“In high-performing systems, teachers are resourced, encouraged, and expected to work with and learn from each other." ~ Andy Hargreavves, Leading Teacher, March 2012
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Success at the Core: A New, Free Professional Development Tool
This fall, Vulcan Productions and Education Development Center (http://www.edc.org/) are rolling out a new, free, web-based professional development toolkit for educators: Success at the Core (http://www.successatthecore.com/). The toolkit, created and pilot tested in Washington State, is designed to help school leadership teams and teachers elevate classroom instruction to improve student outcomes.
Success at the Core is job-embedded professional learning for educators. It includes two sets of materials: seven modules to help leadership teams develop a shared vision of quality instruction and advocate for it in their schools (on topics including using data effectively and common formative assessments) and 24 practical strategies teachers can use in the classroom. It also includes 47 documentary-style videos - featuring footage from six Washington State middle schools - to show what quality instruction looks like and how effective leadership teams operate.
The toolkit was pilot tested in 11 schools and one school district in Washington during the 2009/2010 school year. According to an independent evaluation of the pilot by Inverness Research, a national research organization, pilot schools reported growth in leadership capacity, improved professional culture, stronger instructional focus, and increased student engagement. Learn more about the toolkit at http://www.successatthecore.com/.