Step 1 Identify Potential District Goals
I begin this professional development plan knowing that both campuses in our small, rural district with 550 students have been tagged with the Academically Unacceptable label for the school year 2011-2012. Of course, since the state will not give new accountability ratings until 2013, we will remain unacceptable for two years, regardless of our progress. The secondary campus (6-12) was declared unacceptable because of low scores for African American students on the math TAKS test. The elementary received the rating due to low writing scores. Oddly enough, the entire district was given an Academically Acceptable rating. While our district has several goals in the campus and district improvement plans the areas that we need to focus on the most at this time are those that the state has identified as being below the acceptable level and that we can address through professional development.
Step 2 Prioritize and Select District Goals
While the two unacceptable ratings seem to be unconnected due to being in different subject areas, the overriding issue is that our district is predominately composed of economically disadvantaged students. We have struggled for years with our math scores at the secondary level and with issues of students not being motivated to be academically successful in general. Research has shown that students from economically challenged homes struggle more often with academic challenges than those who have more financial resources available. The data is clear in our AEIS reports, PEIMS data and TAKS results: Our economically disadvantaged students are not performing well academically.
As superintendent, armed with the supportive data, I would meet with the campus leaders (principals, counselors, special education teachers, lead teachers and members of the site based teams) to ask their assistance in identifying the major concerns in the district. I’ve discovered that the most effective meetings are small and informal so each person is more free to speak their mind and feel that their opinion will be heard. I would set the meetings so that individuals would be with others with whom they are comfortable and therefore more likely to state their true opinion. I’m going to assume for this assignment that one of the goals of the district will continue to be improving the academic success of economically disadvantaged students.
In our meetings we would brainstorm for ideas to fund the professional development needed through budget, grants, and other resources uniquely found in our community. Since the meetings will include members of the site based teams, community members and business owners would be in attendance and their perspectives would be valuable in finding creative ways to fund a high quality professional development program to meet the needs of our teachers and ultimately those of our students. The district’s business manager would need to be involved in these preliminary meetings to provide accurate information on the amount of school funds available for professional development.
Step 3 Vertically Align District Goals to the Classroom
In setting the vertical alignment of district goals so that they will be universally addressed on each campus, at each grade level, and in each classroom, I would enlist the assistance of lead teachers and department heads to write the goals in a manner that would lead to buy in from the teachers in their groups. While this step should not take an extreme amount of time, it is important to write the goals so that they are clear to all and not open to interpretation. Therefore, I am assuming our goals would be similar to those listed below:
District Goal: Overton ISD will increase the number of economically disadvantaged students who pass the STAAR, End of Course, and TAKS tests at all grade levels.
Campus Goal: Overton Secondary School will increase the number of economically disadvantaged students who pass the STAAR, End of Course, and TAKS tests in grades 6 through 12.
Overton Elementary School will increase the number of economically disadvantaged students who pass the STAAR tests in grades 3 through 5.
Grade Level Goal: (Insert appropriate grade level) will increase the number of economically disadvantaged students who pass the STAAR tests.
Subject Area Goal: (Insert appropriate subject area) will increase the number of economically disadvantaged students who pass the STAAR/EOC/TAKS tests.
Individual Teacher Goal: Each teacher in Overton ISD will increase the number of economically disadvantaged students that pass the state mandated tests and teachers in non-tested subjects or grades will incorporate techniques and concepts approved by the district to aide economically disadvantaged youth to gain academic success.
Step 4 Seeking Input and Support from District and Campus Committees
In meeting with the District and Campus Improvement Committees, I will seek input on not only what professional development is needed, but also discuss how the information will be delivered. The committees will also have input on when the professional development will take place. Options for the professional development sessions include days set aside specifically for in-service on the calendar, workshops at the ESC, early release days, or after school meetings. I would also hope to include some meetings at times that would be available to our parents and other stakeholders.
The committees will also need to have input on the budget allocated for the professional development. Each campus principal will present a suggested campus budget and as superintendent I would have the business manager discuss the district wide budget for meetings, printing costs, substitute teachers, and presenters. The committee members would be able to ask questions and seek information concerning the budgets presented.
I would work to achieve ownership of the proposed professional development from each member of the committees in order to better present the plan to our employees and community members in a positive light. In a small community such as Overton, the public relations aspect of any proposal is significant.
Step 5 Securing Money and Scheduling Time
In setting the budget for the proposed professional development I would first determine if those involved in the planning want to bring in outside presenters or attempt to do the entire process with local resources. I would encourage them to have one major event to begin the year long process. I will proceed with the premise that a major keynote speaker and follow up meetings have been approved by the committees. I am also going to include other local small school districts in the keynote meeting, charging a fee that would help offset our district’s costs.
After looking at several options, the preliminary budget for this area of the district’s professional development plan would include the following:
1.) $10,000 for speaker (Dr. Ruby Payne) at keynote meeting and the next day’s follow-up meeting
2.) $750 for Dr. Payne’s book A Framework for Understanding Poverty, to be distributed to faculty, substitute teachers, school board members and staff at the end of the school year, prior to the keynote meeting
3.) $400 for rental of Kilgore College’s auditorium for keynote meeting
4.) $500 for printing costs
5.) $500 for publicity (ads with local media aimed at informing the public of the program)
6.) $1000 for food at community/school meetings
7.) $2000 for substitute teachers (used when teachers attend trainings during the school day)
Total budget: $15,150
In order to pay for the above without taking away from the regular school budget, I propose the following to help offset the cost to the district:
1) Invite local small districts to attend the keynote meeting for a cost of $500 per district (estimate 10 of the 15 districts would attend)= $5,000
2) Seek financial support for the McMillan Foundation, an Overton based group who have always stepped up to help the district for such causes=$5000
3) Sell tickets to keynote meeting for anyone interested in attending who is not an employee of the local districts supporting the event (estimate 50 people at $10 per ticket)= $500
4) Seek support from local civic organizations such as the Overton/New London Chamber of Commerce and the Overton Rotary Club (a $500 contribution from each would be sought)= $1000
5) Seek support from corporations and businesses doing business with OISD and a history of supporting the district such as Dr. Pepper, Waggoner Heating and Air Conditioning, Kingham Construction, Cook Oil Field Supply, Pope and Turner Furniture, etc. (goal of $200 each)=$2,000
6) Sell Dr. Payne’s book at keynote meeting and parent meeting for a $5 profit (estimate 200 x $5)=$1000
7) Enlist local restaurants to give 10% of lunch receipts to district from keynote meeting attendees who show appropriate card ($1 x 200)=$200
8) Seek support from other corporations and organizations associated with education such as Horace Mann Insurance, Kilgore College, retired teachers’ organizations, PTO’s at attending schools, etc. (suggested $100 each)=+/-$1000
9) Enlist local churches to provide meals for conference attendees on day two, the local follow up meeting
10) Budget from local funds for additional costs of program/shortfalls in above estimates=$5000
Total financial support: $20,700 (extra to be used for additional materials as needed)
Step 5/6 Scheduling time an Designing Professional Development Activities
The calendar for the professional development program would reflect the following:
1) Issue Dr. Payne’s book to all employees and school board members in May of 2012 with directive to read the book and to fill out a brief questionnaire that would show successful completion of task
2) Hold keynote meeting with Dr. Payne at Kilgore College on the first day of in-service at the beginning of 2012-2011 school year. This meeting would include attendees from other local districts as outlined in the budget
3) Hold a follow up meeting (day two of her program: Research-Based Strategies) with Dr. Payne in our local school auditorium for OISD employees and stakeholders on the day following the keynote meeting.
4) Day three of the in-service would deal with small groups in which grade level/subject area meetings would occur. Moderators would be used to make sure that the groups stayed on task. Use of appropriate videos would be used. These are obtained for no cost through the ESC, Stephen F. Austin State University, and from free internet resources.
5) The next meeting would occur during the first two weeks of school and would include community members, parents, and employees. This would be the opportunity to present the program and plans to everyone involved. The meeting would be in conjunction with “Meet the Teacher Night/Open House”.
6) Follow up for individual employees would occur through workshops at ESC 7, webinars, and further research based activities.
7) Faculty meetings would routinely involve follow up on strategies and discussions of effectiveness of the program
8) The early release date on the last day before Christmas break would be devoted to a district wide meeting in which selected teachers and stakeholders would give testimonials to the effectiveness of the program. Students would be enlisted to give their perspectives on the district’s efforts to assist economically disadvantaged students.
9) Final meeting would be the last day of school when available test scores, grades, attendance records, and discipline records would be evaluated to see if there were significant improvements made
10) Planning for the next year’s professional development would be presented during this time as well
Step 7 Delegate Responsibilities to Appropriate Staff
Because we are such a small district, more duties will be assigned to staff members than would be expected in a larger district.
I would begin with the keynote meeting. The central office personnel (superintendent’s secretary, receptionist, payroll officer, and business manager) would be in charge of maintaining contact with Dr. Payne’s office to insure all financial obligations are met and to confirm with Kilgore College that all is done efficiently and appropriately for the keynote meeting. This would include contacting restaurants for the possible rebates to the program, mailing information to attendees, and being present at the meeting to facilitate as attendees arrive. The superintendent’s secretary would have the further duty of taking care of Dr. Payne’s needs when she arrives.
The high school principal would, along with the superintendent, be assigned the duty of enlisting corporate sponsorship, contacting other districts for information on numbers expected to attend, and any publications or print material needed. He would further delegate these jobs to his secretary, technology teacher, librarian, and the employee responsible for making copies and laminating. The principal would follow up with thank you cards or even plaques to each sponsor.
The elementary principal would be in charge of the follow up meeting on the second day. Her job would be to publicize the meeting through local media (5 newspapers, 6 radio stations, 2 television stations, the district’s phone system on which mass calls can be made, the school website) and to make sure that the facility is prepared for the meeting. She could enlist her secretary and aides for assistance.
Both principals would keep the superintendent informed of faculty meeting agendas in which the program was discussed as well as set times and dates for meetings.
The technology director would have the responsibility of setting up all internet access, microphones, etc. for all meetings. The director would need to contact Dr. Payne to make sure everything she needs is available. She would make sure the meetings were publicized on the schools’ marquees.
The maintenance director would be in charge of clean up, moving needed tables and chairs, as well as directing parking on both days. He would of course utilize the custodians and maintenance crew in this endeavor.
The student council sponsor would be in charge of information and welcoming guests on both of the first two days. Student council members would be used to answer questions about the facilities, restaurants, etc. as well as hand out any paperwork that is part of the meetings.
To the band director would be given the responsibility of providing an opening ceremony for the keynote meeting. The national anthem pledges, and appropriate preconference music would be part of his job.
The counselors would be responsible for contacting the local churches to supply food for the second day. They would further be directed to contact local agencies who would provide additional support for the program throughout the year. The counselors, along with the principals, would be tasked with providing data by which to measure the effectiveness of the program.
Step 8 Schedule Personnel to Appropriate Professional Development Activities
As discussed in Step 6, the only two district wide meetings would occur in the first two days with Dr. Payne presiding. After this, the faculty and stakeholders would be meeting in groups of similar characteristics (grade level/subject matter). The principals would be charged with setting up the groups based on their knowledge of their faculty and the schedules. I would ask that they do not meet in the same groups all year, but perhaps combine different groups occasionally so that fresh ideas can be presented. I would encourage the principals to send faculty members to districts who have been successful in creating a culture of achievement with similar students as OISD in order to report back to the campus any ideas or methods that would benefit their students.
Step 9 Communicate the Importance of Planned Activities to All Shareholders
This program will begin well before the keynote meeting. Beginning at the end of the 2011-2012 school year, the district’s webpage will begin previewing the program and the reasons for it and expectations of anticipated success. The cooperation among many stakeholders will be emphasized and parents, students, community members and faculty will all be implored to get on board with this massive effort to help change the culture at OISD. We will start months before the first meetings with regular articles in local papers, presentations to civic organizations, and announcements at all school events aimed at getting community buy-in to the planned professional development. I will enlist local pastors, businessmen, and community leaders to join the school in promoting the benefits of this effort. ESC 7 has always been helpful in providing information about such efforts to their members. The beginning of the year newsletters will be mailed a bit earlier to allow time for all stakeholders to make plans to attend either the keynote meeting, follow up meeting, or evening meeting connected with the annual open house/meet the teacher night.
The teachers will be encouraged to get involved in all activities and to use their summer workshops as preparation for the fall meetings.
The dismal test results for economically disadvantaged students and the increased failure rate for this population will provide the driving force for all concerned stakeholders.
Step 10 Evaluate and Follow –Up Professional Development Activities
We will begin getting feedback on the efforts before the first meetings as teachers will turn in an evaluation of Dr. Payne’s book that was given to them at the end of the previous year. From that point the attendees at each meeting will receive an evaluation form that will not only have a set of evaluations that can be answered just by circling numbers (1-5), but will provide space for narrative responses as to what went well, what was not as good, and what other information the person would like to have on the subject.
Periodically, the district will post an online survey using Survey Monkey so community members can evaluate the district’s efforts.
Each faculty meeting will provide opportunity for feedback as will department meetings.
The principal’s will add appropriate measures to the walk through documents that will allow them to measure the implementation of Dr. Payne’s recommendations.
On the final meeting date of the year, a comprehensive evaluation will be given to all employees and stakeholders in attendance in order to measure perception with the actual gains documented by the principals’ and counselors’ collected data. Both the data and the evaluations will help drive the planning for the next year’s professional development.
