Education: Coaching, Evaluation, and Planning |
In the past three years, members of the G&A educational team have completed more than 40 II/USP, CSRD and HSPG planning processes. 100% of school coaches II/USP schools met or exceeded their state-mandated API growth target. In client satisfaction surveys, 92% of school Action Team members rated G&A services a 4 or 5 on a scale of 1-5. Additional past education projects resulted in more than 4 million dollars in funding for after school programs, university outreach activities in urban communities, teacher preparation, and English Language Development and child development courses for low-income parents. In the last two years, the education team of G&A has been involved in more than 40 approved HPSG/II/USP and Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Projects, in addition to providing coaching and support to a dozen schools. Working collaboratively with these schools, located in predominantly low-income urban areas, G&A helped schools identify areas of strengths and challenges and develop innovative and implementable strategies to improve student achievement. The process has been described as "empowering" with a "real sense of familiarity and caring" by teachers, as "do-able" by parents, and "respectful of school culture" by principals. In April of 2002, G&A began an evaluation of the Bay Area Coalition of Equitable Schools'(BayCES)coaching program. G&A developed five case study reports, an extensive literature review addressing the qualities of the coaching program within the context of research-based effective practices, surveyed BayCES network schools, conducted extensive interviews, and classroom observations. G&A has been asked to make recommendations for policies based on the initial findings of this evaluation. In April of 2001, G&A conducted an extensive study of Oakland Unified School District's Algebra program, which involved over a hundred hours of classroom observation and focus groups, surveys of all ninth grade students, and studies of best practices in math instruction in secondary schools. The results of this study are used to inform district policy and as the basis of the 4th year of evaluation of their National Science Foundation Grant. Based on the quality of this evaluation, G&A was asked to perform an extensive evaluation of the districts implementation of Standards-in-Practice Professional Development at all their secondary schools. This evaluation includes observations of meetings, training sessions, surveys, focus groups, and interviews with all stakeholders. The final evaluation is forthcoming. In 2002, G&A worked with Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) to design the Professional Development Support Team (PDST) project. OUSD wanted to provide its staff with the opportunity to meet collaboratively, to attend trainings, and to observe one another's classrooms without disrupting the school day. To address the problems associated with absences due to professional development activities, G&A worked in conjunction with OUSD's Human Resources and Substitute Office to develop a system for recruiting, tracking and processing substitute applications. G&A designed a program of recruitment, administration and training that increased the district's pool of substitutes and provided substitutes with training in curriculum and classroom management. Between September and November, the number of 2002 sub requests increased by over 250% (from 1328 in 2001 to 3447 in 2002). At the same time, the proportion of requests filled increased from 65% (2001) to 93% (2002). In 1998 G&A wrote successful proposals for the Hayward Unified School District and the Modesto City Schools District to develop 21st Century Learning Centers across multiple school campuses. These centers transform schools into community learning centers that provide activities for adults and families. They also create "safe havens" in deteriorated neighborhoods, providing after-school activities for children and youth and a central nexus for positive, community-building activities. Both proposals served highly disadvantaged communities and both emphasized mentoring, tutoring, computer learning, and family support programs. In this highly competitive grant cycle, the federal Department of Education funded only thirteen proposals in California, and G&A wrote two of them. One project received over $1 million in federal funds; the other, approximately $350,000. In addition, G&A provided technical assistance to the Sanger Unified School District to assist them in their successful application for 21st Century funding. In 2000, G&A developed second 21st CCLC proposals for both Sanger and Modesto and both proposals were approved. G&A also is now evaluating three 21st Century sites and will be the evaluator for both of the second site projects at Sanger and Modesto. In partnership with the University of California at Berkeley, the cities of Oakland and San Francisco, the San Francisco and Oakland Unified School Districts, and local corporations, G&A developed an innovative technology grant, The Interactive University, linking the University with community institutions in West Oakland and Bayview Hunters Point, as an interactive relationship between the University and the school districts. With almost a thousand applications, the Interactive University received one of only twenty grants. Funded by Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program (TIIAP), US Dept. of Commerce for $750,000 per year. To improve the technology skills of new K-12 teachers, Gibson and Associates facilitated a joint planning process between California State University, Hayward and New Haven Unified School District of Union City, one of the most technologically advanced school districts in the nation. The collaboration also included Oakland Unified School District, Contra Costa Unified School District, Chabot Observatory, and the Center for Accessible Technology. University instructors will enhance their understanding of technology as a teaching tool by partnering with K-12 teachers who are technology leaders. As a result, technology will be more fully integrated into the preparation of pre-service teaching candidates, who will consequently integrate into their K-12 teaching. Richard Riley, the Secretary of Education, came to New Haven in August 1999 to recognize the promise of the proposal and make the grant announcement. Grant resulted in $1 million in funding. In 1999 Gibson and Associates successfully crafted an Even Start proposal for New Haven Unified School District to provide English as a Second Language and vocational classes to low-income immigrant families and simultaneously provide early childhood development services to their young children. The proposal resulted in $1.1 million in funding over a four year period. |