Program Summary and Goals: key expected accomplishments of the grant

As described in the district's breakthrough ideas, Eugene School District 4J will create a coordinated approach to professional development and resource allocation so that leaders have the knowledge and skills, and the available resources, to ensure that the learning needs of every students are met.

Strategies: main approaches toward reaching the goals

Eugene School District 4J will implement interrelated strategies, at the state, district, and school/classroom levels, including the following:

Training

• Expand mentoring program for new administrators;
• Expand training for all staff, regular and special education, teaching and support staff, on research-based instruction and in using data for instructional decisions;
• Provide on the job training for Administrators in Residence and Wallace Interns;
• Train school teams, consisting of the principal and two to three teacher leaders, in strategies to assess and strengthen literacy, particularly for diverse learners; and
• Provide training to school teams to create site specific plans to improve school climate.

Recruitment

• Develop a viable plan with the state to develop incentives to recruit and support minority paraprofessionals, teachers and leaders.

Reallocation of resources

• Build into the school calendar time for training and planning; and
• Reallocate district and Wallace funds for targeted high needs schools.

Redefine roles and responsibilities

• Restructure district leadership roles to support coordinated planning and professional development across the district.

Institutionalize cultural competence

• Develop district cultural compentence plan and/or policy;
• Develop the statewide definition and proficiencies of cultural competence;
• Collaborate with SAELP to convene a statewide summit on cultural comptetence; and
• Collaborate with universities on curriculum design to incorporate standards for cultural competence into teacher and administrator evaluation and preparation systems.

Community engagement

• Develop a communications plan to broaden community awareness of the district's efforts to address the achievement gap; and
• Provide training on how to engage families in schools, specifically, principals and Equity and Diversity Coordinator will work with parents and community groups at each school to help them learn about how to help students succeed.

Performance evaluation

• Strengthen the district's leader assessment tool in collaboration with universities and the Wallace LEAD network;
• Develop assessment tools for professional development; and
• Evaluate district policies in light of cultural competence.

Network activities

• Participate in biweekly calls with Wallace staff;
• Participate in monthly update calls with Wallace Staff, the Oregon SAELP director and the NC staff point person for Oregon; and
• Participate in Wallace network activities as appropriate.

 

Action Plan: Specific activites and timeline

Activities for July 2004 - June 2005 will be included in a revised work plan approved by Wallace to be submitted before September 30, 2004, with particular attention paid to the following areas:

• Development of specific measures to track progress;
• Strengthened technical assistance plan;
• Development of sustainability plan; and
• Development indicators to measure culture changes and the relationship of the change to student achievement.