Mission

The mission of the Syracuse Teacher Center, a single district center serving a large urban population, is to ensure that all educators grow professionally and use effective skills and strategies to help students meet the New York State Learning Standards and the Syracuse City School District Strategic Plan Goals. This is accomplished by providing, in collaboration with local educational organizations, support for educators and community members through professional development opportunities; a professional staff; and a state of the art resource site including computer technology lab, software library, professional library, and equipment for creating instructional materials.

Program Description

The Syracuse Teacher Center (STC) continues to provide a coordinated professional development program to the more than 4,000 persons employed by the Syracuse City School District (SCSD). As our mission states, this is accomplished by collaborating with our school district, area colleges, and a variety of community educational and cultural institutions. Our program is designed and developed to meet the NYS Teacher Center Statutory Purposes and the NYS Teacher Center Standards and will strive to meet those goals in the 2006-2007 school year. The Syracuse Teacher Center Policy Board continues to review SCSD plans and individual school plans to determine the priorities and focus areas for our center.

The STC professional development program is informed by the organizational goals of the Syracuse City School District as identified in its strategic plan. The seven focus areas of this plan are literacy, student engagement, family partnerships, diversity, facilities, finance, and leadership development. As a teacher center serving a District in Need of Improvement (DINI), our work is also informed by the strategies and tasks identified in the DINI Plan. The focus of this plan is literacy, and the STC will play a significant role in the professional development components of this plan. Other plans that further inform services and programs we provide are the Professional Development Plan (PDP), which includes the target areas for professional development of literacy, curriculum, assessment, diversity and technology; the Model for Practitioner Evaluation; the Induction Plan for Probationary Teachers; and School Improvement Plans (SIPs). The STC will support all initiatives identified in these plans, including the development of school and Individual Professional Growth Plans. Programs and activities will be designed in collaboration with schools and individuals to meet professional growth needs as outlined in these plans. Individual and organizational goals are supported through district and site-based in-service courses, on-line courses, Educational Horizon Grants, Site Based Professional Development Support Grants, professional portfolios, action research, peer coaching, school study groups, and National Board Certification support.

Literacy instruction remains a major focus for professional development in the Syracuse City School District. We will continue to support initiatives in this area. Activities outlined in the DINI Plan include support for teachers, administrators and teaching assistants responsible for implementation of the Pre – K to 12 curriculum including differentiation of instruction to meet the needs of all learners; designing professional development to assist all teachers in ways to imbed literacy in all content areas; assisting instructional and all administrative staff in the use of data to improve student achievement; and providing ongoing job embedded professional development and collaborative opportunities. We will continue regular and in-depth collaboration with the SCSD Elementary Division to support elementary school reading specialists by nurturing their leadership skills and expanding their knowledge base to help all teachers improve reading and writing instruction. We will also support literacy development by continuing our support for the initiatives defined by the Reading First grant. This support includes onsite job embedded consultations, workshops and technical assistance. WeÕve also collaborated with the Regional School Support Centers (RSSC) and will continue this collaboration under Reading First. We will also maintain our partnership with the RSSC working with schools identified by state and federal agencies as needing improvement.

The STC will continue to design programs that address curriculum development and implementation. Our staff and services support the work of the curriculum development teams as they assist teachers with curriculum, and demonstrate strategies needed for implementing the curriculum.

 A teacher center serving an urban community must assist teachers in meeting the needs of students from a variety of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, with a variety of learning needs and conditions. These conditions, coupled with the NYS Learning Standards and Assessments, require that novice and experienced teachers provide outstanding research-based instruction, informed by assessment, so that all students achieve. To meet this goal we will design programs that will support teachers in the use of student data to make instructional decisions. We will continue to offer programs on the effective use of research-based instructional strategies, including differentiated and brain-compatible instruction. The policy board recognizes the importance of supporting teachers in schools which are not served by state and federal grant programs, and that it is necessary for the STC to meet these needs.

Understanding and valuing diversity continues to be a focus of the Syracuse City School District. As a teacher center, we assist teachers in recognizing and using diversity to enhance classroom instruction. We are especially committed to sensitizing and supporting new teachers who do not readily identify with, and struggle to understand, many of their students. We will continue to support district initiatives in this area. In addition, we will support the character education programs as they are embedded into school programs.

The STC continues to provide opportunities for the application of technology to instruction. The STC offers an educational technology center, technology planning, courses and information on the use of software and hardware, vendor demonstrations of software and hardware, and on site computer assistance to all educators in Syracuse. We will continue to expose educators to the appropriate use of computers in the classroom and will increase our support and assistance in the use of hand held computing technologies such as PDAs and graphing calculators. The Teacher Center promotes online professional development opportunities and online tools to support classroom instruction in addition to supporting the online communication infrastructure.

The Syracuse City School District has implemented a new teacher induction program to meet the New York State certification requirements and the needs of new staff. The Teacher Center continues to contribute to the organization and implementation of this initiative as well as supporting certification requirements for teachers and teaching assistants. In addition, we work collaboratively on the implementation of the Mentor Teacher-Intern Program that has been in operation in Syracuse for the past five years.

We will continue to support the implementation of other district mandates, including those identified through the NCLB regulations, the Elementary, Middle Level and High School Task Forces, Enhancing Education Through Technology Grants, and the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Grants. We will also continue to serve as a member of the Center for Urban Education (CUE) which is funded primarily by an Urban Teacher Opportunity Corps grant. CUE is a collaboration of three area higher education institutions whose goals are to recruit and prepare minority teachers, and to improve preparation of teachers who will primarily serve high-need students.

The STC will continue its relationship with Syracuse SETRC to offer complementary programs. This is accomplished through regular communication, shared space and resources, and common planning. STC will also continue to collaborate with the SCSD Curriculum and Professional Development Office and the Syracuse Teachers Association to develop programs in response to other emerging needs. Under the guidelines for the Regional School Support Centers, we continue to partner with the Mid-State RSSC to deliver programs and support schools identified to be served by that center. Projects outlined by local and state initiatives such as those with Partners for Education and Business, School-to-Career Partnerships and other Eastern Upstate Teacher Centers will be continued.

We will continue our collaborations with a variety of community and educational groups such as LeMoyne College, SUNY Oswego, SUNY Cortland, Syracuse University, SUNY ESF, Onondaga Community College, Cazenovia College, Central New York Education Consortium, CNY Reads, The Onondaga Historical Association. The Syracuse Newspapers, Family Literacy Alliance of Greater Syracuse, Landmark Theater, Partners for Arts Education, Museum of Science and Technology, CNY Council on Adolescent Pregnancy, SECNY Federal Credit Union, and our local public television affiliate WCNY-TV. These collaborative efforts provide a variety of services, which not only enrich the education of our students, but also help us address the needs of our teachers.

Teacher Center Activities for 2006-2007

Governance and Management

The Syracuse Teacher Center Policy Board members and staff

• establish and maintain a professional working environment with appropriate resources by
• providing a large, handicapped accessible resource site including a variety of group instruction areas, state-of-the-art educational technology center, software library, professional library, and materials center.
• recruit, retain, and support personnel necessary to carry out the center’s mission by
• employing a professional staff consisting of a program coordinator, a staff development specialist, an educational technology specialist; and a support staff consisting of a secretary and a learning/technology center assistant.
• collaborating with the SCSD to support a position of Induction Facilitator.
• employ a variety of communication strategies to ensure the full participation of constituents by
• publishing a bimonthly newsletter of center offerings and maintaining a website with links to SCSD, STA and other educational agencies.
• using a network of building contacts at all SCSD sites.
• promoting the use of online communication environments.
• showcasing teacher work that was informed by STC activities at our open houses and other regional events.
• apply high standards for professional development in carrying out our roles by
• conducting an annual retreat in collaboration with other central New York teacher centers.
• participating in national and state professional development organizations.

Professional Development

At the Syracuse Teacher Center professional development

• is driven by clear individual and organizational goals and focuses on individual and organizational growth through
• site-based professional development awards granted to schools to support the development of school growth and individual Professional Growth Plans.
• is designed and facilitated by those who participate through
• Educational Horizons Awards, which allow individuals to attend educational conferences that meet their individual goals.
• respects and nurtures the leadership and intellectual capacities of educators and facilitates continuous inquiry and reflection imbedded in the daily life of schools through
• support for elementary reading specialists.
• support for mathematics instructional support teachers (ISTs).
• support for individuals or groups of teachers conducting action research.
• support for probationary employees.
• support for school-related professionals.
• support for National Board certification candidates.
• support for individuals opting for alternative evaluation models.
• addresses current issues in curriculum, instruction and assessment through
• continued support of staff in the implementation of NYS Learning Standards and the scoring of NYS Assessments.
• support teachers and school related professionals who are implementing new curricula.
• provides opportunities for the application of technology to instruction through
• assistance in the use of new handheld technologies.
• a traveling computer laboratory, which supports the inclusion of technology in individual classrooms and/or schools.
• classroom support for technology integration.
• sustained support for online resources including MarcoPolo, e-mail, Internet course environments.
• video conferencing to support professional development and classroom instruction.
• demonstrations on the use of interactive whiteboards.

Program

The Syracuse Teacher Center Policy Board members and staff

• apply knowledge of current research in professional development, and implement a variety of programs responsive to needs by offering
• in-service courses (15 or 30 hours in length) which provide an extensive study of a topic, specifically addressing the needs of the members of the group or of a specific district initiative.
• conferences (one to two days in length), which bring together educators from the Central New York region to hear educational experts and share strategies of specific topics.
• workshops (one to three hours in length) designed to meet the needs of a specific group, offered through our "Just For You" series or at individual sites.
• individual consultations and ongoing support as requested by individuals.
• video conferencing services for educators to promote sharing information on a statewide basis.
• align local needs with state initiatives, standards and assessments through
• support for DINI actions and tasks identified in the plan.
• support for REA, CSRD, CA, Restructuring, SINI and SURR schools, through actions identified in their plans.
• enable teachers to participate in collaborative program design through
• data analysis forums and seminars to assist individuals and teams of individuals in designing appropriate actions based on identified causes.
• collegial circles and study groups, formed to meet the needs of specific educators.
• group facilitation and instruction in facilitation to assist decision-making teams and/or school planning teams.
• technology planning for individuals and groups of individuals.
• address teachersÕ needs through different stages of their careers by
• providing mentoring and induction programs in collaboration with higher education to better prepare and support new educators to work in an urban setting.
• supporting diversity workshops.
• providing opportunities for reflection and inquiry through the Model for Practitioner Evaluation.
• collaborate with the SCSD and other organizations by
• partnering with the Mid-State RSSC to serve targeted schools.
• participating in the Center for Urban Education as a member assisting in its program goals and objectives of recruiting, certifying and retaining minority educators.
• providing consultation, advice and support for state mandated plans such as DINI, CDEP, PDP, AIS, and APPR.
• offering research assistance through the use of Library Links and other research services.
• promoting the AFTÕs ER&D programs.
• continuing to offer complementary programs with Syracuse SETRC.
• continuing to offer joint programs with other central New York teacher centers.
• supporting PBIS and Community of Caring programs.
• promoting professional development in the application of brain research.

Evaluation Process

Evaluation of services offered by the STC is used to develop new programs and refine existing programs. Evaluation strategies include reviewing usage data, student achievement data, and teacher feedback. School Improvement Plans for 2004-2005 and individual Professional Growth Plans will also guide the development of other STC activities. The Syracuse Teacher Center and the Syracuse City School District will review all plans in early fall to design activities to support these plans. This broad based approach to program design and evaluation allows us to maintain effective programs that respond to needs as they arise.

This past year a new rubric for evaluating workshops and inservice courses was developed by a Teacher Center Policy Board Subcommittee. We will be using this instrument for all professional development activities in the Syracuse City School District. This form seeks information about changes in teacher practice and the expected impact on student achievement. This form is the first step in a process to evaluate the impact of professional development and determine “next steps”. The Policy Board will review collected data on a regular basis.

Another component of this process is a follow-up survey given to all participants of inservice courses. This survey will be conducted either by phone or through a letter and will attempt to discern whether the information learned at the course has changed practice.

We will continue evaluating our Educational Horizons Grant Program through a feedback instrument that was designed last year. Next year we will be formally evaluating our technology programs, our programs for meeting the needs of diverse learners, and our support for individual and site professional growth plans. During the following year, we will develop ways to evaluate site usage and stakeholder forums.

Goals	Outcomes and Measures
Seven Provide instruction, assistance and support in creating a learning environment that is multicultural, including support for school and community sponsored multicultural events	Create a learning environment that incorporates a multicultural perspective Year 1: Use level 1 and follow-up instrument (phone or paper) for Courses and Educational Horizons (continuing)
Eight Provide forums in which schools and teachers address school based and personal professional development needs and goals	Develop professional growth plans Year 2: Collect Professional Growth Plans from individuals and schools (continuing)
Nine Provide instruction in conducting, using and implementing current educational research, including action research	Apply appropriate research when planning within the curricular areas Year 1: Use level 1 and follow-up instrument (phone or paper) for Courses and Educational Horizons (continuing)
Ten Provide forums in which stakeholders in schools (i.e. parents, community members and school personnel) address social, educational, and health-related issues	Collaborate with appropriate stakeholders to address social, educational, and health-related issues Year 3: Design evaluation instrument

Evaluation of Impact

We are currently in year two of a three year evaluation. Data will be collected to determine the extent to which the STC is meeting its mission and goals. This data will be in the forms mentioned above and will be reviewed by the Program Subcommittee of the Policy Board. This subcommittee will present the findings to the entire Policy Board on a regular basis. This subcommittee will also continue to explore evaluation options that lead to evidence of improved teaching and learning. As part of this process, the subcommittee will work with the SCSD Office of Educational Accountability in developing evaluation measures. In addition, we expect to continue to be informed by the research of Thomas Guskey and Joellen Killion, two leaders in the area of assessing professional development. It is the plan of the Policy Board that this dialogue will be a focus of our meetings in the upcoming year.