April 11, 2002
Ball State University
Professional Development Schools Network
Institute for Community Education Development and School Improvement
Meeting #12
April 11, 2002
9:00-2:00
Minnetrista Cultural Center/Oakhurst Gardens
Summary
Dean Weaver opened the meeting with a welcome to all members and guests. He encouraged everyone to attend Jonathan Kozol's presentation on April 17, 7:00 p.m., in Emens Auditorium.
Ruth Swetnam welcomed the guests from planning partnership schools, Southside High School, Indianapolis Children's Museum, Booth Tarkington Elementary School, Orchard Park Elementary School and Towne Meadow Elementary School. The PDS Network anticipates including 30 sites during 2002-03. Ruth also thanked Title II Project Manager Jackie Stillisano and Title II office assistants Ashley Adams and Paul Butler for their assistance with the Institute Meeting.
Appreciation was expressed to participants in this year's site reviews. Site reviews were conducted at Mitchell Elementary School, Gaston Elementary School, Harrison Elementary School, and Forest Dale Elementary School. Next year, site reviews will be scheduled at Anderson Highland High School, Anderson Senior High School, Castleton United Methodist Nursery School, Huffer Memorial Children's Center, Gaston Elementary, Harrison Elementary, and Minnetrista Cultural Center/Oakhurst Gardens.
The adopted NCATE PDS Standards were introduced. PDS members disbursed into groups to familiarize themselves with the standards and began to explore a self-evaluation of the BSU PDS Network. Ten groups of ten engaged in a 20-minute standards discussion. Members participated in this self-assessment process by generating and analyzing evidence of success toward fulfilling their group's assigned standard. Members recorded information on a large pre-printed poster and shared their results with the larger group. All groups seemed to reach the overall conclusion that the BSU PDS Network is "at standard" on most standards.
PT3 representatives Laurie Mullen and Penny Craig encouraged people to attend the PT3 Summer Showcase and Conference June 11, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at MCC/OG. Shirley Thacker of Gaston Elementary and Mary Ann Flanary of Rhoades Elementary (in partnership with Julie Eckelman of Mitchell Elementary) demonstrated the projects they have completed through PT3.
Dr. Jody Britten, Department of Educational Studies, presented "How to Conduct Action Research." Dr. Britten's presentation is available online at www.bsu.edu/web/jsbritten/actionresearch.
Each PDS site that did not host a site review during this year is to submit a summary review for 2001-2002 to Ruth Swetnam by June 1. Instructions for this review were distributed to each site team.
Walter Smith, Department of Biology, announced summer science opportunities, which were also included in the Institute packet. Susan Johnson, College of Sciences and Humanities, described the Title II sponsored summer workshops for elementary teachers. John Motlock, Department of Landscape Architecture, described The Second Chance Game which is an interactive hands-on game to reconnect 6th-8th graders. The game may be played by up to 120 students at a time and can be played at Minnetrista Cultural Center/Oakhurst Gardens. Christy Wauzzinski and Ivy Disher followed-up with announcements about the current and coming attractions at MCC/OG.
Box lunches were served during the noon hour. Following lunch, tabletop displays and roundtable discussions were hosted by Huffer Memorial Children's Center, T.C. Steele Elementary School, Washington-Carver Elementary School, Rhoades Elementary School, Mitchell Elementary School, Anderson PDS Initiative, Minnetrista Cultural Center/Oakhurst Gardens, Storer Elementary School, Morrison-Mock Elementary School, Wilson Middle School and Carmel Secondary Schools.
Dean Weaver and Tom Schroeder opened the afternoon session with an introduction to a study of shared supervision models for PDS sites. Larry Smith continued the discussion with representatives from elementary education and David Dixon led the discussion with secondary education representatives.
Susan Tucker, Title II evaluator, distributed an evaluation form of the day's activities to be completed by those in attendance. The afternoon session was adjourned at 2:00 p.m.