Quest For Continual Growth Takes Root

Quest for continual growth takes root

By Mary M. Surdey and Jane M. Hashey

April 2006

In the Vestal Central School district, in the heart of upstate New York, educators have created a spirit of “kaizen,” a Japanese word meaning the relentless quest for continual improvement and higher-quality performance. Teachers, students, and administrators are committed to the district’s vision of continual learning. The culture of kaizen has created leadership among teachers in an environment in which adults are encouraged and supported to take risks in a collaborative, reflective manner. The evidence shows up in teachers’ practice and student learning every day. A middle school reading teacher becomes a master at using the Socratic Seminar and makes a videotape that can be used in district training, as well as becoming a building resource for content teachers experimenting with and implementing Socratic Seminars.

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Successes at Vestal Central School District

In 2004, 80% of seniors earned a Regents diploma, New York’s graduation standard for all students who pass five challenging examinations in the major disciplines. A total of 88% entered postsecondary schools.
Students’ average SAT score in 2004 was 1,115 — 89 points higher than the national average.
The district’s dropout rate was less than 1% in 2004, experiencing only slight fluctuations over the past decade.
During the past seven years, the International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement, and Honors programs have flourished in scope and number. For example, 36% of sophomores, 53% of juniors, and 56% of seniors now take at least one IB or AP course. In comparison, in 1998, only 25% of Vestal high school students took honors courses. Vestal has seen a 78% increase in the number of these courses since 1998.
In 2005, Newsweek ranked the high school among the top 1,000 public high schools in the United States.

References

Coppola, A.J., Scricca, D.B., & Connors, G.E. (2004). Supportive supervision: Becoming a teacher of teachers. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Mary M. Surdey

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Mary M. Survey is assistant superintendent for instruction for the Vestal Central Schools. You can contact her at Vestal Central Schools, 201 Main St., Vestal, NY 13850, fax (607) 757-2222. Surdey’s phone is (607) 757-2221, e-mail: [email protected].