Schools receive $97,000 Chalkboard Project grant

The effort to improve Sisters schools got a boost last week as Superintendent Jim Golden announced a $97,000 grant from Oregon's Chalkboard Project. The grant will fund professional development, and the development of a curriculum evaluation process for the 2011-2012 school year.

Last year the district received a grant for $8,500 and then matched it with an $8,000 stimulus grant to work on a program of curriculum improvement by measuring the engagement of the students.

"We had a wild success. The teachers were very enthusiastic. They did 10 hours of work on curriculum. Then we videotaped the curriculum and we began the discussion of engaging kids," said Golden. "There were 25 staff involved. They worked after school from 4 to 7 p.m. for (a total of) 20 hours."

Golden described what can be learned immediately in classroom observations called "instructional rounds."

"When you come in to a classroom you are not watching the teacher; you are watching the students. Are they engaged? That is how kids learn... kids don't learn by listening to someone talking, they learn by getting their hands dirty and getting into the learning themselves," said Golden. "That is going to be our focus this year. We know that when kids are engaged in learning they learn

more."

The grant will be used to give a second year of advanced training in the instructional rounds method to last year's participants. The funds will also allow the district to give a first year of training to the balance of the district's teaching staff.

A portion of the grant will also be used to develop a way to compensate staff on a school-by-school basis for increasing the performance level of their school.

Chalkboard Executive Director Sue Hildick was reportedly very complimentary of the district's accomplishment's last year. She indicated that a similar grant next year was probable.

"The teachers' leadership is what made this happen. I was so proud of the work the teachers did," said Golden.

Launched in 2004, the Chalkboard Project is a non-partisan nonprofit working to unite Oregonians to make the K-12 public schools among the nation's best. Their aim is to help create a more informed and engaged public that understands and addresses the tough choices and trade-offs required to build strong schools.

For more information visit http://www.chalkboardproject.org.