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Faulkton Professional Development
Faulkton School District 24-2
Faulkton, SD
Introduction/Overview
Organizational Change
Budget & Finance
Professional Development
Technology Infrastructure
Outcomes
Evaluation
Contact Information
Introduction/Overview
Using research-driven statistics, the Faulkton School District created a partnership with the University of South Dakota to offer professional development for the Faulkton staff in the areas of reading and writing. The Faulkton staff will be trained by the University TTD staff in the areas of instructional design and advanced instructional design online using the Internet, Web CT, and the statewide Digital Dakota Network (DDN). During our discussions with district staff, we realized that technology was going to be a key factor in providing our students with the skills and knowledge they needed to compete in the world after high school and compete with students from more affluent areas. Considering the fact that our district will never be able to provide the resources that other districts can, we recognized that technology can be an equalizing factor for us.
Web CT is a set of tools organized into a system to deliver online courses or to augment classroom-based courses. Instructors are free to select from among these tools to create a course environment. Popular tools include a course content manager, online quizzes, bulletin boards, chat rooms, gradebooks, glossaries, and much more.
The DDN is a state-supported digital communication system that delivers high-speed data connectivity to all public schools in South Dakota. In addition, the DDN video delivers high-quality video conferencing capabilities to high/middle school facilities within South Dakota. This system, created by former South Dakota Governor William Janklow, is a cooperative effort between South Dakota and private corporate contributions. The objectives of the DDN video are to provide a seamless statewide educational delivery system. Benefits of using the DDN video include sharing educational resources; broadening course offerings; allowing teacher collaboration; saving time, travel, and other resources; and removing geographic barriers. The DDN video equipment is intended for use in K–12 education.
The project will impact grades 3–8, and 11 in the areas of reading and writing in the Faulkton School District. Also, Faulkton School District has included in its boundaries, four Hutterite colony attendance centers, wherein the students speak English as a second language.
Faulkton School District will utilize the SD READS program, DDN network, TTD instruction, attendance at the International Hutterite Conference (ICHE), and 6 + 1 Writing Traits throughout the year to achieve their goals.
Work on this project officially began August 20–21, 2004, before school began for the district. At this time, Faulkton brought in Marilyn Hofer, a reading specialist from a nearby city, to provide professional development and instruction in the reading curriculum.
From that point on, and currently occurring, the Faulkton staff meets the second Wednesday of each month to review material and discuss how they are using the reading comprehension strategies in their classrooms. These meetings will continue, congruent with asynchronous discussions via Web CT, through May, 2005.
TTD Instruction
The division of Technology-training and development at the University of South Dakota is dedicated to meeting the ever increasing need for technological skills and understanding involved in any phase or level of education, i.e., in K–12, postsecondary, business and community education, and training. We view educational technology as including the hardware, software, and techniques and strategies related to planning for, developing, managing, and using technology for instructional purposes.
The 2003–2004 Stanford Writing Assessment results show that district students in grades 5 and 9 need to demonstrate improvement in the areas of organization, sentence and paragraph construction, idea development, and word choice. The DakotaSTEP (Dakota State Test of Educational Progress) results for grades 3–8 and 11 indicate a need in reading based upon scores from the 2002–2003 assessments.
Students in grades 3–8 and 11 completed the DakotaSTEP test in the spring of 2004. The test is designed to measure the progress of students on the South Dakota Content Standards in Reading and Math. This report summarizes the results of that assessment.
Table 1.1 NCLB Report Card Scores for Reading for Faulkton School District, 2004.
- Improve reading scores across all grade and content areas to meet the proficient and advanced assessment requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).
- Improve DakotaSTEP assessment results in reading by 10% in grades 3–8 and 11.
- Improve ESL student scores in DakotaSTEP assessment in reading by 10% in grades 3–8 and 11.
- Improve written communication across all grade and content areas so that all students in grades 5 and 9 score at the proficient or advanced level.
- Improve Stanford Writing Assessment results in grades 5 and 9 by 10%.
- Improve ESL student scores on Stanford Writing Assessment results in grades 5 and 9 by 10%
Organizational Change
Faulkton used a group dynamic model. CEO Joel Price led the staff in this process in the winter of 2003–2004, before grant writing began to ascertain what the staff thought should be included in the grant. As a part of this, the staff wrote their own mission statement as well as goals and objectives. This process also included the paraprofessionals.
Due in part to this process, stakeholder buy-in has been very good. The staff has had community support through this process, expressing their intent to participate in such an endeavor through newsletters to the Board of Education as well as articles in their local newspaper.
The elementary principal also presented a program held in October 2004, where K–6 teachers discussed ideas and strategies to improve reading performance.
Budget & Finance
The overall budgets for this project are as follows:
Summer 2004: $17,137
School Year 2004–2005: $28,391
The plan will be sustained through the Title II Part D funds in succeeding years, allocation through the district's general fund and additional grant sources as may be located.
Professional Development
The plan is designed to consist of staff development through that University of South Dakota Technology Training and Development staff for courses in instructional design and advanced instructional design over the DDN and Internet, and with onsite opportunities through the SD READS and 6 + 1 Traits of Writing program. District staff will be able to construct their own meaning through reflection and discussion with peers and professors. The staff will also be able to implement the curriculum changes via direct development of their own curriculum based on South Dakota Content Standards. Revision of any or all of the staff development will be facilitated through monthly staff meetings and discussion related to the effectiveness of the training.
More specifically, a course covering instruction design, course catalog number TET729, was taught by Dr. Roseanne Yost, the director of USD's TTD Department. By participating in this class, held through the DDN, staff were able to earn graduate credit through USD or continuing education credits through the South Dakota State Department of Education.
Technology Infrastructure
Faulkton has been using the DDN and video conferencing to communicate and conduct coursework through USD faculty. Currently, USD faculty meets with teachers that are taking the courses for credit, monthly or as needed. Other technologies utilized include Web CT as an asynchronous communication tool; and the Internet to link to reading Web sites, including the International Reading Association (IRA), Mid-continent Research for Educational Learning (McRel), and the Education Resource Information Center (ERIC).
Outcomes
- The professional development has opened a discussion about reading in grades K–12.
- By the staff using strategies in the classroom, students are now using "strategies" amongst themselves, starting their own discussions.
- Teachers at colony schools are using these strategies to help the ESL students in grades K–3.
Evaluation
One of the most important parts of this project has been having a postsecondary partner. For Faulkton, USD has been a critical partner and without them as a new partner, Faulkton would be unable to give graduate credit for staff efforts. This relationship with a higher education partner is crucial.
There would be no reason that this project can't be reproduced if both district and higher education institutions are willing to get involved.
The biggest impact the Title II Part D grant has had on the faculty and paraprofessionals in the district is that the discussion now centers on strategies for success rather than simply noting the faults in a child's understanding of the subject matter. Teachers and students are engaging in tasks that directly link theory and practice in the classroom to the learning that is being accomplished by the students and measured by the staff. The mission of the staff is to become a learning community that facilitates positive change and follow through. The grant has enabled the district's teachers to engage in meaningful dialogue that will directly link to practice in the classroom. This is a positive step in the right direction and could be generalized to any district in the state.
Contact Information
Joel Price
Joel.price@k12.sd.us
605-598-6266
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