Around the district
Family Friendly Calendar
A new family-friendly calendar with consistent release days for students is now being developed for the 2008-09 school year. The revised school calendar will be an improvement to the current mix of full-day, half-day, late start and early release days scheduled during the year. Teachers, staff and students can continue progress toward getting all students to academic standards with a calendar that provides time to improve teaching and learning through professional development opportunities for teachers.
Our Goal
Our goal is to create consistent time for school staff to work together and provide professional development time for teachers during weekly scheduled student release time.
Purpose
Time for professional development will sustain continuous improvement that enhances student achievement for ALL students in our community.
Why professional development?
Educational research demonstrates the greatest positive impact on student achievement is through professional development to improve the quality of teaching and learning.
Current professional development model
Now teachers participate in professional development activities, some are mandatory and some are voluntary. Some are in the evening, on weekends or during scheduled half-day and full-day student release times throughout the year. Not all teachers receive the same training and activities are spread out too far apart.
Why not just make classes smaller?
While many people believe small class size is the answer, research indicates for class size reduction to impact student learning classes must be 16 or fewer students.
Half-days and full-days
Our current calendar is confusing, inconsistent and does not meet the goals of
our families, community or of the school community. It lacks consistency and accountability for staff.
Potential calendar model
To the best of our ability professional development programs, activities and work currently done on the weekends, during the evening, or when a substitute is in the classroom, would be conducted as part of the workday during student release time.
Limiting additional release time
Also, we would like to consolidate as much as is possible to limit other half days. There are some days, which we cannot change, for instance, state LID days and Senior Project days.
What kind of work will teachers do?
All of the work done during this regular release time would be focused on increasing student achievement.
Student release time
Weekly release would be shorter than current half-days
90 minutes
Late start or early dismissal
Do other districts use this model?
Dieringer, Puyallup, Orting and White River school districts have weekly student release time for professional development.
An investment in professional development gives us the highest rate of return in improving student achievement.
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