Description of School

The Edmonds School District is a diverse suburban district in Lynnwood, Washington. It serves 21,509 students in kindergarten through grade twelve.

Student Demographics

Background and Goals

Edmonds School District has a history of collaborative professional development that involves staff in planning, implementing, and decision-making. The original district-wide change model grew out of a National Science Foundation grant created to restructure mathematics. The model evolved to address all areas of teaching and learning. Committees set up to respond to the needs of this evolution identified principles for professional development, surveyed staff on their development needs, drafted teacher performance standards in core subjects, and drafted a teacher self-appraisal guide. Throughout these efforts, professional development has continued to be collaborative, involving district administrators, teachers, support staff, and the professional development association.

Edmonds? professional development aim is to create and sustain a learning community among staff that nurtures a culture of innovation and risk taking, with a focus on improvement. The goal is to maximize the potential of each staff member by increasing knowledge, skills, and abilities to teach students. Staff are accountable for the quality of their performance. The ultimate goal of the district?s program is to increase the number of students who meet or exceed state standards in math, reading, writing, and listening to ensure that all students realize their academic potential.

Professional Development Design and Implementation

Edmonds Professional Development Program (EPDP): The program addresses both district-wide and building goals while offering opportunities for individual professional growth. The EDPD provides opportunities to: 1) give and receive feedback; 2) engage in educational research and development; 3) synthesize new educational research; 4) recognize and stimulate exemplary professional performance; 5) pursue advanced degrees; 6) induct new employees; 7) develop new teaching skills; 8) make best use of new technologies; 9) teach other colleagues; and, 10) use mentoring and other collegial practices to enhance training.

Teacher Leaders and Teacher Teams: The professional development model is collaborative, where teachers are in key leadership positions in developing and providing professional development. The Leaders and Teams provide their peers with training and support.

Reform Initiative: This integrated strategy groups around four tasks: 1) district-wide standards and performance assessments; 2) learning environment/community supports; 3) public engagement; and 4) high performance management. Continuous staff development is at the core of the initiative, with improved student learning its goal. Professional staff are involved in all areas, reviewing and researching best practices and current theory, networking within and beyond the state, and obtaining grants for research and development.

FOCUS: This is a district-sponsored, four-day, paid professional development opportunity. It includes training and collegial dialogue in the curriculum frameworks and in various instructional strategies and curriculum. Teacher leaders offer the primary development; outside experts run special sessions.

Objective Evidence of Success

Evaluations show that "Teacher Leaders" made substantial changes in their beliefs and practices including how they organized their classrooms, how they taught and how they observed, assessed, and recorded students? performance. The support of "Teacher Leaders" has helped all teachers to make visible changes in their classrooms, in their use of materials, and in their teaching.

Student performance data also bears out the program?s effectiveness. District math scores rose from 1995-96 to 1997-98 in every grade tested. State Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills? results for eighth-graders improved for the past four years (1994-1997). Results in language and reading have steadily improved over the past four years, and achievement gaps between groups of students have narrowed.

Contact Information

Sally L. Harrison
Director of Standards and Assessment and Instructional Delivery
Edmonds School District
20420 68^th Avenue West
Lynnwood, WA 998036
(425) 670-7137
(425) 670-7182 (fax)
HarrisonS@edmonds.wednet.edu

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