PD 360 Case StudySmall Rural New York District Prepares Paraprofessionals and Streamlines Observations

“The New York State Department of Education has

introduced new initiatives that necessitate more

classroom observations, feedback responses, and

aligned directions. Teamed together, Observation

360 and PD 360 are a great system for performing

complete observations and meeting the required

evaluation practices.”

Mary Beth Horn Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Mexico

Academy and Central School District, New York

Profile

Mexico Academy and Central School District (MACS) has

been a valued institution since its 1822 beginning in a

two-story brick schoolhouse called “The Academy.” Lower

grades on the first floor and high school on the upper, it

was the earliest secondary education to be established in

Oswego County, New York.

A small rural district in a charming area of farms and

orchards, MACS serves 2,500 students within five schools

and is supported by a wholly committed community. The

district is based on a conviction that “all children can

learn” and encourages students to be lifelong learners.

Focus

To ensure an outstanding education for all students, MACS is dedicated to professional learning. Current focuses are as follows:

• Common Core Standards

• Curriculum Mapping

• Constructivist Learning

Solutions

MACS Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and

Instruction Mary Beth Horn is a vibrant, knowledgeable

administrator who wanted an all-inclusive teacher resource

and a comprehensive observation system. In 2011, the

School Improvement Network’s Educator Effectiveness

System (EES) joined the district instructional program with

answers to their concerns.

Common Core 360

Common Core 360 prepares educators to understand

and implement the Common Core Standards. With a

library of almost 300 training videos that include 70 in-

class examples of teachers implementing the Standards,

Common Core 360 is a valuable tool for teachers

preparing students for college and career.

Curriculum Mapping

An internationally recognized expert in the fields of

curriculum and instruction, Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacobs’

PD 360 programs such as Mapping to the Core and

Curriculum Mapping demonstrate mapping major

concepts, units of study, skills, assessments, and

outcomes throughout the year.

Constructivist Learning

PD 360 programs such as Creating and Sustaining the

Constructivist Classroom and Cooperative Learning

and Multiple Intelligences illustrate how constructivist

teachers support student autonomy by fostering initiative

and critical thinking, thus creating active and motivated

learners. Ms. Horn states, “Outlining learning goals,

implementation, and expected outcomes will have a

positive effect on student success.”

Implementation

MACS began its EES rollout by training administrators

and paraprofessionals, while teacher instruction will take

place in the next school year. Following are some of the

ways PD 360 and Observation 360 are currently utilized

in the district:

Classroom Observations

MACS administrators are using Observation 360 to

evaluate teachers in classrooms. The observation

process will be fully integrated when teachers are

trained in PD 360 to receive immediate feedback that

includes relevant links.

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)

PD 360 will be used to enhance PLCs and advance

comprehension of the data analysis process, such as

gathering evidence of student knowledge, planning future

action, and driving instruction and learning.

Paraprofessional Training

PD 360 prepares paraprofessionals with programs such as

“Training for Paraprofessionals” and with online interactive

communities that encourage sharing experiences and

reflections. MACS paraprofessionals also have personal

growth learning goals that include use of PD 360

instructional programs.

“PD 360 has helped us personalize our paraprofessional

training. Benefitting from the autonomy plus a multitude

of strategies, they love it and their feedback has been

very positive.”

Mary Beth Horn Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum

and Instruction, Mexico Academy and

Central School District, New York

Benefits

MACS administrators and paraprofessionals are already

drawing on PD 360 for specific needs in classroom

management and teaching strategies. Ms. Horn looks

forward to extending EES advantages to all teachers and

initiating Common Core 360.

Dependable Client Service

Delighted with EES client support, Ms. Horn affirms,

“Working with School Improvement Network has been

great. I appreciate their quick responses when dealing with

our needs.”

Renowned Experts

Educators appreciate the easy availability of over 120

respected experts such as Heidi Hayes Jacobs, Gayle

Gregory, Rick DuFour, Michael Fullan, and many more, thus

eliminating the need to rely on costly conferences to learn

from the best authorities.

Differentiated Professional Learning and

Instructional Support

PD 360 maintains independent, differentiated learning

with a library of over 3,000 videos targeting specific

educator needs and experience levels. Educators always

have flexible control of their own development anytime

and anywhere.

Educator Enthusiasm

Good usage numbers indicate that PD 360 has been well

received by MACS educators.

The following responses from MACS paraprofessionals

validate PD 360’s valuable influence.

“I watched programs showing that inclusion can have

a positive impact on the child with special needs to

learn academically and behaviorally from peers. In the

inclusion classroom, students are given the opportunity

to understand the needs of others and discover their own

capacity to give.”

www.schoolimprovement.com | 801-572-1153

“After viewing programs on brain research and the impact

on student learning, I am reflecting on how I can best

implement the strategies for students with autism. I am

looking closely at a few key points to focus on.”

“The programs have reinforced my awareness of the

importance of being effective, frequent, and consistent

with bullying behavior. I need to support correct language

and behaviors in the hallways by being more vigilant.”

“A speaker in a PD 360 video I watched said, ‘It isn’t

just about students knowing the answer. It’s about how

students behave when they don’t know the answer.’ This

made me think about problem solving strategies and

how great learning also comes on the journey to finding

answers. What I learned today will motivate students to be

creative thinkers and problem solvers.”

“The programs offered views on teacher/paraprofessional

roles. I will set goals to be supportive, proactive to teacher

expectations, and to apply good communication skills.”

Conclusion

Enthusiastic about the EES advantages such as PD

360 building teacher effectiveness, Observation 360

streamlining classroom evaluations, and Common

Core 360 facilitating the Common Core Standards

implementation, Ms. Horn knows the students will be the

real winners.

“The Educator Effectiveness System is making a difference

in our district. Observation 360 increases educator

understanding of formal observations and PD 360 meets

individual needs of our educators. When teachers are

exposed to high-quality materials, students benefit.”

Mary Beth Horn Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum

and Instruction Mexico Academy and

Central School District, New York

About School Improvement

Founded in 1991 by teachers, School Improvement

Network has spent decades researching and documenting

the best practices in education. From this research, School

Improvement Network has developed the Educator

Effectiveness System. This system delivers a process to

improve teacher practice, and gives educators a set of

powerful tools to drive the process. Research shows that

districts and schools that use the tools in the Educator

Mexico Academy and Central SD, New York

PD 360 Usage March 2012 – May 2013

Registered Users

Collective Programs Viewed

Collective Segments Viewed

Collective Minutes Viewed

Average Minutes Per User

299 1,188 2,446 13,725 50

www.schoolimprovement.com | 801-572-1153

About School Improvement

Founded in 1991 by teachers, School Improvement

Network has spent decades researching and documenting

the best practices in education. From this research, School

Improvement Network has developed the Educator

Effectiveness System. This system delivers a process to

improve teacher practice, and gives educators a set of

powerful tools to drive the process. Research shows that

districts and schools that use the tools in the Educator

Effectiveness System produce better teachers and,

as a result, experience dramatic increases in student

achievement, driving up student test scores by as much as

30 percent in a single year. School Improvement Network

works with thousands of schools and districts in every

state and around the world and has visited over 3,500

classrooms to document best practices in action. Learn

more at www.schoolimprovement.com

www.schoolimprovement.com | 801-572-1153