School Type: Public	School Setting: Rural
Level: K-12	School Design: Traditional
Content Presented By:
National Awards Program for Model Professional Development

Summary

The practice: Professional development should incorporate evaluation of multiple sources of information on (a) outcomes for students and (b) the instruction and other processes that are involved in implementing the lessons learned.

• Number of students dropping declined by more than 50%
• After the implementation of the program, 99% of all students (including special education) passed the NYS reading exam
• 100% of 1-5 graders were using the CCC math program 15 minutes each day in addition to the normal math instruction time
• Teachers' interviews indicated students' increased motivation, self-discipline, and responsibility
• Before adopting a program, it is screened by the superintendent
• Teachers reviewed several successful programs
• A program for grades 1-5 piloted for two years then adopted by the district
• A pre-first grade program tested and dropped because of unmet goals

Geneva City School District in upstate New York is an atypical rural school district, serving 2500 students. Unlike most rural school districts, the student population has socioeconomic characteristics similar to those of many urban districts. Approximately half of the district's students are eligible for free or reduced price lunch. The changing demographics of the county, the student population, and the maturation of its teaching force led to Geneva's decision to invest heavily in the development of all staff.

To ensure that professional development programs available to staff members are of the highest equality and have the intended results, Geneva instituted a comprehensive evaluation process to examine the effectiveness of all its programs. To be endorsed by the district, programs must align with the district's standards and demonstrated evidence of their impact on student achievement.

This evaluation occurs during the pilot phase of new professional development programs, the district conducts a comprehensive evaluation of the program using an experimental research design. The district is not hesitant to withhold approval for professional development programs that do not demonstrate success in increasing student achievement.

Evaluation during the pilot stage of professional development program, and as programs are implemented helps the Geneva City School District ensure that professional development programs produce intended results.

This site also exemplifies the following practice(s):

• Professional development should be connected to a comprehensive change process focused on improving student learning.  

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