Location
Lake Washington School District #414
PO Box 97039
Redmond, WA 98073

Contact
Lois Frank, Director of Staff Development
Phone: 425/702-3230
Fax: 425/702-3213

Description
Professional development in the Lake Washington School District is a critical component of the district culture. Of the many professional development activities that happen in the 40-school district, three initiatives highlight their efforts. They all reinforce the district’s commitment to quality professional development that reflects state standards. Following is a brief description of each:

• Research and Development Team. The Lake Washington School District has designed an action research plan that couples current reform efforts in Washington state with the need for a structure that supports all students regardless of their postgraduation plans. The critical question being researched is, "What is the purpose and function of high school?" The plan, called "Level 5," refers to the district’s fifth level of curriculum that focuses on grades 11 and 12. In addition to a commission composed of a variety of stakeholders who oversee the development process, Level 5 has a research and development team that works to establish instructional recommendations. The team consists of a group of teachers representing every high school in the district. Their recommendations address performance expectations for students, high school graduation requirements, schooling structures, and course/class alignment issues.
• New Teacher Institute. Recognizing the difficulties faced by novice teachers or teachers new to a district, the district offers a weeklong New Teacher Institute each summer and five days of follow-up mentoring and training throughout the year. All teachers new to the district are required to attend the week-long summer institute where, among other educational topics, they learn to (1) recognize the relationship between the district vision, the student profile, and an effective classroom; (2) develop an understanding of effective practices of classroom organization and instructional planning; (3) create practical applications of effective practices to implement in classrooms; and (4) create student-centered classrooms. Activities at the institute are facilitated by 10 staff development trainers and include presentations from professional trainers and veteran teachers, who share what they wish someone would have told them when they first started teaching.
• Technology Immersion Training. For many years, the Lake Washington School District offered teachers technology training that addressed various educational computer applications. Though helpful, it didn’t adequately address the biggest obstacle to successful use of technology in the classroom—knowing how to integrate technology with current curriculum. Based on a model observed in another district, a 1997 summer training focused on helping teachers learn how technology could be used to complement their daily instruction. The seven-day immersion experience provided teachers with very basic instruction in several software applications, and then released them to create group projects using the technology. Trainers modeled instructional and classroom management strategies, did additional training as groups needed, and incorporated a variety of assessment techniques to evaluate each step of the project development. Participants also had time to reflect at each step of the process, relating back to their own classroom situations. The most important aspect of the training was its design, which sought to tie technology to the district’s curriculum frameworks. The technology was merely a tool to enhance teachers’ abilities to make helpful connections. The 35 participants of the 1997 training returned to their schools armed with a new computer, new expertise, and an expectation that they would provide technical assistance to their colleagues. A levy passed in 1998 will allow for expansion of the Technology Immersion Training. Over the next four years, it is planned that all the district’s teachers will participate in this experience.

Observed Outcomes

• In 1996 the district received an award from the state Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) for its various professional development programs
• Teachers support the district’s professional development efforts and see them as an investment in the future

Keys to Success

• Provide teachers with hands-on and relevant training activities
• Complement current reform efforts with professional development activities
• Base professional development activities and instructional recommendations on current educational research

Location
Bethel School District
516 E. 176th Street
Spanaway, WA 98387

Contact
Barbara Clausen,
Executive Director of Instruction and Assessment
Phone: 253/539-6038
Fax: 253/531-8666

Description
Professional development in the Bethel School District is distinct in two ways: (1) it is intricately tied to district and state reform work, and (2) all activities that are offered are provided by district specialists who share the district’s vision and goals. For six years the district has worked to develop a professional development program that trains select teachers to be expert trainers in their schools, instead of relying on outside experts. Each of the district’s 21 schools, plus a large early childhood program, participates in the program.

Based on the district’s Performance Learning Program (a multifaceted guide to their reform efforts) and standardized assessment data, each school identifies strategic plan goals at the start of every school year. These goals become the foundation of the school’s professional development efforts throughout the year. Stipend-paid teacher trainers provide the bulk of professional development training. These trainers give support to their colleagues in a variety of ways. Currently, every school has five trainers, each specializing in one of the following areas:

• Strategic planning. The strategic planning trainer works to guide staff in data collection, analysis, and interpretation for improved student learning.
• Assessment. The assessment trainer provides guidance and inservice to staff in interpreting and using student test results, preparing students for tests, creating and implementing classroom performance assessments, coordinating performance assessments for writing and math, and working to align curriculum across grade levels/disciplines.
• Community involvement. The community involvement trainer specializes in designing and implementing parent/community involvement activities and providing real-world learning connections.
• Diverse learning. The diverse learning needs trainer guides staff in adapting curriculum, instruction, and performance assessments for all learners.
• Technology. The technology trainer specializes in training other teachers in how to successfully integrate technology into daily instruction and culminating projects.

In addition to the previous trainers, all secondary buildings have an applied learning trainer who shows teachers how to integrate the rigor and relevance of the real world into all academic goals and training. The focus for trainers is the effective facilitation of school strategic plan goals and the state goals in order to improve student learning.

Trainers are selected at the building level and are funded with district staff development funds and categorical funding from special programs. They are trained by district specialists. Each school trainer serves a minimum of two years and can then be reselected for another two-year term by the school’s site council. Trainers’ duties include:

• Instructing classes and providing support coaching throughout the school year within their building
• Providing targeted instruction at districtwide Learning Improvement Days (inservice days)
• Cooperating with the district’s Instructional Division to select appropriate staff training activities and to gather data to determine if the activities are improving student learning

As the state of Washington has moved into educational reform, the Bethel School District has aligned their essential learnings, benchmarks, rubrics, and content frameworks to match state change efforts. Trainers work with staff to promote these changes and to prepare staff and students for a new state criterion-reference assessment system.

Observed Outcomes

• Teachers have an increased sense of professionalism
• In a survey of all district certificated employees, 86 percent of respondents felt that the professional development program provides professional growth, and 84 percent felt that the program connects with the district’s strategic planning efforts
• In the past, teachers felt bogged down by sporadic, disconnected professional development activities that never had adequate follow-up and thus never truly affected classroom instruction—they now have a coherent, unified direction

Keys to Success

• Ensure that district leaders and the school board support any proposed changes and share the vision
• Ensure that district leaders are committed to listening to practitioners and building leaders, and will make adjustments based on stated needs
• Use trainers and specialists from within the district
• Enlist the help of highly trained administrators who are committed to continuous improvement of student learning
• Train teachers in action research methods
• Use technology that can provide useful data about student learning and parent/staff opinions on implementation