Alliance Schools Network Seeks New Schools


The Regional Alliance hopes to expand its Alliance Schools Network. Pending continued funding from the U.S. Department of Education, the network will focus on developing and supporting school-based leadership teams dedicated to improving their math and science programs.

The Alliance anticipates making a three-year commitment to a limited number of schools, providing a variety of professional development and technical assistance services. Each team will develop its own action plan for improving math and science teaching and learning, and Alliance staff will support the team's activities.

The Alliance will be adding new schools in fall 2000. Leadership teams must have the support of the district administration, participation from the building principal, and strong commitment from a group of potential teacher leaders. Priority will be given to schools in high poverty areas, both urban and rural, and schools that have a high percentage of students that are underperforming in mathematics and science. Several schools within a district are encouraged to apply as a group.

For more information on becoming an Alliance School, contact Mark Kaufman at TERC, mark_kaufman@terc.edu.

Alliance Schools Form Study Groups

In an effort to help schools find appropriate strategies for improving their math and science programs, the Regional Alliance recently selected five Alliance Schools to participate in a faculty study group initiative. All Alliance Schools were invited to apply and asked to submit a proposal describing what the group would study, who would participate, and how and when the group would meet.

From January until June 2000, the study groups at each school will meet for at least two hours a week. Some of the topics they will be studying include assessment, inquiry-based instruction, science curriculum development, and appropriate use of technology in math and science teaching and learning. The groups will be sharing the results of their work with their school colleagues and also with staff from the Regional Alliance and other Alliance Schools.

The Regional Alliance is pleased to support faculty study groups at these schools:

Gallagher Middle School, Smithfield, Rhode Island

Harvard Elementary School, Harvard, Massachusetts

Main Street Middle School, Montpelier, Vermont

Sandwich High School, Sandwich, Massachusetts

Warring Magnet Academy of Science and Technology Poughkeepsie, New York




Alliance Access
Vol. 4, No. 3, Winter 2000

In this issue:
Developing a New Eye for Mathematics Classrooms

Faculty Study Groups, Time for Teacher Learning

The Connecticut Instructional Leadership Academy

NISEN Collaboration Extends Research

Access to Resources

Administrators Working for Change

Alliance Schools

Heterogenous and Homogenous Classes: the Issue is Equity

The Teaching Gap

Knowing and Teaching Elementary Mathematics

Using Data - Getting Results