Location
Cherry Valley School (grades K-4)
111 4th Avenue E.
Polson, MT 59860

Contact
Elaine Meeks, Principal
Phone: 406/883-6329
Fax: 406/883-6332

Description
For nine years, a simple philosophy has driven professional development at Cherry Valley School in Polson, Montana. According to this philosophy, professional development should be systematic, comprehensive, and focused. The school has created a program with literacy as the foundation of the entire curriculum. The goal at Cherry Valley is to build a school culture of inquiry and reflectivity that is focused on continuously improving learning and teaching. Improving student outcomes is the basis of everything the school does.

Three objectives guide the professional development efforts at Cherry Valley. The entire school staff seeks to:

1. Share a consistent and unified theory of learning
2. Provide instruction that has continuity from year to year and emphasizes practice driven by understanding
3. Create a learning environment that fosters lifelong learners

Professional development is an inclusive process at Cherry Valley, involving the principal, teachers, paraprofessionals, and on occasion, parents and community members. Teaming is widely used in all activities. All staff are equally valued, and high expectations are set for everyone at the school (students, paraprofessionals, teachers, and administrators alike). Key to maintaining an environment where professional development opportunities are embraced is the practice of intentionally strengthening the resiliency of all staff members. Every staff member has multiple opportunities to contribute meaningfully to the school learning community. Teachers know that risktaking is encouraged and that they are in an environment that supports them in all they do. This climate of trust and support is conveyed to the children and manifested in the school’s positive environment.

Cross-age learning activities are evident throughout the school, as teachers regularly "buddy" with each other to collaborate on their teaching. Many schoolwide activities are held every year, including a multicultural festival and a literacy fair that involve all students, staff, parents, and the community. Social competence is valued as an important learning outcome for students. Starting in kindergarten, and continuing throughout their education at Cherry Valley, students learn to solve problems peacefully and positively. This is modeled through staff interactions.

Commitment to professional development is shown through the variety of activities the staff is involved in at any one time. The school’s professional development activities include:

• A comprehensive professional library
• Common planning times for teachers in the same grade level
• A monthly study group that investigates different educational issues (participation in the group is voluntary)
• Three-hour workshops that happen during early release periods 12 times a year; these focus on improving practice according to current research and recommendations
• Frequent reviews of current educational literature
• Biweekly staff meetings set aside for "faculty sharing" (the teacher who hosts the meeting in his or her classroom is responsible for determining an education topic or an example of a practice to discuss or share)
• Mandatory participation on fall, winter, or spring school planning teams (these teams plan all of the schoolwide activities for that period)

This variety of opportunities for professional development serve to engage all members of the school community in learning each year.

Observed Outcomes

• Teachers teach kids, not curriculum materials (student needs coupled with research drive instruction)
• Teachers increasingly seek new learning opportunities
• Students exhibit increased social competency as well as improved academic performance
• Teachers can articulate why they do what they do in their teaching
• School leadership does not rest with one or two individuals—it is shared among the entire staff
• An increased sense of professionalism is reflected in staff conversations, the reading materials they choose, and the materials that are displayed on the walls

Keys To Success

• Ensure that the professional development program is focused, systematic, and comprehensive
• Approach teaching and learning from a strength-based position, believing that everyone is a learner and has unique strengths
• Provide supports that address identified challenges
• Design specific professional development activities together as a staff
• Address staff understanding of learning theory before expecting changes in practice

Location
McKinley Elementary School
820 N. 31st Street
Billings, MT 59101

Contact
Ron Scherry, Principal
Phone: 406/255-3853
Fax: 406/255-3608

Description
Community partnerships and volunteer opportunities are an effective way of bringing parents and the community into schools. They can help all stakeholders develop a keen understanding of the roles each plays, they can maximize resources that otherwise might not have been used, and most importantly, such relationships can enhance education for children. Of course, none of this is possible without the cooperation and participation of teachers. This is acknowledged at McKinley Elementary School, where many community and volunteer outreach programs are sustained by appropriate teacher training.

On an ongoing basis, ways to involve parents and other community volunteers are identified. The kinds or degrees of teacher training that take place depend on the task that the volunteers are needed for. The training, provided by district and building specialists, can be simple or complex. Appropriate training enables teachers to effectively:

• Collaborate with all members of the educational team
• Aid volunteers in carrying out effective student management strategies
• Provide appropriate student discipline if needed
• Coordinate with the specialists to monitor, supervise, and evaluate student growth toward their individual goals and objectives
• Inform and involve parents in all aspects of the volunteer program

Programs such as HOSTS (Help One Student To Succeed) and the America Reads Challenge that rely heavily on outside volunteers can succeed at McKinley due to the school’s collaborative teaming philosophy. This means that teachers and volunteers are trained together, collaboratively. When this happens, a shared responsibility develops among all members of the collaborative team for each child’s learning. Each goes away being taught exactly what the other was taught. To work effectively in collaborative teams, teachers, paraprofessionals, and volunteers are trained in the areas of communication, problem solving, decisionmaking, resolution of differences, self-assertion, integration, and self-control. In addition, teachers on staff are trained as volunteer trainers.

Observed Outcomes

• The development of the teaming approach to problem solving has resulted in better communication between the school staff and the community
• Fewer students are being overlooked because more adults, working as a team, are involved at the school
• Students’ classroom performance has improved

Keys to Success

• Support a team philosophy that allows team members to share responsibility for all students’ learning; that encourages an open, honest atmosphere; and that gives them a shared ownership in the planning process
• Work to make sure all team members understand the importance of being flexible
• Develop specific policies and procedures regarding the programs being implemented
• Focus portions of the training on effective teaming between teachers and volunteers
• Ensure that the program is organized to allow for effective communication among the administration, teachers, and volunteers