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 goals of the Syracuse City School District Plan. This is accomplished by providing, in collaboration with local educational and union 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, professional library, and equipment for creating instructional materials.

Abstract

The Syracuse Teacher Center collaborates with local, state-wide, and national organizations to provide educators in Syracuse the highest level of professional development. During the 2008-2009 school year over 5,000 constituents participated in over 400 activities supported by the Syracuse Teacher Center. These activities included courses, workshops, mentoring, training sessions, meetings, creating classroom materials, borrowing books and instructional equipment, and a variety of other activities. The professional development at the Syracuse Teacher Center has a direct positive impact on classroom instruction and student achievement.

• Facility - The Syracuse Teacher Center provides a 12,000 square foot professional development facility for the public and non-public schools in Syracuse. There is free parking for over 100 cars.
  • Meeting rooms - these are used daily for large group sessions (up to 100 educators), and are available for small groups and classes. The two large group rooms have ceiling mounted LCD projectors. This saves the Syracuse City School District the expense of renting conference space for large sessions during the school day.
  • Video Conference Room - The videoconference room, the first in the Syracuse City School District, saves travel expenses by allowing groups to meet with other educators around the state (country or world). This room can connect with up to 8 different sites simultaniously.
  • Computer Lab - with 18 workstations a ceiling mounted LCD projector and a Smart Board for professional development on technology integration, e-School Plus (the District's new grade reporting system), and IEP Direct, the online planning and reporting system for special education students.
  • The facility also houses groups and individuals in the spirit of collaboration. These include Syracuse SETRC (Special Education Training and Resource Center), the District's assistive technology specialist, and other district support staff. The Teacher Center is also the home for the Mentor Teacher Intern Program (MTIP), a proven program for promoting teacher retention.
  • The Teacher Workroom provides laminating, poster printing, Ellison die cutters, button maker, and a variety of other resources to support teachers making educational materials.
  • Staff - The Syracuse Teacher Center has 3 full time professional development specialists, and a support staff including one full time secretary and one half time secretary. While the facility offers many benefits to the educators in Syracuse the professional staff provides the professional development that promotes improved student achievement through district-wide and site-based in-service courses and individual consultations.
    • Director - The current director oversees the day-to-day operation of the Center and provides professional development in coaching and teacher leadership for teachers and instructional leaders in the district.
    • Educational Technology Specialist - This specialistÕs role is focused on supporting teachersÕ integrating instructional technology into their classroom instruction.
    • Professional Development Specialist - This specialist offers individual, small group, and large group coaching on a variety of instructional, planning, and management topics targeted to meet specific data-based professional objectives and school-wide goals.
    • Technology - Teacher Resource and Computer Training Centers is the full title of the grant that funds Teacher Centers. Technology plays an important role in the program at this center.
      • Intel Teach - The Teacher Center promotes this funded program, which has prepared over 3 million teachers in over 35 counties to use technology effectively in their classrooms.
      • Thinkfinity - The Syracuse Teacher Center provides professional development in this program, which is funded by the Verizon Foundation. Thinkfinity provides over 55,000 free online resources for PreK-12 educators including lesson plans, online interactives, and downloadable activities.
      • New Technology Demands - The Teacher Center has partnered with businesses to provide professional development in the use of emerging educational technologies, e.g. interactive white boards, and graphing calculators.

      Program Description
      

      The Syracuse Teacher Center (STC) provides a coordinated professional development program to the more than 4,500 persons employed by the Syracuse City School District (SCSD) and the non-public schools in the city of Syracuse. Our program is designed and developed to meet the NYS Teacher Center Statutory Purposes and the NYS Teacher Center Standards. The Syracuse Teacher Center Policy Board reviews SCSD plans and works with school leadership teams to determine the priorities and focus areas for our center. By design our location is shared and programming is coordinated with Syracuse SETRC (Special Education Training Resource Center), the SCSD New Teacher Induction Program, and SCSD special education support staff.

      A teacher center serving an urban community must assist teachers in meeting the needs of students from a variety of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. 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 the diversity and character education programs active in all the city schools.

      The STC professional development program is informed by the organizational goals of the Syracuse City School DistrictÕs Plan. The nine goals of this plan are providing differentiated instruction to support diverse needs, develop programs to increase student achievement, insure all teachers demonstrate competency in implementing literacy strategies, improve personal skill development for all students, develop and deliver effective family support services, develop and deliver efficient technology and information services, continue to use fiscal resources effectively and efficiently, renovate and enhance all school facilities, and develop and deliver effective support services. As a teacher center serving a District in Need of Improvement (DINI), our work is also defined by the strategies and tasks identified in the DINI Plan. The focus of this plan is literacy; the STC supports the professional development components of this plan. Other plans that further influence the services and programs that we provide are the Professional Development Plan (PDP), which includes the target areas for professional development of literacy, curriculum, assessment, diversity and technology; the Coordinating Committee for Professional Development (CCPD) overseeing all professional development in the district, the Model for Practitioner Evaluation; the Induction Plan for Probationary Teachers; and School Leadership Team plans. The STC will support all initiatives identified in these plans, including the development of school and Individual Professional Growth Plans, and the Urban Teacher Calendar. 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. The Teacher Center 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 provide services to staff members in these buildings.

      Collaboration is a powerful tool for building capacity to meet the needs of our constituents. STC staff and Policy Board members work closely with the Syracuse Teachers Association and the SCSD Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Division. STC staff assists in the implementation of a professional development program for SCSD staff who are serving as Math Instructional Support Teachers, Reading Specialists, Reading Coaches, and Academic Instructional Support (AIS) teachers. The STC is involved in coordinating the School-Based Intervention Team (S-BIT) Project. In collaboration with SETRC, the STC supports implementation of the Special Education Quality Assurance (SEQA) grant. The office of Assistive Technology is housed at the STC providing programs and sharing resources through their lending library for staff and parents. In addition five special education professionals are housed at the STC. STC staff assist in developing sound professional development programs for school nurses, library media specialist, occupational and physical therapists, school psychologists and administrative interns. Under the guidelines for the Regional School Support Centers (RSSC), 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.

       Other collaborations include Syracuse University, Say YES to Education, LeMoyne College, Onondaga Community College, SUNY Cortland, SUNY Oswego, SUNY ESF, Cazenovia College, Central New York Education Consortium, CNY Reads, The Onondaga Historical Association, The Syracuse Newspapers, Family Literacy Alliance of Greater Syracuse, the Landmark Theatre, Partners for Arts Education, Museum of Science and Technology, Rosamond Gifford Zoo, SECNY Federal Credit Union, and our local public television affiliate WCNY-TV. These efforts provide a variety of services, which not only enrich the education of our students, but also help us address the diverse professional development needs of our teachers.

      The NYS Learning Standards and Assessments require that novice and experienced teachers provide outstanding research-based instruction, informed by assessment, to improve student engagement and academic achievement. To meet these goals we design and provide programs that support teachers in the use of student data to make instructional decisions. We offer programs on the effective use of research-based instructional strategies, including differentiated and brain-compatible instruction, including the American Federation of TeacherÕs (AFT) Educational Research and Dissemination (ER&D) courses.

      Literacy instruction remains a major focus for professional development in the Syracuse City School District. The STC supports 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 integrate 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. STC staff members collaborates 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. This support includes onsite job-embedded consultations, workshops and technical assistance. The STC will maintain its partnership with the Regional School Support Center (RSSC) working with schools identified by state and federal agencies as needing improvement.

      Promoting and supporting technology integration is a major focal point of the STC program. Teacher center staff has worked closely with the SCSD on the district wide rollout of e-School. The STC continues to support professional development in Acuity, an online student assessment program, and IEP Direct, an online application for centralizing all the data for special education studentsÕ IEPs. The STC webpage is the one stop online source for all district inservice course information. The STC technology program offers district-wide and site-based courses, workshops and one-on-one support on a wide variety of topics focused on improving student achievement. Offerings include the Intel Teach program, Thinkfinity Literacy, Education and Technology for end users and for individuals interested in becoming certified trainers; Smart Board integration; linking literacy and technology, developing projects that integrate technology into all curricular areas, and online tools to support instruction. This year the STC, in cooperation with Apple Education, has offered a two day Podcasting institute. The STC provides an educational technology center with a computer lab, wireless Internet access, a large format poster printer, digital cameras, lcd projectors, document cameras, and graphing calculators.

      The Syracuse City School District has implemented a new teacher induction program to meet New York State certification requirements and the needs of new staff. The Teacher Center continues to support the implementation of the Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) program, Mentor Teacher-Intern Program (MTIP), and support of all our new teachers taking the AFTÕs ER&D courses.

      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, Smaller Learning Communities and the Title I School Improvement initiative.

      Teacher Center Activities for 2009- 2010

      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, educational technology center, 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 support staff;
      • collaborating with the SCSD to support a position of New Teacher 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 supporting district professional development;
      • using a network of building contacts at all SCSD sites;
      • promoting the use of online communication environments; and
      • 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; and
      • 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.

      Evaluation of Activities

      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.

      Evaluation of Outcomes
      Goals	Outcomes and Measures
      One Provide a site where resources, ideas, methods and approaches related to classroom instruction, shared decision making and new professional roles may be examined and refined.	Utilize the resources and opportunities available Year 3: Gather quantitative data from activities
      Two Provide instruction, assistance and support in educational technology including a demonstration and resource site and a traveling laboratory	Integrate educational technology into the educational program. Year 3: Create evaluation instrument
      Three Provide instruction, assistance and support in the development of effective approaches to curriculum, instruction and assessment to meet the standards and learner outcomes	Implement new approaches to instruction, curriculum and assessment. Year 1: Use level 1 and follow-up instrument (phone or paper) for Courses and Educational Horizons
      Four Provide instruction, assistance and support for literacy, including reading, writing, and mathematics programs which directly affect student achievement	Implement effective instructional programs. Year 1: Use level 1 and follow-up instrument (phone or paper) for Courses and Educational Horizons (continuing)
      Five Provide instruction, assistance and support in classroom management, discipline and conflict resolution	Demonstrate skills that improve classroom climate. Year 1: Use level 1 and follow-up instrument (phone or paper) for Courses and Educational Horizons (continuing)
      Six Provide instruction, assistance and support in the development of appropriate learning strategies for diverse learners	Design instructional goals and activities for diverse learners Year 2: Evaluate through Peer Review Process (currently tabled)

      
      

      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.