Superintendent’s Conference Days/Teacher to Teacher: Project Share Publication

The Marcellus Central School District got the 2010-2011 school year off to a very well planned start as the district held Superintendent’s Conference Days on September 1st and September 2nd. Among the agenda items covered during the two-day informative workshop were:
• Introduction of new staff
• District Goal Review
• District Data Review
• District Policy Review
• Right-to-Know Training
• New York State Education Department Data Review and Recent Changes in Assessment “Cut-Points”
• Mini-grant Presentation
• 21st Century Skills workshop presented by Jeff Craig from OCM BOCES
The conference days also provided the opportunity for individual building level faculty meetings and for teachers to work on their respective classrooms in anticipation of the start of the school year on September 7th.

A special highlight of the two day professional development experience was the distribution of the 5th edition of the acclaimed Marcellus Central School District publication “Teacher to Teacher: Project Share”. Project Share (Studies Highlighting the Action Research of Education) is a monograph published by the District’s Professional Development Committee. All school district faculty members are invited to participate in each year’s Project SHARE initiative. The purpose of the monograph is to disseminate the results of action research studies conducted by school district faculty as part of their Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) Plans. One of the goals of the action research initiative is to “encourage collaboration and reduce insularity among faculty members as they discover common pedagogical interests.” Articles written for the publication are organized by “Case Study Action Research” and “Reports from the Field”. This year’s edition of Project SHARE was dedicated to the memory of high school mathematics teacher Jody Tanner Karla, elementary school nurse Kristine Parrish, and middle school special education teacher assistant Elaine Harmon: “…your spirit of caring, professionalism, and dedication has left a lasting impact upon the children and employees of the Marcellus Central School District. Your legacy in helping children to succeed is timeless and will not soon be forgotten.”

Members of this year’s editorial board included Rose Battaglia, Lorraine Reynolds, Deborah A. Glisson, Terrance Hoey, Robin Brown, Trish McCarron, Janet O’Mara, Jeanne Overend, Jennifer Sega, Craig J. Tice, Ph.D., and Lisa Tonzi.
Teacher to Teacher Fifth Edition articles include:

• Inch by Inch: Does Assistive Technology Motivate Middle School Learning Disabled Students to Achieve Independence by Brenda Eschelbacher
• Project L.E.A.D.E.R. - Leadership Essentials for Articulated & Aligned Curriculum by Tammy Farrell, Kayla Hill, and Karen Humphrey
• Giving Students Ownership Through Choices by Allison Greco
• Implementing a Guided Reading Framework Addressing the Diverse Needs of Sixth Grade Students in Reading Instruction by Mary Jo Hoeft
• Project L.E.A.D.E.R.: Lessons Learned in Teacher Leadership and the Implications for the Future by District Administrative Cabinet
• MCS MyGradeBook Users Guide by Cathy Arvantides and Laurie Updike
• Language Acquisition in the 7th Grade: An Appropriate Age to Begin Second Language Learning by Sarah Cartmill and Shelly Marsh
• District Initiative Proposal 2010 Narrative by Jessica Docteur
• Acquiring a Master Teacher Mindset; A Study Group Focused on Robyn Jackson’s Principles of Great Teaching by Heather Devendorf, Theresa Dunn, Tammy Farrell, Deborah A. Glisson, Kayla Hill, Karen Humphrey, Colleen Mahoney, Kathleen Rein, Ryann Riefler, Marguerite Sundberg, and Mark Young.