In 1997, HP launched a pilot to extend HP support to the middle- and high-school
programs at all HP grant sites in Colorado and one site in California. West Ed, a Research and Development lab of the U.S.
Department of Education, is working with HP on this effort. Recently, the HP contributions
board agreed to fund a second year of the middle-school/ high-school program at the level
of $150,000, and the program officially is no longer considered a pilot.
Progress to Date. So far, leadership has been established in the
participating schools, most of which are located in Colorado. One leadership institute and
two institutes for the professional development of teachers have been held. Also, a new
concept called the “Hub” Professional Development Network has been established.
As participants in the Network, school districts in roughly the same geographical region
commit to co-sponsor six professional development sessions for their teachers annually
during the school year.
Leadership and Professional Development for Teachers. Each
participating school district has HP scientists, WestEd coordinators, and its own middle
and high school teachers and administrators on leadership teams. University partners are
also involved.
In June, seven participating districts sent teams to a Leadership Institute co-funded
by the districts and HP. The purpose was to develop leadership in the districts, both
inside and outside the leadership teams, to establish a “Hub” Professional
Development Network (see above), to plan a summer professional development institute for
teachers with year-long follow-up, and to plan for department-wide change.
In August, the first of the summer institutes were held, one each in northern Colorado
and southern Colorado. The northern Colorado institute involved 30 teachers from two
districts and emphasized standards-based assessment, technology infusion, the infusion of
career path planning into the high school curriculum, the development of a vision for
reform, the development of strategies, and the development of classroom instruction and
curriculum alignment with standards. Visit the northern Colorado middle- and high-school Hub website for more information on the
activities. The southern Colorado institute involved 32 teachers from five districts (with
the sixth district planning to send teachers to a second session), and emphasized
inquiry-based instruction, standards-based assessment, and an articulation of the middle
through high school program.
The Roseville, CA, school district sent nine teachers to the southern California
institute, and five other California school districts have also indicated interest in the
program.
