Title: G2-Consider Approval of Affiliate Status Between South Grade Elem School and the Lucy Caulkins Write

Recommendation:
I recommend the School Board approve affiliate status between South Grade Elementary and the Lucy Caulkins Writers Workshop Project at Columbia University Teachers College, NYC.  The Writers Workshop Project will be funded by the Pew Fund.  A total of $29,000 was awarded to South Grade Elementary in the first year of an anticipated three-year project (November 22, 2006 to September 30, 2009). 

Description:

The Writers Workshop Project is intended to support expert literacy instruction within our nation's schools through research, writing and professional development of teachers and school leaders.

In participating schools, a project staff developer joins teachers in the complex work of establishing rigorous writing workshops in their classrooms where students learn to observe their lives and the world around them, and to collect, draft, revise, and publish well-crafted narrative and expository texts.  Students learn to talk, think and write well about their reading and to live richly literate lives.

Grant funds will be used to pay for the Writers Workshop Units of Study (instructional materials) to be provided to all Grade K-5 classroom teachers, five full days of professional development from the Writers Workshop Leaders including Lucy Caulkins, guaranteed seats at the week-long Writers Workshop Summer Institute at Comumbia Teachers College in NYC, Principal training and funds for South Grade to host a "Home Grown Institute" by offering a one or two day conference for other Title I schools mirroring the Writers Workshop model.

Our long-term goals for becoming an affiliate school are three-fold.  First, South Grade Elementary will work with the Columbia Teachers College Writers Workshop Project to develop a strong writing curriculum with a full cadre of teachers from grades K-5 including a strong collaborative network with other affiliate schools nationwide.  Second, South Grade will become a teaching resource partner for other Title 1 schools in Palm Beach County.  The third piece involves a parent component where parents are trained as learning partners to support their child's writing through conferencing and modeling.

The goals and outcomes of the grant activities will be evaluated by analyzing the results of the FCAT Writing Subtest, SSS FCAT Reading learning gains and teacher/parent training component agendas, sign-ins and evaluations during the three years of the project.

A copy of the Pew Fund Writers Workshop Affiliate School Project Grant will be available in the Board Office.

Financial Impact:
The financial impact to the district is $29,000 from the Pew Fund.  All grant related expenditures and contracts are authorized for payment up to the amount of the revenue.

For Additional Information, contact:

Ann Killets (akillets@palmbeach.k12.fl.us) 

Carole R. Shetler

Michael Riley

Attachments (list):
South Grade Data Panel.doc