National Staff Development Award

The U. S. Department of Education notified superintendent Charles Mason of the Mountain Brook City School System on September 18, 2000 that the system had been selected as a recipient of the National Award for Model Professional Development.

Only two other school systems were recognized that year, bringing the total number recognized in the 4-year history of this awards program to only twelve systems from around the country.

Superintendent Mason commented, "Certainly many people contributed to making this recognition possible, but the response of our teachers and staff to the opportunities that have been provided has been the most important factor. Thanks to all of you for what you've done to bring this well-deserved honor to our system."

National Staff Development
Award Application

ABSTRACT

        Mountain Brook City Schools, long recognized for the outstanding academic performance of its students, serves 3,898 students in suburban Birmingham, Alabama. In the past six years, the creation of an effective professional development program for all employees has enabled this system to develop a culture committed to continuous improvement rather than simply continuing to do what had worked well in the past.
        A task force of teachers, support staff, administrators, and community members charted the course for the development of an exemplary program with its recommendation of a long-term plan for professional development to the Board of Education in 1994. The Board enthusiastically adopted the plan and has supported it financially as well as through the creation of a Staff Development Center for the district. The community has also embraced the importance of professional development, creating an endowment of almost $5,000,000, much of which is used to support professional development efforts.
        Faculty and staff have responded enthusiastically to the opportunities for professional growth provided to them. Eighty-five percent of our 353 teachers participated in at least one system-level activity last summer, in addition to those attended during the school year, both at the system and school levels. Teachers logged over 9,000 hours of professional development last summer alone.
        Teachers report positive effects of this emphasis on professional development when they assess their own skills and the performance of their students. Data from various objective measures of student performance show improvement across grade levels and in all content areas which have been supported by professional development.

Background and Overview of Professional Development

        The information and content of professional development in our district consists of system-wide, school-based, and individual staff member components. There is a K-12 system-wide focus on a few major curriculum areas each year. This focus deals with the curriculum development and revision process and with the materials adoptions that are made to support the content areas. Two years ago the areas of emphasis were math, P.E. and health. Last year social studies, foreign language and fine arts were emphasized. In the current year, the language arts curriculum is being revised. At the system level other strands of emphasis over the past few years have included differentiated instruction and engaging instruction. These initiatives will be described in more detail later in this document.
        Each of our six schools (four elementary, one junior high, one high school) develops an annual School Improvement Plan. Each of the three to five goals developed annually has a professional development component. To assist each local school in supporting its plans for improvement, funds are "downloaded" from the central office budget to each school on a per-pupil basis. In addition, individuals and/or small groups may also be approved to work on projects or attend workshops, conferences, and/or conventions that the individual(s) believe will expand knowledge and skills. These individual or small group plans must be approved by the local school's staff development committee and must have relevance to the system's or local school's overall plan for improvement or individual needs of a specific teacher.
        At the central office level, leadership in the area of professional development is provided by the Director of Instruction. She works closely with six members of the curriculum/professional development team whose members are the assistant principals for curriculum and instruction at their respective schools.
        In this report we will demonstrate alignment with the U.S. Department of Education's Mission and Principles of Professional Development. All members of the school community are included; as described previously we focus on organizational, school-based, and individual improvement; our efforts nurture improvement in all facets of the school community; we strive to stay current with research and best practices; teachers are enabled to improve their content knowledge and teaching strategies; job-embedded professional development is integral to our approach; those involved do the planning; substantial time and resources are devoted to the enterprise; a long-term coherent strategic plan guides our efforts; and there is a demonstrable impact on student learning. In the course of this report we will describe our practices in these areas.
        The K-12 approach that we take in each area of the curriculum demonstrates our commitment to a comprehensive approach. For example, every teacher who teaches social studies was involved in revising our curricular framework by working either on a system or school committee. The same will be true in every area that is the target of the annual revision and material adoptions process. Thus all teachers of language arts will play a part this school year and this coming summer in the intensive re-examination of that area. All new teachers hired by the district will also become a part of this effort. New teachers are paid for an additional five days in the summer so that they can be integrated successfully into our schools. In addition, all new teachers are assigned a veteran mentor who has been trained in effective mentoring.
        Another example of the comprehensive approach is our system-wide dedication to investigating and implementing ways of increasing student motivation through the creation of assignments that truly engage students. Many in education note a lack of motivation on the part of today's students; it can be easy to put blame on those students or society as a whole. Our system, instead, has begun with the premise that students today are very capable and willing to work hard in school, if educators will create assignments that seem meaningful to those students. The initiative to examine how we design assignments and the characteristics most likely to engage students began with the superintendent's address to the staff during the annual opening of school convocation in 1998. He showed videotapes of several of our outstanding teachers describing assignments that had motivated students to work hard and learn. This presentation opened the school year for all faculty, and they were led to discuss methods and lessons in terms of their ability to engage students. Later in the year, a consultant from the Center for Leadership in School Reform led a workshop, attended by all administrators and representative teachers from each school. Each participant learned a model of examining assignments based on ten criteria most likely to motivate students. The schools created individual plans for involving all their faculty in better designing student work. The next summer, the same initial group continued working together in a follow-up workshop for three days. Prior to the opening of the current school year, faculties devoted professional development time to this topic. Currently, all schools have made this initiative an integral part of their local plans for improvement, and our faculties from each school now share a common language and method for reflecting on the lessons they create. In January, 2000, a core group from each school met again to assess progress, identify needs, and plan to continue this staff development. Teachers are modeling lessons for each other and reflecting on their own successes and failures through the lens of our shared understanding of the criteria for designing engaging work. An initiative which began with a presentation from the superintendent has come to involve every person on our faculty, with sustained momentum and continued training over time. It will continue during the summer of 2000, when two days of collegial sharing and planning will take place to further enable teachers to reflect on their progress and the ways this concept has affected their classroom and students. This process has meant that teachers from kindergarten to advanced placement high school courses, even from different disciplines, can now recognize the reasons that some assignments successfully engage students and motivate them, while other assignments may not.
        Another example of a comprehensive approach is in the area of differentiated instruction. As our system began the transformation into having regular and special education students taught collaboratively, our teachers wanted and needed more information regarding this model. Two consultants, Carol Tomlinson and Susan Winebrenner, came to the district to conduct the initial training. District and school committees were then organized to implement the approaches that were taught. After a full year of "in-house" work, the consultants returned to the district to conduct follow-up sessions.
        We believe our district has an exemplary program for a number of reasons. All staff members, not just teachers, are afforded opportunities to learn new ideas and techniques. For example, the entire custodial staff has undergone extensive training over the past few years. Two consultants from a district noted for its excellent custodial training program came to us to deliver the initial training. Both consultants have returned to each of the six schools on a periodic basis to monitor the improvements and to offer support as the new techniques were implemented.
        Another reason our program is exemplary is due to the quality of the consultants that we have utilized. Through local staff members' participation in conferences sponsored by the National Staff Development Council, we have been able to observe first-hand many excellent presenters. As our needs are identified, we then invite the consultants who have expertise in the area of need to conduct the initial training. Our talented staff is then able to initiate local committees to ensure that appropriate implementation efforts are pursued.
        Due to local funding (which will be described later), we are also able to offer a wide variety of programs, especially in the summer. Since these summer offerings are published for the staff early in the spring, staff members are able to plan their summer activities around the offerings. Our local Board of Education has also funded an additional five days devoted to professional development over and above the state requirement. Thus there are numerous opportunities for job-embedded training during the regular school year as well.
        Yet another reason we believe the district has an exemplary program is the use of technology to enhance professional development. This effort will be described in more detail later in the report.

Goals and Outcomes

        The system's goals for professional development, as well as all other goals, are driven by our strategic plan initially adopted by the Board of Education in 1992. An annual strategic planning and revision process keeps the plan up-to-date. Two of the system's goals specifically deal with professional development issues. One of the goals is to "design and implement an effective, challenging and engaging curriculum which promotes the highest level of academic excellence and personal growth for each student." In order to facilitate the accomplishment of this goal, an additional goal is to "design, implement and support an exemplary professional development program."
        As mentioned in the introduction, a task force began meeting in the fall of 1993 to develop a long-term professional development plan. The plan that was developed addresses five major areas: (1) the purposes, benefits and advantages of professional development; (2) the current research in regard to the characteristics of effective professional development activities; (3) the program areas of a comprehensive professional development program; (4) the processes that should be used to plan, implement and evaluate a comprehensive program; and (5) the current resources available for professional development. After the task force completed its work, its report to the Board of Education was adopted in 1994 and has guided our efforts since that time. Among the recommendations of the task force was that the district adopt the "Readiness, Planning, Learning, Implementation, and Maintenance" model of professional development. All central office directors, administrators and key teachers have been trained in this approach.
        Professional development goals emerge and are pursued through three main vehicles. First is the School Improvement Team at each school, chaired by the principal and composed of teachers, support staff, and parents. This group analyzes data from a variety of sources and identifies improvement goals. Secondly, the needs of the teaching staff are assessed at each school via grade-level and department meetings. These needs may be pursued at that level or directed to the local school team or to the third group involved with professional development, which operates at the district level. This group is comprised of the Director of Instruction and the six assistant principals from each school. They meet twice monthly to plan and review programs. At each level, our staff diligently avails themselves of existing data to help identify needs; of current best practices known through research which address those needs; and of training, both through outside and in-house sources. The approach is methodical, deliberate, and sustained over time, as defined in the RPLIM model mentioned earlier.
        In a high-achieving district such as ours, it would be easy to drift into complacency. We believe that the exemplary professional development program has precluded that from happening. Continuous improvement has become a part of our culture, and professional development undergirds our improvement efforts.

Professional Development Design and Implementation

        The expectation in this district is that every teacher will participate in professional development. Our records indicate that this expectation is being met. Last summer alone 85% of the staff participated in over 9,000 hours of training. Currently one faculty meeting per month in our elementary schools is devoted to professional development. At the secondary level, department meetings are convened frequently for similar purposes.
        Every professional development activity is evaluated. Participants complete an evaluation form rating the presenter and rating the relative importance of the activity to their perceived needs. Every September at the regular monthly Board of Education meeting, the Director of Instruction presents an in-depth report to the Board in regard to professional development in the district for the past summer. In this document the evaluation for each activity is included. Since a great deal of planning goes into each activity, most of the ratings are exceptionally high. If, however, the evaluation demonstrates that improvements should be made, the data is used to refine or eliminate the activity.
        One area that merits special attention is in the area of technology. Before our district began a major technology initiative in 1994, all teachers were asked to rate their proficiency level based on a rubric that defined six levels from beginner to expert. At that time 47% rated themselves in the beginner/novice level. By this past summer, after several years of technology-related training, this figure had dropped to less than 10% (this figure includes several new teachers who have joined the district and who are currently undergoing training).
        Over 80% of our teachers are currently enrolled in a program entitled Virtual Learning Technology. Each enrollee is given a CD which is used in accessing Web-based training at work or at home at the individual's discretion. Due to this individualized format for skills training, the system level focus of emphasis has shifted to providing professional development that will assist teachers in the integration of technology into the curriculum.
        For the past two summers a "Technology Academy", funded in part by private grants, has been conducted by the district in conjunction with the major curriculum focus (1998 – math, 1999 – social studies). Teachers applied to be considered for an intensive five-day session in which they worked closely with our own technology experts. After two years 21% of our elementary teachers have participated. (At present the numbers have intentionally been kept fairly small due to the nature of the training.) Eighty percent of the secondary social studies teachers participated. Due to the success of this training, we will continue this approach for the foreseeable future. Many other aspects of the technology component of our professional development program can be accessed at http://www.mtnbrook.k12.al.us/cms/Summer+Staff+Development/4214.html.
        To ensure alignment of improvement plans and professional development activities, the superintendent reviews each Local School Improvement Plan. On at least three occasions during the school year, the superintendent and principal review progress on the local plan, with the improvement goals forming the basis of the superintendent's support for and evaluation of the work of the principal. Another effort which helps to insure alignment is the frequent meeting schedule of the core team mentioned earlier.
        During the current school year over 1% of the district's $30 million budget has been allocated to support professional development. Each school is sent $51 per student from the central office budget for this purpose. Principals and their improvement team or staff development committee often choose to use locally raised monies (PTA funds, etc.) to enhance staff members' professional development opportunities.
        The support of the Mountain Brook City Schools Foundation cannot be overemphasized. As mentioned in the abstract, a few years ago a group of private citizens began a fund-raising effort to raise a $5 million endowment to fund professional development and technology for the district. This goal is very close to being realized. To date over $450,000 in interest earnings have been donated, which have been used for the system's improvement efforts. This effort demonstrates that residents in this community appreciate the importance of professional development in developing and maintaining an excellent school system.
        In order to ensure that the school community understands how the components fit together and connect to the overall school plan, our system relies on the strategic planning process. For example, the 1997 strategic planning team observed that professional development has become such a part of the system's culture that it is now an integral part of all fourteen goals in the strategic plan.

Objective Evidence of Success

        In the area of improved teacher effectiveness we rely to some degree on teacher perceptions. Data are collected from teachers during their professional development experiences and after implementation of the teaching practices and strategies which they learned and used. For example, after the teachers' summer curriculum development and revision sessions, they are asked to evaluate the quality and usefulness. Over the past five summers, 96% have responded that the training has been beneficial and will enable them to improve their performance.
        In regard to student achievement the most broadly based data are the results of the Stanford Achievement Test, which is required by the state of Alabama annually for all students in grades 3-11. Since our students do so well on the overall battery across all grade levels (see table below), we look for relative weaknesses in particular grade levels.

Stanford Achievement Test
Total Battery Scores

        For example, in 1995 the math SAT scores for one of our elementary schools lagged behind the other three elementary schools. That school, as part of its School Improvement Plan, targeted math for increased attention. Staff development focused on areas of differentiated instruction in math, development of critical thinking skills, and performance-based tasks in mathematics instruction.

        These strategies have remained in place over the past few years with the following results:

        At another elementary school, math was also targeted for school improvement staff development. Professional development activities similar to those mentioned above were implemented. The impact of these strategies is reflected in an analysis of the SAT scores for current seventh grade students over a period of four years.

        At a third elementary school the third grade math scores were targeted by the school's improvement team as needing attention. After staff development activities focused on this grade level, the results indicated below were achieved.

        At the junior high school in our district, the English Department targeted the area of reading comprehension two years ago. After professional development in this area, the table below indicates the improvements made in two of the three grades. (The score for the 8th grade remained level at 82).

        Another area that has shown significant improvement in recent years is college entrance exam scores. Seventy-five to eighty percent of our students elect to take the SAT.

        The composite ACT score for the past several years is as follows:

The percentage of students taking the ACT ranges from 85% - 90%.

        Even though direct correlation between improved college entrance exam scores and our professional development effort would be difficult to prove, we believe our faculty involvement through the past six years in improving teaching strategies and content knowledge has assisted in this improvement.
        The Advanced Placement program has also dramatically improved in our system. Even though enrollment in our high school has increased incrementally from 660 in 1992 to 762 in 1999, the number of AP exams administered has risen from 177 to 425 over the same period of time. In spite of this dramatic increase, the frequency of scores 3 or above has remained steady in the 82nd – 89th percent range (National Average – 64%). Our AP teachers have consistently participated, not only in local professional development activities but also in workshops and seminars sponsored regularly by the College Board, which enhance the skills and knowledge needed to teach these courses.

Implications for the Field

        We believe we have learned the following lessons that would benefit others:

1. The starting place is a long-term plan collaboratively developed by teachers, administrators, support staff, and community members. Such a plan not only gives direction to the development of a program, it also serves as a vehicle to educate the professional staff and the community about the potential that professional development has to improve student learning and teacher effectiveness.
2. No one delivery system is the right one. The goals of the activity and the needs of the participants drive the design of the activity. We have used a blend of teacher-to-teacher instruction, outside consultants, formal training, study groups, peer coaching, and other strategies to reach our goals.
3. Teachers and other staff will respond to quality experiences which help them achieve goals they believe are important. In no case have we required personnel to attend training off contract time, yet the level of participation has been extremely high. Eighty-five percent of our teachers participated last year in one or more summer staff development opportunities offered at the system level, with over 9,000 hours of professional development participation.
4. The potential for community advocacy and support for professional development is great if the community is given the opportunity to learn why it should provide such support. In the past six years, a private foundation to support the school system has been established and is very close to reaching its goal of a $5,000,000 endowment, much of which will support our professional development programs.
5. There is an extensive and growing body of knowledge about effective professional development which has been vital to the success of our efforts. By tapping into that knowledge through study and through participation in programs sponsored by the National Staff Development Council, we have avoided costly mistakes and accelerated our learning.