Dr. McInerney first arrived at the school,
staff development workshops were held after school, and relatively few
staff members participated.
"When I came here as principal ten years ago," Dr. McInerney says, "I
saw that staff workshops weren't well attended, even though the topics
were very good. We asked staff members for feedback and found many had
childcare responsibilities or second jobs that kept them from staying
after school."
WHAT DID THE STAFF WANT AND NEED?
"The staff told us they wanted programs on Saturday or Sunday," Dr.
McInerney continues, "so we began scheduling differently. We had full-day
seminars on weekends, the staff could bring their children, we'd have
a potluck lunch, and we'd even have breakfast."
The staff also became more involved in planning and even creating workshops.
"We survey the staff to see what they want to learn at workshops, then
plan based on that," says Dr. McInerney. "Sometimes a staff member is
an expert in a certain area, such as computers, and that person organizes
and presents a workshop."
To generate further interest, the staff began having workshops off-campus
as well as at the school. "We may have a meeting at a Boy Scout Camp or
in a business setting. One time we had a meeting on Wall Street," Dr.
McInerney explains. "We have to beg, borrow, or steal these places because
it's not in our budget [to rent them]."
When scheduling workshops, the Hungerford administration goes to some
length to take into account the personal lives of staff members.
"Sometimes," Dr. McInerney says, "we may do the same workshop on both
Saturday and Sunday to accommodate Christian and Jewish staff members.
And we avoid workshops in June because the staff has graduations and so
many other special events to attend on weekends."
During the past school year, technology was the theme of many workshops,
including "The Internet and You," "Introduction to Multimedia for the
Classroom and for You to Use at Home," and "Intellikeys: The Smart Keyboard."
Those and other computer workshops enabled the staff to better use the
computers in their classroom. A workshop with a different focus, "CPR
and You," was given several times and resulted in 95 percent of the Hungerford
staff becoming certified in CPR.
Hungerford School serves a special needs population that includes students
ages 5 to 21 diagnosed as medically fragile and severely and profoundly
retarded. The school staff includes teachers and teacher aides; speech,
occupational and physical therapists; guidance counselors; and administrators.
A priority of the school is an annual assessment of student needs to guide
the school's professional development.
Hungerford teachers have one professional development period each day.
The school is designated as a Professional Development Laboratory site
for its district, so the staff at Hungerford hosts staff from other schools
for on-site training.
The school's emphasis on professional development has helped generate
an 18 percent increase in the number of students participating in general
education and a 30 percent increase in the number of students at community-based
work sites. Students in general education spend time in a school for the
general population, but they maintain their affiliation with Hungerford
for services for their special needs; students working at community-based
work sites spend the morning at Hungerford, then go with a work/study
teacher to a job site in the afternoon. Dr. McInerney emphasizes that
these students do "real jobs, such as filing or building and grounds maintenance."
General education and community-based work are seen as worthwhile goals
for students because they put the students in touch with the "real world"
and allow them to spend time with nondisabled people.
AT MONTVIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Montview Elementary School, in Aurora, Colorado, began its restructuring
efforts five years ago. The school decided to focus on improving student
literacy. Montview engages in site-based decision making, so teachers
are integral to planning and decisions.
Teachers participate in summer learning institutes and four school-based
in-service days each year. They also have time for regular observation,
coaching, reflection, and dialogue. Each teacher has a weekly coaching
session with a teacher leader. Each quarter, a teacher talks about the
progress of his or her students with a team composed of an administrator,
the teacher's peer "coach," and a team of specialists.
Montview staff members must meet the needs of a diverse and highly transient
student population that includes many low-income families. Between 1995
and 1997, student scores on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills increased in
reading, language, and math. On the Riverside Integrated Language Arts
Performance Assessment, all students showed increases, and gaps between
Caucasian students and both Hispanic and African-American students were
virtually eliminated.
COMMON GROUND
Other schools and districts recognized under the National Awards Program
for Model Professional Development in 1998 are Ganado (Arizona) Intermediate
School; Shallowford Falls Elementary School in Marietta, Georgia; International
High School at LaGuardia College, Long Island City, New York; the Geneva
(New York) City Schools District; H.D. Hilley Elementary School in El
Paso, Texas; and the Lewisville (Texas) Independent School District.
Each of the schools recognized for its teacher development program is,
of course, unique. But all the model programs have one broad, underlying
characteristic in common. They truly engage the staff in developing and
operating the staff development program.
"It makes sense," Dr. McInerney of Hungerford School says, "to have
staff members very involved in staff development workshops. We can't imagine
doing it any other way."
ABOUT THE AWARD
The National Awards Program for Model Professional Development began
in 1996 to honor schools and school districts with exemplary professional
development programs. These models are broadly focused. Professional growth
is part of their school culture. Their professional development programs
address the needs of all students and ensure equity by being free of bias
and accessible to all educators. Under the award program, recognition
stems from how well applicants demonstrate that their professional development
programs result in increased student outcomes.
What are the keys to a successful staff development program? This look at two award-winning programs -- at Hungerford School in Staten Island, New York, and at Montview Elementary School in Aurora, Colorado -- might provide some insight.