“The sole determiner of teacher success is the success of the child in reading, writing, and math.”
All too often, school systems fall into the trap of “jumping to solutions”. When it becomes apparent that improvements are needed, there is the tendency to look for the quick fix and to move forward without clear directionality or purpose. However, what looks quick and easy most often does not provide the desired results.
A unique aspect of the Center’s approach is a well defined process for the development of a locally defined mathematics and literacy framework. This process empowers the school community, allowing the local system to have ownership in defining a clear vision and mission. With a well articulated framework in place, programmatic decision-making becomes very focused and clear. If you know where you are going and why you need to go there, it is easy to determine what fits and what does not fit. The appraisal of current practices and the development of an action plan are vital steps in the successful implementation of the framework.
To accomplish this, the Center supports school systems in putting into action an informed, clear, and concise approach for teaching mathematics and literacy. The Center provides protocols for awareness and appraisal and facilitates the program development process. These steps are enacted through a local steering committee comprised of school staff and administration, parents, and community members and is facilitated by the Center. This design involves intensive support from the Center that gradually yields to an increasing level of local capacity. The development of school-based leadership is critical in ensuring long-term sustainability of defined program goals. With a systemic approach, these initiatives become bigger than any one person. This means that as individuals within a school come and go, the programmatic vision remains.
Another component of the project is the implementation of an early intervention program. An immediate impact can be achieved by identifying and serving the neediest students in the early grades by providing the accompanying teacher development. The professional development undertaken by the intervention specialist teachers acts as a foundation for supporting further activities related to teacher content knowledge and pedagogy.
Ultimately, the Center serves to create academic environments within schools that work to assure the success of every student to whom they are accountable. We do this by providing tools and approaches to learning that directly improves the quality of teaching and learning.