SDCO Spring Newsletter No. 4, June, 2005K

Thank you, from… Patty Canupp, SDCO President
As we wrap up the end of this school year and begin planning for a new year, I can't help but stop to reflect on everything that has happened over the past nine months. As I finish my term as President of SDCO, I am very grateful for the support and encouragement of all the wonderful people on our executive board, the membership of SDCO and the leadership of NSDC. New members on our board have increased the representation from around the state and expanded our expertise. The year has passed so quickly, yet many excellent professional learning opportunities were available through our fall and spring conferences and the Professional Development Leadership Academy. My thanks to each and every one of you who made my past year as your President one of the greatest professional growth opportunities of my career. Next year's President, Teresa Dempsey, is fortunate to have you as her own professional learning community.

To Patty's Concluding Remarks

 

Bring Your District Team to Work Face-To-Face With Tom Guskey

  • Already have a team working on transitioning from standards-based instruction to a report card that reflects what is taking place in the classroom?
  • Procrastinated long enough and need to begin that work next year?
  • Wondering what the big fuss is about Professional Learning Communities working on report cards and standards-based assessment?Your Staff Development Council of Ohio has invited Dr. Tom Guskey, national leader in assessment, to Ohio for a series of instruction and work sessions next school year. Mark these four WEDNESDAYS on your professional development planning calendar…
Wednesday, September 21
Wednesday, November 2
Wednesday, February 1
Wednesday, April 26

Dr. Guskey will be here personally on the September and February sessions…with the November and April sessions planned for follow-up, networking and individual team work. Watch for further details and TEAM registration packets in your annual dues statement to be mailed in the next few weeks.

 

Something More than Star Wars, George Lucas has for You...
What is "Edutopia"?
The word conjures up an ideal educational landscape, where students are motivated to learn and teachers are energized by the excitement of teaching. In these schools, parents and other professionals from the community -- architects, artists, physicians, and writers, among others -- contribute their expertise and resources. Technology is readily available and enables students, teachers, and administrators to seek knowledge and expertise beyond the school building. "Edutopia" is a vision of powerful teaching and learning -- and the good news is that the vision is being realized today in our nation's best schools.

More about a free subscription to "Edutopia"


A Discussion Catalyst/Detonator for Your Next Staff Meeting?
"What about personalizing instruction, giving each budding Alexander his or her own Aristotle? That's where the technology comes in with a vengeance. At least in theory. SchoolNet has already developed and deployed (in partner districts) the data-tracking and analytic framework that works- there the die is cast. What is more problematic and intriguing is the development and deployment of instructional technology."

To the complete article


What's Your Professional Development IQ??
Here's a quick quiz for you…

1. According to the public, what is the most important characteristic for teachers to possess?
a. Ability to communicate with parents
b. Thoroughly educated in area subject
c. Understand how people learn
d. Well-trained and knowledgeable about how to teach effectively

2. Which strategy does the public believe has the greatest potential for improving schools?
a. Reduce class size
b. Recruit and retain better teachers
c. Require standardized tests for promotion
d. Give greater control to the local level

3. What percentage of the public supports school-financed professional development opportunities as a means of attracting and retaining public school teachers?
a. 90%
b. 85%
c. 70%
d. 55%

If you selected d, b, b you deserve a pat on the back. But if you're part of that gifted population out there and need enrichment (perhaps even intervention) about the above results…plus 17 more questions/answers, read on.


To the NSDC's Professional Development IQ "Test"


So What Do YOUR Neighbors Think About Education?
KnowledgeWorks Foundation looks for ways to offer practical solutions to tough problems. A cornerstone of this effort is to understand and engage the public in the problem solving process, which is the foundation for the Poll. The public's thoughts and opinions are used in several ways. First, opinions from the Poll help inform public policy by allowing decision-makers to better understand Ohio's needs and the best alternatives for meeting those needs. Second, the Poll allows the Foundation to test its programs and priorities with those of the public. In light of this understanding the Foundation creates, validates, or modifies programs to increase impact and relevance to Ohio's needs. Third, polling creates a baseline against which the Foundation can measure ensuing progress.

This is the fourth year of the KnowledgeWorks Foundation Ohio's Education Matters Poll. As with previous Polls, this research provides several key insights and lessons the Foundation will use throughout the year.

To the Poll results
 
 

SDCO Showcase Article


Effective School Leadership -- Adopting a Systemic Approach

This year's newsletters included Chapters I, II, and III of the Cleveland Initiative For Education's publication, "Effective School Leadership - Adopting a Systemic Approach." Once again, our thanks and appreciation is extended to the Executive and Associate Directors, Dr. Rosemary Herpel and Dr. Helen Williams, of the Cleveland Initiative for Education for their approval to share of this report with you.

As we reflect upon the state of public education in our nation, we often feel assaulted by criticism from many groups who keep repeating that public schools, especially in large urban districts, fail to successfully educate our students. However, research suggests that many school districts across the country are developing and implementing successful instructional approaches to improve our schools and increase student achievement. Nowhere is this more evident than the efforts to develop effective school leaders who hone their skills and increase their expertise to positively impact student learning.

The report, Effective School Leadership - Adopting a Systemic Approach, highlights several of these districts and their cutting edge practices. The report is not all-inclusive, for there are many school systems and programs that reflect high quality leadership development efforts, which are not referenced. However, we believe that those districts and programs selected offer a snapshot of what school systems and their collaborative partners accomplish to develop leaders that drive the educational process in their schools.

Our first three installments linked research to best practices, discussed building the strategic foundation and moved on to the role of principal leadership. Since this is the last newsletter for the year, the final two chapters of the report will be included. Chapter 4 transitions from principal leadership to Teacher Leadership: Structuring New Roles. And then the concluding section moves the critical big picture perspective, System Framework: Charting the Course.

Chapters 1, 2, and 3 are still available at the SDCO website (www.sdcohio.org/newsletters.htm).

For more information or for copies of the full publication, please contact Dr. Helen Williams at 216.377.4140, hwwilliams@aol.com , or mail requests to: CIE, Terminal Tower, Suite 511, 50 Public Square, Cleveland, Ohio 44113.

To PDF File of Chapter 4: Teacher Leadership (Longer than normal download)
To PDF File of Chapter 5: System Framework (Longer than normal download)


Need More Information on the Staff Development Council of Ohio?

  • Who are the board members?
  • How can I get a membership brochure?
  • What professional development opportunities are available?

For these and more, visit our website at www.sdcohio.org



Thank you, from… Patty Canupp, SDCO President
As we wrap up the end of this school year and begin planning for a new year, we stop to reflect on everything that has happened over the past nine months. As I finish my term as President of SDCO, I am very grateful for the support and encouragement of all the wonderful people on our executive board, the membership of SDCO and the leadership of NSDC. New members on our board have increased the representation from around the state and expanded our expertise. The year has passed so quickly, yet many excellent professional learning opportunities were available through our fall and spring conferences and the Professional Development Leadership Academy. Next year, in addition to Tom Guskey, we have plans for a 2 day Principals Academy dealing with learning communities and whole faculty study groups. This academy is designed to help principals move into their role as a professional development leader in their buildings.

In past years, SDCO has established relationships with other professional organizations (i.e. OASCD) and on June 15 & 16, 2005, SDCO will participate in the Battelle for Kids Conference: Making Ohio's Standards Work. Michaelene Myer, Past President of SDCO, will be presenting on the NSDC Standards for Professional Development and SDCO Board Members will be running the Battelle for Kids Bookstore. Books for sale will include selections from NSDC, ASCD as well as other publishers. Please be sure to stop in if you are attending the conference. Have a wonderful summer of learning and look for SDCO events and news in the fall.
A recent survey on working conditions in schools, conducted in North and South Carolina, by the Southeast Center for Teaching Quality found staff development to be the greatest predictor of school improvement. Schools with effective staff development programs were as much as 44% more likely to be rated good or excellent. The Staff Development Council of Ohio provides a number of opportunities for you to become involved in quality learning experiences to support the professional development programs in your district or school. SDCO provides strong professional conferences that are planned to provide educators with the leadership skills needed in Ohio schools.


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Something More than Star Wars, George Lucas has for You...
What is "Edutopia"?
The word conjures up an ideal educational landscape, where students are motivated to learn and teachers are energized by the excitement of teaching. In these schools, parents and other professionals from the community -- architects, artists, physicians, and writers, among others -- contribute their expertise and resources. Technology is readily available and enables students, teachers, and administrators to seek knowledge and expertise beyond the school building. "Edutopia" is a vision of powerful teaching and learning -- and the good news is that the vision is being realized today in our nation's best schools.

We use our magazine "Edutopia," Web site, and documentaries to celebrate the unsung heroes across our nation who are making "Edutopia" a reality. They have shown what can be done, often with the same number of resources as other schools and sometimes with fewer. We recognize that for these innovations to spread, educators and parents, as well as business and community leaders, must first see them and understand them. Our document gallery is a robust archive of short documentaries and expert interviews that allows visitors to visualize what these innovations look like -- in the classroom and in the words of teachers and students. Detailed articles, research summaries, and links to hundreds of relevant Web sites, books, organizations, and publications are also available to help schools and communities build on successes in education.

Our 13 topics represent what we believe are the critical elements in public education:

Assessment
Business Partnerships
Community Partnerships
Digital Divide
Emotional Intelligence
Mentoring
Ongoing Professional Development
Parent Involvement
Project-Based Learning
School-To-Career
Teacher Preparation
Technology Integration
Technology Professional Development

Here's the link to subscribe…http://www.edutopia.org/magazine/index.php

About the George Lucas Educational Foundation

The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) is a nonprofit operating foundation that documents and disseminates information about exemplary programs in K-12 schools to help these practices spread nationwide. We serve this mission through the creation of media -- from films, books, our magazine Edutopia, and e-newsletters, to CD-ROMs and DVDs. Our Web site contains all of our multimedia content published since 1997.

http://www.edutopia.org/index.php


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