The Knowledge Loom: The Success Story

San Francisco Unified School District,

San Francisco, CA

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

Design and Implementation

The framework for professional development in the district combines centralized activities with site-based initiatives. The Professional Development Initiative requires each school to analyze a broad range of student achievement data (disaggregated by factors such as race, gender and quartile), rethink its curriculum, and create an improvement plan that connects activities with professional development plans. In the 25 professional development "model schools," for example, each school presents a preliminary plan for review to others in this grouping. This critical feedback is used by the planning committees in each school to refine the school improvement plan. This also provides an opportunity for schools to collaborate and share resources where appropriate. In the spring each school evaluates its plans and progress toward implementation by creating a portfolio that is once again submitted to peer schools for review.

Eight days are set aside in the school year for professional development. Three are used by the district (recent activities have included early literacy, biotechnology, mathematics, and technology) and follow the format of a summer institute, multiple follow-up sessions, and targeted on-site activities. One day is set aside for special education issues. The remaining four days are available for individual schools to use to meet their own professional development needs. In addition, schools are expected to engage in professional development activities beyond these four non-student days. Typically, schools use a combination of an early release and creative scheduling to focus on the high-priority areas identified in their improvement plans. Depending on the specific goals included in these plans, additional professional development might include all the faculty, grade level or action research teams, curriculum teams, or individuals. (Each teacher is required to complete an Individual Professional Growth Plan that connects the individual's interests with both the district and his/her school's priorities.)

Several other professional development initiatives in the district make important contributions to the goal of raising student achievement. The district sponsors an orientation for teachers new to the San Francisco Schools. In addition, teachers may join the Beginning Teachers Support and Assessment Program (BTSA), a state-initiated program, that involves novice teachers in an extended mentoring relationship with master teachers in the district. At the secondary level Site Support Teams have been identified to work with teachers to develop content and performance standards in areas targeted for improvement (literacy and math were the most recent areas). An extensive Learning Resource Bank has been created, comprising professional development and curriculum materials. Included are books, periodicals, tapes, model units and lessons, instructional and assessment materials, as well as electronic links to libraries and universities.

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