University of Wisconsin System PK-16 Initiative:

Teacher Quality Initiative

One cover page per proposal; due at UW System on or before December 15, 2003.  Check with your Provost’s office for your campus due date.  Submit electronically at vital@uwsa.edu.  If submitting proposal on paper, please provide 7 copies of the proposal.  Send to: Dr. Francine Tompkins, PK-16 Initiatives, Academic and Student Services,
1632 Van Hise Hall, 1220 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706-1559.

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UW-System Pk-16 Planning Grant Application

Central Wisconsin PK-18 Council Initiatives for Enhancing Educator Quality

1. What is the most significant challenge, problem or priority your campus will focus on over the next three years?

Background.  In the fall of 2003 the overarching structure for undergraduate, professional education programs at UWSP was approved by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction for alignment with PI34 rules. This structure was designed by methods faculty across campus, in all certification areas.  These efforts have involved a significant change in expectations and evidence related to teacher preparation.  One of the significant changes centers around the implementation of portfolio assessment around the Wisconsin Teaching Standards for recommendation for licensure, supported by the identification of specific samples of evidence to be included and reflected upon in the student professional education portfolio.  A second major change is related to the identification of specific content standards and associated work with colleagues in various academic departments.  This work involves consideration of those standards as they are addressed throughout the course of study for each certification area.  A third major change involves conceptualizing the professional development component of teacher education in a seamless, developmental manner over the course of a teacher’s study and career.  This change in vision is introduced at the undergraduate level, and will continue in a rather seamless manner into the first year of teaching and supported as teachers move into the new licensing structures included in PI34.

Amidst the steady evolution of the campus alignment with these changes and expectations, in January of 2003 teacher educators at UWSP met with various representatives from districts in our Central Wisconsin service area to begin dialogue toward establishing the Central Wisconsin PK-18 Council.  As a result of the work of the members of this group, the Central Wisconsin PK-18 Council has been established along with the following purpose statement and accompanying goals to guide us in our pursuit of collaborative initiatives.  

PK-18 Council for Central Wisconsin

The purpose of this PK-18 Council for Central Wisconsin is to improve student achievement through enhanced educator effectiveness and increased organizational capacity in PK-12 and higher education institutions in our region of the state.

Guiding Principles

Collectively we will....

• Address each conversation and initiative as a PK-18 partnership
• Ensure our regional efforts are supported by research-based best practice
• Collaborate with additional agencies and organizations and institutions of higher education to further our purpose
• Establish a forum for initiatives and issues to be brought forward, discussed and resolved
• Commit to developing the capacity of individual members of the Council, the Council itself and the grooming of leaders regionally

Council Goals for 2003-04 and Beyond

Collectively we will........

• Align pre-service teacher and teacher experiences with Wisconsin Teaching Standards
• Develop post-graduate and professional development delivery models for our region that emphasizes research-based best practices and utilizes the talent within this region
• Determine additional regional strategies to support Wisconsin educator quality initiatives
• Assess regional PK-18 programming to determine logical places for future

The Council more recently identified three primary target areas for our efforts over the next three to five years:    Implementing Best Practice/Professional Development, Developing Leadership Capacity, Building a Seamless System of Educator Quality. These target areas will serve to sustain the professional education program alignment with PI34 as we further opportunities for undergraduates in teacher education to collaborate in professional development activity with teachers in the Central Wisconsin area.  These opportunities will serve to expand the knowledge base of pre-service and in-service teachers and also to immerse in-service teachers in our standards-based approach to teacher education. 

The Challenges.  One of the most significant challenges for UWSP teacher education over the next three years will be to ensure that those teachers in the field, hosting our students as student teachers, mentoring and working side by side with our graduates,  to understand the standards-based, performance-based model of teacher preparation programs at UWSP.  Additionally, our challenge is to work with teachers throughout the numerous districts in our service area as we follow our students into their careers and simultaneously support districts in their first-year teacher and teacher-mentor initiatives.   The third significant challenge will be to continue to involve UWSP faculty from the academic units in consideration of the standards-based and performance-based model of assessment.  These efforts will be enhanced through opportunities for collaboration between teachers in our service area and faculty from the academic units. Each of these challenges will be addressed through the planned initiatives for each target area of the Central Wisconsin PK-18 Council.

2.  Who are the key personnel that will need to be involved in your planning processes?  The members of the Central Wisconsin PK-18 Council will be the key personnel in the planning processes.  (See attached list.)

3.  What are the major activities in which you will engage during this planning year?

Members of the Central Wisconsin PK-18 Council have conducted preliminary planning work toward each of the following three target areas:  Implementing Best Practice/Professional Development, Developing Leadership Capacity, Building a Seamless System of Educator Quality

Within the context of each of these three target areas, specific activities will be conducted during this planning year to initiate the collaborative work of the Council and the accompanying goals.   The following activities will be conducted:

Implementing Best Practice/Professional Development

Background:  Several representatives of the Council have recently submitted a grant related to one of the goals for the Best Practice target area.  The grant request will provide funds for conducting a summer offering related to Best Practice in Math Education.  Those representatives include Elaine Hutchinson in  UWSP Math Education, Henry St. Maurice, School of Education and Missy Henneman and Pat Johnson, both National Board Certified Teachers on the Council. 

A second goal for Best Practice includes the following proposed grant activities:

• Host a workshop/colloquium on the topic of best practice in reading related to  struggling, adolescent readers. 
• A well respected keynote speaker will serve to initiate this goal; with the offering of  1-3 university credits for those teachers interested in examination of issues, strategies, classroom implementation and action research. 
• This workshop will be held during the spring semester and districts for participating teachers will be offered substitute teacher money in order to allow those teachers to attend. 
• This activity will be targeted toward teams of pre-service and in-service teachers and supported by content methods faculty from UWSP (Social Science, Science, Math, English, Family and Consumer Education,  Music, Foreign Language/ESL, Health)
• For feedback/outcomes participants will submit in writing a description of current practice that is being done in their district/school/classroom related to improving reading instruction and proposed ideas for integrating the Colloquium information into current efforts or new initiatives.    This outcome will be used by the Best Practice Planning Committee of the PK-18 Council for planning next steps toward this target.

Developing Leadership Capacity

• Host a colloquium for student leaders, teacher leaders, new administrators and long-time administrators to further their understanding of the political context and political influence both at the state and national levels. 
• Well respected, knowledgeable invited speakers will provide the keynote address.  The greatest emphasis will be placed upon the state of Wisconsin, however the broader national context will be considered as well.  This colloquium will serve the goal of developing political awareness amongst numerous districts in our service area and to underline this dimension of professional development.
• For feedback/outcomes participants will submit feedback on what they see as the greatest needs in their districts related to leadership capacity and proposed possibilities for addressing those needs.  The Leadership Capacity Committee of the PK-18 Council will use this information for planning next steps toward this target.

Building a Seamless System of Educator Quality

• Host a colloquium for cooperating teachers in our service area, to be joined by UWSP supervisors of student teachers and student teachers/interns.  The focus of this colloquium will be on the 10 Wisconsin Teaching Standards and consideration of successful student teaching performance based upon and described around the ten standards. 
• The purpose will be to convene a number of those cooperating teachers who have been serving UWSP for a number of years and who are not aware of the significant changes in our expectations and assessments for recommending candidates for licensure. 
• For the feedback/outcomes participants will indicate their greatest needs related to familiarity with the implications and applications of PI34.  The Seamless System of Educator Quality Committee of the PK-18 Council will use this information in planning the next steps toward this target.  Participants will be invited to nominate their schools as PK-18 Partnership Schools.

4.  Who will be the principal investigator(s) for this grant? 

The co-facilitators of the PK-18 Council will serve as the principal investigators:

Leslie McClain-Ruelle, Head                  Don Viegut, Director of Curriculum

School of Education                                           Merrill School District

College of Professional Studies                           Merrill, WI

UW-Stevens Point

Stevens Point, WI  54481

715-346-4218 phone                                          715-536-4581, ext 309

lmcclain@uwsp.edu                                           Donald.Viegut@maps.k12.wi.us

5.  How will you use budget funds to support these activities?

The budget funds will be used for:

• stipends and travel funds to keynote speakers for each of the three events            5,000
• substitute teacher pay for releasing participating teachers/Council members
• for each of three events 
  • 150 teachers total (50, 25 and 75) at $100 day                         15,000
• supplies for each of the three events                                                                       500
• refreshments for breaks at each of the three events                                             640

• informational materials re: CW PK-18 Council Goals and Initiatives            700
• promotional  materials for each of the three events                                                  300
• staff support for:

                                       coordination/delivery of each event and

                                       preparing accompanying PK-18 documents

                                       preparing feedback/outcome documents for Council

        at 10 hours/week at $10.00 hour X 20 weeks                                          2,000

                                       fringe  (LTE 43%)                                                                   860  

TOTAL                                                                                                                       25,000

University of Wisconsin System PK-16 Initiative:

Teacher Quality Initiative

2003-2004 BUDGET FORM (Non-Doctoral Institutions)

Central Wisconsin PK-18 Council