Assign and Train School Staff
New programs within schools often require recruitment or realignment of staff to meet new needs. Districts can help individual schools assess staffing needs, recruit qualified new staff, and reposition existing staff to fill the needs created by new programs.
Program Practices
| Each practice below comes from an individual school choice program. |
Assign a Lead Teacher to Focus on Student Needs and Reach Parents
Arkansas Virtual School assigns a lead teacher to match student with the most appropriate online instructor and coordinate face-to-face training for parents.
Assign a Program Coordinator for Each School
To support the teachers, students, and the overall program, each magnet school in the Houston Independent School District employs a magnet coordinator.
Communicate With District Administrators to Enlist Their Support for Choice
The superintendent of Hillsborough County Public Schools informs district administrators about the choice timeline and solicits their support for the application process.
Hire Principals that Support and Enhance Your Program
The Houston Independent School District has developed a Standard Practice Memorandum for Hiring Principals.
Hire Staff to Help Market, Transition and Maintain New Programs
Because so many magnet programs were added to the district in a short period of time, Duval County Public Schools needed to employ staff to help market, administer, and monitor the programs at the district and school levels.
Offer Professional Development on Supporting Students Before, During and After Choice
Portland Public Schools understands that simply transferring from low-performing to higher-performing schools does not guarantee students’ success. In order to improve student success rates, the district offers professional development opportunities to ensure that teachers and other school staff meet students’ differentiated learning needs in choice schools.
Partner With a Local University to Provide a Masters Program that Focuses on Choice
To better inform teachers about the process of change and bring their creative energy to the district’s choice program, Monadnock Region Public Schools of Choice created an Experienced Educators’ masters program focusing on change and choice was developed in partnership with Antioch University New England.
Plan Professional Development Based on Assessed Needs
Hamilton County Schools requires each school to consider student data such as test scores, attendance, and graduation rates when planning professional development.
Prepare Principals to Join Neighborhood Learning Clusters Through Professional Development Workshops
In order to adequately prepare and support principals to participate in Neighborhood Learning Clusters (NLCs), Chicago Public Schools' Office of Academic Enhancement offers various professional development opportunities.
Share Best Teaching Practices Between Schools
One critical way the Brighter Choice Program supports the faculties of their new charter schools is to distribute a DVD highlighting real-life examples of exemplary teaching practices.
Train School Teams to Support Choice Programs
After Monadnock Region Public Schools of Choice was awarded the Volunteer Public School Choice (VPSC) grant, Vision to Action Forums were held to involve the local community and solicit input for the development of choice programs.
Develop a Choice Summer Institute for Teachers to Share Effective Strategies
Miami-Dade County Public Schools’ summer institutes provide professional development without removing teachers from the classroom during the school day. The summer institute format allows a larger number of teachers to participate in a sustained network and community of professional development.
Offer a Summer Demonstration School Learning Experience
Miami-Dade County Public Schools created the Summer Demonstration School Project(SDSP),a summer school program that also provides an innovative professional development experience in a laboratory-type setting. SDSP’s focus addresses three areas: teaching and learning, student development, and leading change.
Offer An Annual Conference Highlighting Best Practices On School Integration
Beginning in 2005, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) resumed the practice of offering an annual conference on integration. The two-day conference highlights best practices that target the integration issues of schools within the state.
Sample Materials
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Hartman Value Profile
Principals in Houston Independent School District must take the Hartman Value Profile, the results of which are taken into consideration by the hiring team.
School Surveys
Hamilton County Schools administers surveys such as those included here to students, parents and teachers to gather data to inform the professional development offered at their site.
Online Notification and Registration System
Miami-Dade County Public Schools uses this system to notify and assist district staff with professional development registration.
Summer Demonstration School Project Webpage
Miami-Dade County Public Schools maintains this webpage to provide information on this innovative summer school option. Included on the webpage are the teaching and learning strategies that are the project’s foci, and the teacher application guidelines.
Magnet Coordinator Job Description
The Houston Independent School District Magnet Coordinators work with each other to align the programs and experiences from one campus to the next as students progress from elementary to high school.
Standard Practice Memorandum-Hiring Principals
Houston Independent School District uses the following procedure for recruiting and hiring principals. The process is augmented for magnet school principals in that the hiring team considers interest and experience with the school theme.
Magnet Coordinator Appraisal System
Houston Independent School District uses this comprehensive appraisal system to evaluate the performance of its magnet school coordinators.
Superintendent's Memo to Area Directors About the Choice Application Process
The superintendent of the Hillsborough County Public Schools asks area directors to monitor the dissemination of choice application information at their schools. This memo stresses that school staff need to be knowledgeable and ready to support parents as they consider options for their children.
New Principals' Orientation
This flyer is used by Chicago Public Schools to advertise the New Principal Orientation that is held prior to the start of the school year to welcome and provide support to new principals.
Fall Institute
Principals and Magnet Cluster Lead Teachers at all magnet cluster schools at Chicago Public Schools attend an institute at the beginning of the school year. This is the agenda from the 2006 Fall Institute.
January Technical Assistance Workshops
Principals and Magnet Cluster Lead Teachers at Chicago Public Schools receive technical assistance in areas including the development of a strategic plan and writing a program RFP. This is the agenda from the January 2007 Technical Assistance Workshop.
Experienced Educators Masters Program of Studies
Monadnock Region Public Schools of Choice offers this masters program for teachers in partnership with Antioch University New England. This is the program of studies.
Experienced Educators Masters Program
Monadnock Region Public Schools of Choice offers this masters program for teachers in partnership with Antioch University New England.
TREK Training Program
Monadnock Region Public Schools of Choice provides training specifically for design teams.
Request for Proposals for Creating a Choice Program Within a School
In Monadnock Region Public Schools of Choice, design teams initiate choice programs within a school by submitting this Request for Proposals.
Request for Proposals for Creating a Choice School
In Monadnock Region Public Schools of Choice, design teams initiate choice schools by submitting this Request for Proposals.
Design Team Support and Training
Monadnock Region Public Schools of Choice provides ongoing support and training for design teams.
Design Teams
At the conclusion of a Vision to Action Forum, Monadnock Region Public Schools of Choice offers the community the opportunity to participate in a design team.
Arkansas Virtual School Lead Teacher Role Description
After a 2005-2006 comprehensive program evaluation, which included the review and analysis of all Arkansas Virtual School processes and policies, the evaluators reported the complete job description of the ARVS lead teachers, revealing the multiple efforts of lead teachers to communicate regularly with parents.
Design Team Email Newsletter
Monadnock Region Public Schools of Choice emails this monthly newsletter to all design team members across the region.
Professional Development Participant Survey
Miami-Dade County Public Schools' personnel complete this survey to provide input for professional development activities including the Choice Summer Institutes.
Choice Summer Institute Agenda
Miami-Dade County Public Schools offers this Choice Summer Institute to its teachers.
Choice Summer Institute Presenters
Miami-Dade County Public Schools’ Choice Summer Institute presenters provide information on a variety of topics for the district’s teachers.
Fall Institute Toolkit
Chicago Public Schools’ principals received this toolkit containing templates for promoting best practices at their schools.
Magnet Program Supervisor
Duval County Public Schools has a program supervisor at the central office to manage the overall district magnet program and closely coordinate with other school choice programs such as charter schools, NCLB Transfers, and Opportunity Scholarships.
Memorandum of Agreement
This Memorandum of Agreement defines the partnership to be entered into between a Magnet Lead Teacher and the Duval County Public Schools.
Parent/Community Advocate Job Description
This job description for a KIPP Houston Parent/Community Advocate outlines the responsibilities the role entails.
Magnet Lead Teacher Performance Scale
This rubric is used by Duval County Public Schools to rate Magnet Lead Teachers on a performance scale.
Student Life Advisor Job Description
Foxborough Regional Charter School employs a Student Life Advisor whose duties are outlined in this job description.
Summer Demonstration School Project Application Timeline Announcement
Miami-Dade County Public Schools posts this call for teaching applications for the Summer Demonstration School Project.
Summer Demonstration School Project Teacher Application
Miami-Dade County Public Schools posts these application guidelines for teachers interested in teaching for the Summer Demonstration School Project.
Professional Development Agenda
Portland Public Schools provided this professional development for K-8 school teams to best meet the needs of students transitioning to middle school curriculum.
Superintendent's Memo to Principals About the Choice Application Process
In Hillsborough County Public Schools, the superintendent alerts principals about the choice application process by forwarding this memo containing general information and guidelines to which to adhere. The letter also emphasizes the importance of teamwork in making the choice program a success.
Technical Manager of Magnet Program Recruiting and Marketing
Duval County Public Schools employs a Technical Manager of Marketing to work with school staff to promote their school.
Media
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Three Things to Consider
- Match staff interest and skill to choice positions
- Give current teachers first opportunity to apply for new choice positions
- Provide professional development to help rally the staff and provide support during the transition
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–Lea Ann Burk, Principal of Brown International Academy in Hamilton County Schools
