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

Replication Details

Replication Tips

NOTE: If you have not already read the "Design and Implementation" section, selecting that from the menu before reading further will provide a context for the replication details below.

The district is proud of its professional development program and knows it has made an impact on staff and students in the Lawrence Public Schools, but it also acknowledges that it is still evolving and will continue to be refined. There are educators who visit the district to get ideas or who attend sessions that some of our staff members present at various state and regional conferences. There is a results-based staff-development training team that has provided several workshops in northeast Kansas. There are pockets of the various components in districts across Kansas due to the in-service plan and the networking that goes on within the state.

There are several components that can be adopted or adapted by other districts. These include: the use of results-based staff development action plans that are aligned with the school improvement plans, the discussion of professional development standards by our local in-service council in order to improve practice, an instructional skills program to establish a common language and definition about effective instructional practices, the building of level study groups which utilize peer coaching, and the implementation of aligned curriculum and performance assessment development and training.

In the spring of 1997 the district included as one of six examples in Strategies for School System Leaders on District-Level Change, "Getting Serious about Professional Development," published by the Panasonic Foundation in collaboration with AASA.

Site Visit Documentation

Lawrence Public School District's success was recorded based on a site visit conducted by the National Awards Program for Model Professional Development in 1996:

Criteria	Evidence
Connection between p.d. and school/district improvement plans (needs assessment). Have goals and mission changed over time and rationale for change?	There is a strong connection between professional development and school and district improvement plans. All professional development plans are monitored and approved by the "Local Inservice Council" (LIC), which represents all schools in the district to ensure alignment between district goals and professional development activities. Since the formation of the professional development plan eleven years ago, district staff have incorporated a developmental model that has been transformed from a mandatory participation plan with limited staff development to a multi-faceted program that is filled to capacity voluntarily. Lawrence's broad goals have remained soundly intact for the past eight years: (1) continuous improvement at the building level, directly tied to student achievement targets; (2) improved instructional skills for all staff; and (3) aligned, articulated curriculum and assessment practices.
Connection to student achievement (including the process of how p.d. is connected to student outcomes).	There is a direct connection between professional development and student achievement goals. School site councils review student assessment data, proficiency tests, and portfolios to determine areas of strength and weaknesses. Goals are written and professional development is planned to support the goals. These goals are then reviewed by the Local Inservice Council, which has representation from all schools and the district office.
Extent to which distinct p.d. experiences are connected and ongoing and linked to goals.	There is a process in place to insure that professional development is connected to individual, school, and district goals. This includes the approval of the site representative and principal of each school, as well as the Instructional Skills Committee (of the Local Inservice Council). Most requests are approved.
Evidence of teacher change (teacher outcomes).	Teachers write an Action Plan following each professional development experience, which outlines how they are going to apply what they learned to the classroom and their curriculum. These plans are monitored by the principal and the instructional strategies / curriculum coordinators. Teachers are videotaped before and after they learn a particular instructional technique, to monitor development of skills. Journals and portfolios are also used by teachers, and areas of strengths and growth are identified.
Connection to research and best practices.	A constructivist approach to staff development is based on research by Bruce Joyce and Beverly Showers, the principles of adult learners, and theories of teacher development. The district's program has also been influenced by the works of B. Bennett, M. Fullen, and numerous others. Principles of brain-based learning, and multiple intelligences are evident in the professional development approach utilized.
Diversity in types of p.d. experiences.	There is a wide range of p.d. activities available to the district's educators. Activities include study groups which follow staff development experiences, as well as peer coaching, BLISS (Building Level Instructional Skills) groups, action research, self reflection, and a growing staff development center, where any staff person in the district can borrow resources (books, videos, etc.) aimed at professional development.
Percent of staff/schools involved (planning, evaluating, participating in the full range of activities).	All schools in the district are involved in the district's staff development program. All schools are represented on the Local Inservice Council and involved in the implementation of their site plans. Teachers may be involved in many leadership roles including, Language Arts cadre, teacher leaders, math liaisons, science leaders, and team leaders. Teachers receive training in peer coaching. Substitute teachers are made available to provide class coverage so that teachers can readily participate in these activities. They also support the program by providing class coverage for each other.
Strategies for supporting ongoing p.d. (time for p.d. and how it is embedded).	Several schools have instituted schedules that include weekly early-release days to provide teachers a half day each week for professional development. BLISS groups are facilitated by principals, district coordinators that meet weekly, and a cadre of substitute teachers take over classes for the teachers involved. There are 4.5 development days on the district's master calendar, and half-day fall and spring assessment conferences. Continuous funds are available for release time, stipends, and workshop fees.
Methods for evaluating the p.d. initiative (collection of appropriate data and use of data).	The evaluation of the professional development initiative occurs on an on-going basis by the Local Inservice Council, and includes teacher response surveys, teacher journals, and assessments by training and curriculum staff. Staff implementation is monitored using CBAM (Concerned Based Adoption Model).
Communication with staff about p.d. activities.	Teachers are surveyed after all professional development activities and at the end of the school year, regarding concerns and feedback about p.d. activities. Each building has representatives on the LIC, who serve as communications liaisons between each school and the council and district planners. In addition, the LIC provides meeting minutes to all district staff. Teachers may also contact their site LIC representative regarding professional development.
P.D. program is institutionalized rather than dependent on specific resources or personalities.	The professional development program is institutionalized and systemic. The Local Inservice Council is composed of representative teachers and/or principals at each school building, who are selected by their colleagues. This council makes decisions regarding how professional development will be carried out at the district and at the school and individual levels. Each school has a professional development plan.

Costs and Funding

The district has been able to protect the funding for professional development activities even during those times when bond issues have been difficult to pass. Professional development has a high priority in the district. Current funding comes from a number of sources: State Excellence Grants, fifty percent match from State Professional Development Funds, Title II (math and science), and business partnerships.

A strong professional development program requires creative use of time and resources, both human and monetary. The district is fortunate that it spends enough in staff development programs and have enough people on approved individual development plans to receive full reimbursement from the state, which is currently at about 50%. Funding for professional growth is sometimes difficult to maintain when a district undergoes budget cuts. It is often easy to say, "let's cut what doesn't directly affect the students." The district was able to reinstate professional development cuts made between 1993 and 1996. They are fortunate to have additional revenue from several sources, including money from the federal government for work in science and math (Title II), from three state excellence grants, and monetary support from district business partnerships. Individual schools in the district have been given scholarships to help staff attend summer workshops.

Many people in the district provide leadership for staff development. A director oversees school improvement/accreditation and staff development and two instructional coordinators provide training and facilitate building-level study groups. They oversee the library and assist all staff in connecting with the right people or information. Curriculum coordinators provide leadership and training for their specific subject areas. Principals, along with their building staff-development committees, plan and implement the specific action plans for their school with the help of people from the district or outsiders when needed. Teacher leaders are used and paid accordingly when they are the logical choice for presenting/facilitating. The district allocates travel and stipend money as well as a number of substitute days that schools can use for release time. There are five to six half days built into the school calendar for building-level staff development. As mentioned earlier, schools use creative ways to create time for collaboration, planning, and learning. Because the staff-development plans are ongoing, the staff of various schools find ways to build in time for peer observation/coaching, planning, discussions, and reflection. District allocations are used for substitutes as well as for district activities like instructional skills and curriculum and assessment work, teacher stipends for work done outside their contract time, outside consultants, materials, and ongoing subscriptions. Even though resources are limited and the amount spent on professional development is less than 1.3% of the total district operating budget, the district feels it makes effective use of time, people, and money.

Sources of funding for Lawrence Public Schools' professional development 1996:

Total Inservice Fund 3 Enhancement Grants Assessment Quail Run Technology Internet Exploration Title II - Math/Science General Fund Scholarships from various business partnerships District business partnership    funding for "poet in residence"    (5 year commitment to this annual amount)

$290,000 $66,000 $42,095 $20,000 $33,298 $212,000 $3,000 $40,000 $706,393

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