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CAMPAIGN TO DISCOVER SUCCESSFUL PRACTICES NETS GAINS FOR HIGH SCHOOL

By Hilary J. Czaplicki, Tracy A. Houston, Debra Kopp and Kay Psencik
August 2007
Hanging in the entryway of Quaker-town Community Senior High School in Quakertown, Pa., was the school vision: “Enter to Learn; Leave to Serve.” The school vision statement contained the right words, but it didn’t inspire anyone. In many classrooms, teachers lectured from the front of the room, students sat in rows taking notes, and little professional conversation occurred among teachers about instructional strategies. Students were vibrant and active in the hallways, yet bored and unresponsive in the classrooms. Student performance was not acceptable to anyone — not to the faculty, not to the students, administrators, parents, or community members. Parents and community members appeared at board meetings to complain about high taxes, high teacher salaries, and low student performance on state standardized tests. However, pressure from

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References

National Staff Development Council. (2001). NSDC’s standards for staff development, revised. Oxford, OH: Author.

Sparks, D. (2002). Designing powerful professional development for teachers and principals. Oxford, OH: NSDC.

Sparks, D. (2007). Leading for results: Transforming teaching, learning, and relationships in schools (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press & NSDC.


Kay Psencik

Kay Psencik served students and educators for over 30 years in Texas public schools as a teacher and school administrator. She has supervised, supported, and coached principals for over 40 years.


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