By clicking on the images to the left, you will be directed to CSSRs Professional Development events. Relevant content will appear in this area of the page as you click the images to the left.

For information on personalized, school-based professional development opportunities contact CSSR.

 1. NASSP/CSSR Breaking Ranks School Showcase

NASSP and The Center for Secondary School Redesign (CSSR) are proud to team up to present the third Breaking Ranks School Showcase. Learn practical student-centered strategies from teams of teachers,administrators, and students from 17 high-performing middle level and high schools throughout the country. Showcase schools have achieved outstanding results, and changed the culture, by adopting a number of the Breaking Ranks Framework strategies for School Improvement.	Watch a Video About The Showcase
Each school will share real-life stories on HOW they were able to increase student achievement, involve parents and community members, and create a learning environment that meets the needs of ALL students and prepares them for the challenges of the 21st century. Participants will walk away with personalized learning and teaching concepts, tools, and techniques that can easily be adapted to meet the unique needs of any middle school and high school.    Make It Count! Earn CEU Credits by Attending the Breaking Ranks School Showcase   CEU credits may be earned by those participating in the Breaking Ranks School Showcase. By participating in 3 school presentations you are eligible to receive .5 continuing education credits. To receive such credit you will be required to verify your participation throughout the showcase onsite. Further, you will also be asked to complete and return a program evaluation form. Immediately following the Conference, NASSP will begin formal review and verification of attendance. A certificate of completion and noting CEU credits earned will be mailed within 3 – 4 weeks following the closing date of the NASSP Conference.
Schools Scheduled to Present: Arroyo High School – El Monte, CA Barberton High School – Barberton, OH Brockton High School – Brockton, MA Fieldale-Collinsville Middle School – Collinsville, VA Forest Grove High School – Forest Grove, OR G. Ray Bodley High School – Fulton, NY Mater Academy Middle High School – Hialeah, FL Menominee Indian Middle School – Neopit, WI Metro Early College High School – Columbus, OH MetWest High School – Oakland, CA North Royalton Middle School – North Royalton, OH Park View High School – Sterling, VA Plymouth South High School – Plymouth, MA South Texas High School for Health Professions – Mercedes, TX Tefft Middle School – Streamwood, IL Urban Academy – New York, NY Visitacion Valley Middle School – San Francisco, CA
Showcase Agenda:
Registrant Check-In            8:15–8:45am Welcome/Orientation           8:45–9:00am Session One                      9:00–10:30am Session Two                     10:45am–12:15pm Lunch (on your own)          12:15–1:15pm Session Three                   1:30–3:00pm Culminating Conversation     3:15–4:00pm Download the Showcase Presenter's Schedule
Registration Costs: $175.00 per educator $155.00 per educator for a team of 3 or more from the same school Please Note:  Registration for the School Showcase is separate from the NASSP Conference.  All interested educators can register on the NASSP website.  There are package deals for anyone who wants to attend both the School Showcase and the Conference.
Location: Moscone Convention Center WEST BUILDING 747 Howard St San Francisco, CA 94103-3118 (415) 974-4000 Date: Thursday, February 24, 2011 Time: 8:00am– 4:00pm Register for the Showcase
What's in a CSSR Showcase?

2. The Napa Valley Unified School District Center for 21st Century
    Teaching & Learning Summer Institute

Workshop Summary: The Center for Secondary School Redesign is proud to support the Napa Valley Unified School District’s Center for 21st Century Teaching & Learning Summer Institute, June 13-17, 2011 at Napa New Technology High School in Napa, CA. Educators will have five opportunities to prepare for the 2011-2012 school year with a toolkit of strategies for the most POWERFUL and PROVEN instructional best practices. Individual teachers, or teacher teams, will work closely with national and local presenters and exemplar educators on practical solutions to the instructional challenges we all face.
The following professional development workshops will be offered: REACHING AND TEACHING RELUCTANT LEARNERS June 13-15, 2011 $300.00 per educator PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES THAT WORK June 13-15, 2011 $300.00 per educator PROJECT BASED LEARNING 201 Dtae TBD, $200.00 per educator *This workshop is for administrators ONLY – focused for leaders who are   interested in having a PBL school DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION June 16-17, 2011 $200.00 per educator STANDARDS-BASED GRADING June 16-17, 2011 $200.00 per educator To learn more about each workshop, please download the summer institute brochure here, and visit the NVUSD website for regular institute news and updates.
Payment Information: Deadline to register for this professional development opportunity is May 14, 2011. All checks can be made payable to the Napa Valley Unified School District. To register, please contact Kathy Cunny at 707-253-3526 or via email at kcunny@nvusd.k12.ca.us
About Napa New Technology High School Since opening its doors in 1996, New Technology High School has graduated hundreds of students, sending them to an impressive list of top colleges and internships with nearby Silicon Valley companies. NTHS has hosted over 10,000 visitors, including international, national and state educators and business, government and organization leaders. The students themselves helped design its elegant modern façade and also assist in maintaining its interior landscape, the NTHS website. The classrooms are visions of modern industriousness; with each student seated at his or her own personal computer. At NTHS, Napa has created the most effective new educational model in the country – one that prepares every student for what the future holds. It’s a model that has now been replicated by other high schools throughout the United States, and has won national acclaim and international awards. Napa New Technology High School 920 Yount Street Napa, CA 94559

3. Strategic Planning
The CSSR strategic planning process compels the district office to identify those practices that contribute to the school’s success, and to replace those policies and practices that no longer work with new ones that are more responsive to the school’s current and future needs. Our support for a district level task force helps to create a policy and support plan that will be useful as a guide for the district and that will be central to all aspects of creating SLC’s across all high schools in the district.

Planning involves understanding how the changing environment affects your organization; accurately assessing your capacity and resources; defining your strengths and niche; and setting new goals and objectives. CSSR will work with you to develop a planning process that fits your budget, involves the right people, uses the best available data, produces the most robust discussion, and establishes recommendations and methods to monitor progress. Qualified staff will assist you along the entire process - from design, to data analysis, to meeting facilitation, to the crafting of clear, detailed reports to share with your organization, your partners, your funders, and the broader community.

Sample projects include:

Clinton, CT Strategic Planning
CSSR worked with the strategic planning committee in Clinton, CT to create a new vision of their high school. By going through the strategic planning process the district was able to revision the use of space in their current high school without having to build an entire new building while still meeting the needs of their students….

Sante Fe Indian School Strategic Planning
The Sante Fe Indian School also went through the CSSR strategic planning process, resulting in separating out the middle school from the high school. This change allowed the school to focus on….

4. School Change Coaching
The school change process is difficult and complex. This is especially true when new practices are being implemented while school is in session, and prior professional development has not totally prepared the staff to deal effectively with the changes being introduced. A CSSR school change coach has an expertise in facilitating the school change process and working with staff to ensure their successful adoption of the initiatives being introduced. All CSSR coaches have a deep understanding of both the “What – content best practices” and the “How – process/organization development implementation.” To begin any program, a school leadership team must have the tools, research, and data around best practices to support implementation, but MUST have the roadmap on HOW best to make sure the program is sustainable over a long period of time.

A significant part of our work includes change leadership and organization development tools and best practices. The best intentions and well-crafted project plans are often not sufficient to insure objectives are met. Major initiatives often fall short of meeting desired objectives because an effective change leadership process has not been instituted and sufficiently resourced.

Workshops and coaching for school and district leadership about the change process are provided to the leadership team and other key stakeholders. The concepts and tools required to meet objectives are provided so as to facilitate major change in the school. These include communication and influence requirements, changing roles and responsibilities, identifying all project stakeholders, creating buy-in, “off the platter analysis,” and addressing the positive politics of change.

Sample projects include:
Prince Edward County School District, VA School Change Coach
CSSR school change coaches worked with the leadership in Prince Edward County to establish a creative schedule that supported time for teacher collaboration and the implementation of an advisory period for all high school students. School change coaches work throughout the country meeting the individual needs of schools and districts. School change coaches also work in: Dartmouth, MA; Plymouth, MA; Yonkers, NY; Napa, CA…

New Hampshire Extended Learning Opportunities (ELOs)
CSSR is working to support the nine schools in New Hampshire that are piloting the implementation of various methods for students to earn high school credit anytime, anyplace. CSSR is assisting the schools to put in place systemic changes such as advisory programs that can support students to demonstrate mastery through ELOs. Each school has a school change coach working with their leadership team.

New England Network for Personalization and Performance (NETWORK)
CSSR is working with 13 schools across four New England states to develop a network of support for schools in the development of personalized learning environments that include performance assessment as a vehicle of demonstrating mastery of course competencies. A school change coach is supporting all schools in this project.

5. Readiness Assessments
CSSR conducts Readiness Assessments to help middle schools and high schools develop an implementation plan. Readiness Assessments allow teachers and faculty to see their school through the eyes of the students.

Research has shown that an essential characteristic of successful school redesign is the school culture's readiness to accept and participate in the change process. The Readiness Assessments are designed to provide an opportunity for various school stakeholders (e.g., students, parents, teachers, administrators and support staff) to identify their school's successes and areas of concern. Through such identification, the CSSR team can develop a customized plan to support each school's successful implementation of personalization strategies.

Sample projects include:

Student Shadowing, Fulton City, NY
Coaches from CSSR conducted a Readiness Assessment at G. Ray Bodley High School. CSSR coaches, along with faculty from Fulton City shadowed students for one day, facilitated focus group sessions, surveyed faculty and staff, analyzed student data, and mapped out initiatives already in place at the school. As a result of the assessment, CSSR coaches assisted G. Ray Bodley High School to create a plan to implement an advisory program and student-led conferences. (LINK TO BETSY’S TESTOMONIAL)

Grant Writing/Development
CSSR will work with your organization research, identify, define, and develop grant funding opportunities. CSSR has partnered with numerous districts to secure funding from the U.S. Department of Education, state departments of education, foundations, and other local funding sources.