Thursday, July 25, 2013

Schools to Watch Training

Schools to Watch Training

Each summer for the past 6 years, we have had a Schools to Watch Training for two days in July to train new members to join our State STW Team.  We initially open the registration to schools that have been recently recognized allowing them to send one or two members of their faculty.  We then open registration to all of our PA STW schools and finally to anyone who may have an interest in joining the team.  Members of our State STW Team are able to screen STW applications that have been submitted and/or be a part of STW Site Visit Teams.

On July 21 and 22, sixteen new members attended the STW Training in Mechanicsburg to become the newest PA STW State Team Members.  This one and a half day training took place at the Country Inn and Suites.  Each participant was able to get a much clearer vision of the purpose of the PA Don Eichhorn Schools: Schools to Watch program.  We were able to critically review the Vision of the National Forum and the 37 criteria of the STW program separated into 4 Domains; Academic Excellence, Social Equity, Developmental Responsiveness, and Organizational Structures and Processes. We went through the Self-Rating Rubric and how the rubric is used to screen applications.  Finally, all participants were able to practice screening past applications to determine whether a school's application merits a site visit or not.  We concluded the training by allowing participants the opportunity to be a part of a site visit exit interview with a school principal to determine whether a school should be recognized as a PA Don Eichhorn Schools:  Schools to Watch school.

The training is conducted annually by our PA STW Leadership team; Paul Meck, Bob Furman, Herb Steffy, Kath Benson, Len Ference, and Bruce Vosburgh.  The newest members of our State STW Team will join the previous 80 members that have been trained bringing our total number of members on the team to 96.  The PA STW program would not be able to exist if is wasn't for the dedicated volunteers of our State STW Team.

If you have an interest in being a part of this training, please contact Bruce Vosburgh.  If we have enough interest, we may conduct a similar training in January.

Bruce Vosburgh
Director - PA Don Eichhorn Schools:  Schools to Watch
bvosbur@comcast.net
610-945-4434

PA STW is a program of the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform