Professional Development Toolkit
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Disc3: School Culture Professional Development Toolkit Tools and documents from today’s most successful small schools, including: • The CES Common Principles • Discussion Guides • School Documents Introduction Introduction About the Project The CES EssentialVisions The Annenberg Foundation For over twenty years, the DVD project brings the Com- generously funded the Coalition Coalition of Essential Schools mon Principles to life with real of Essential Schools National has been valued for its ten stories and tools from today’s office (CESN) to create the Common Principles, emphasiz- most successful small schools. CES EssentialVisions three-disc ing equity, personalization, and Each DVD captures how the DVD series. CES contracted students using their minds well. Common Principles have with the Harvard-Smithsonian The Coalition is also known been implemented, illustrat- Center for Astrophysics Sci- for honoring local wisdom, ing how students engage in ence Media Group to vid- acknowledging that no two their own education and how eotape and edit the series. schools are alike, and that race, teachers develop as profession- class, culture, gender, geogra- als. Focused segments provide We hope these DVDs will be phy, and experience all factor unique perspectives on the used for interdisciplinary team into creating unique communi- benefits and challenges of each meetings, department meetings, ties and schools. The Coalition principle, while discussion year-long staff development understands that context mat- questions, lesson plans, and in schools, teacher education ters, and that is why Essential school documents offer tools programs, professional develop- schools appear in the country’s that educators can use to drive ment workshops, and academic largest and smallest districts, improvement. Three DVDs have and professional conferenc- in urban, suburban, and rural been released over the course es—anywhere that school settings, and serve the country’s of the falls 2005, 2006, and policy and classroom practice advantaged students as well 2007. The three-part series will is discussed and influenced. as those with few resources. demonstrate all ten principles in action. The third DVD, Disc 3: School Culture, captures the principles “Goals Apply to All Students,” “A Tone of Decency and Trust,” “Democracy and Equity,” and “Resources Dedi- cated to Teaching and Learning.” Disc3: School Culture 3 Introduction About the DVD CES EssentialVisions Disc 3: The schools, teachers, students, School Culture presents real-life and parents featured in the third video segments of the Common of this three-part DVD series Principles: goals apply to all come from four very differ- students, a tone of decency and ent contexts. Amy Biehl High trust, democracy and equity, and School in Albuquerque, New resources dedicated to teach- Mexico, is the first high school ing and learning. In the “goals in the nation to require each apply to all students” segment, student to complete two col- we hear from teachers and the lege courses before graduation. principal about what specific The Eagle Rock School in Estes structures are necessary so all Park, Colorado, has created seniors can achieve in college eight themes, five expectations, courses. We witness numerous and ten commitments as a social whole school meetings focused contract that makes a high- on rehabilitating students who functioning community truly break the rules of the commu- possible, resulting in students nity conducted with “decency who experience social, academic, and trust,” and we view a new and emotional success. The small school struggling to prac- Academy of Citizenship and tice “democracy and equity” to Empowerment is one of three interrupt and change predict- autonomous small schools in able outcomes. By watching SeaTac, Washington, that just this DVD in its entirety or in two years ago was part of a large individual segments over time, school conversion process so you are seizing the opportu- students may attend schools nity to reflect on topics most where negative predictable pertinent to educators today. outcomes can be interrupted through democratic and equi- table practices. Lastly, Peggy Kemp, Principal of Fenway High School in Boston, speaks of her work to keep funds allo- cated to teaching and learning. Disc3: School Culture 4 Introduction About the Toolkit who are trying to decide if they Toolkit Elements The primary purpose of this should become a CES school; 1. Using the DVD toolkit is to introduce the DVD CES and non-CES teachers alike 2. History of the Coalition of Essential Schools and and suggest various discussion who want to improve their class- the Common Principles entry points to be used by teach- room practice; design teams for 3. Description of ers, administrators, students, small school start-ups; teacher Video Segments parents, teacher educators, and education programs training stu- 4. Discussion Questions policymakers. Amy Biehl, Eagle dent teachers, and families, stu- 5. Structure of Schools Rock, ACE, and Fenway are our dents, community members; and 6. Lesson Plans and entry points into viewing the policymakers interested in learn- School Documents principles “goals apply to all stu- ing more about the CES educa- 7. Appendices, Glossary of Terms, and dents,” “a tone of decency and tional philosophy and practices. Additional Reading trust,” “democracy and equity,” and “resources dedicated to Recognizing that time for teaching and learning” in action. teachers and principals is a limited—even scarce—resource, The DVD provides a series of the toolkit includes a brief video segments from which the description of each of the viewer can choose; the accom- videos with running time and panying toolkit assists the user related discussion questions. in making effective use of these This information is intended possibilities. Viewers can select to help you organize your time classroom segments, school and the time of your colleagues tours, discussion questions, les- to explore areas of interest and son plans, and school documents move forward the work of based on their areas of interest. your classrooms and school. The combinations of paths to explore are unlimited, allow- ing the DVD and toolkit to be utilized repeatedly in individual and group collaboration efforts. We hope that the DVD and tool- kit will be used in many varied contexts, including: faculties Disc3: School Culture 5 Introduction About CES ChangeLab About CES Affiliation After using the DVD, viewers To affiliate with the may find that they are interested Coalition of Essential Schools as a center, organi- in further exploring the work zation, district, school, or of innovative and successful individual, log onto CES Mentor Schools. In addi- www.essentialschools.org tion to the DVD, the Coalition or call 510 433 1451. of Essential Schools also offers CESChangeLab, which provides a behind-the-scenes look into the most successful CES schools across the country. This online library makes it easy to access proven resources of effective teaching and curriculum 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Through online school tours, discussion boards, and “Ask a Mentor” panels, ChangeLab expands the reach of these schools to the larger CES and educational communities. Help improve your school’s teach- ing and governance by logging on to www.ceschangelab.org. Disc3: School Culture 6 Using the DVD Consider Your Audience Consider Your Goals Introducing the DVD As you develop a formal Be sure to have goals clearly 1. Print and copy the Brief History of CES and the workshop or presentation or identified before showing the Common Principles in casually gather a group of col- DVD to a group. Are you show- the toolkit and have the leagues to view Disc 3: School ing the DVD to understand participants read the information prior to the Culture, understand your how to implement a Common workshops or at the very audience. Are you working Principle in the classroom? start of the workshop. with a group of student teach- To consider the challenges and 2. Be sure you are familiar ers? First-year teachers? Vet- benefits of such an approach? with the Coalition so you may try to answer eran teachers who team teach As an overview of what suc- any background ques- or who are in the same grade, cessful small schools look like tions that arise. group or department? How in action? To introduce current 3. View selected seg- familiar is this group with the issues in education? To support ments prior to meet- ing with the group. principles of the Coalition of teachers who are developing a 4. Select and prepare discus- Essential Schools? Once you more progressive philosophy of sion questions that will help have identified your audience, education? With a well-defined the group engage meaning- consider a few useful tips to goal, clear support of the work fully with the material and focus the conversation. introduce the DVD to the group. you are trying to accomplish will surface in the video segments. Planning Your Time Planning Tips Each classroom video segment 1. Share identified goals of the viewing with the group. is roughly 22–30 minutes long 2. Review background on CES as needed, and the specific segment(s) and school tours are between that will be shown and discussed in the workshop. Take any questions. seven and fourteen minutes long. 3. Particularly with classroom segments, it is useful to have a sug- Be aware of how much time you gested focus for observation. To which aspects of the classroom have to conduct a workshop experience should viewers pay especially close attention? What questions should viewers have in mind as they watch? and choose segments that 4. Begin segment of choice. address your goals and that 5. Discuss. can be viewed and discussed in 6. Reflect on implications for practice. What might be some next steps depth in the allotted amount of to take in your classroom or school? time. Remember, “less is more,” 7.