The center is the first in a potential network of professional development centers across the state with proposed additions for central Delaware--Kent County and southern New Castle County--and Wilmington/New Castle County, said Joseph Pika, professor of political science and international relations and director of the initiative.
Pika said the center will make it possible to coordinate common professional goals across multiple districts and help create partnerships for specific goals, such as implementing the new science curriculum.
“The programs will benefit their teachers and students in the four principal content areas: math, science, English and social studies,” Pika said. “Partnerships with specific districts will enable the staff to work with teachers on a sustained basis in contrast to the usual 'fly by' professional development that is limited to a single morning, single afternoon or day-long session. We also hope to stimulate interest among southern Delaware students in becoming secondary teachers in Delaware. Many students prefer to complete their education near their homes in Kent and Sussex.”
The team of SDPDC specialists will be based at the Carter Partnership Center on the Delaware Technical and Community College campus in Georgetown, and programs will be offered at the Carvel Center, with close collaboration with the Mathematics and Science Education Resource Center, the Delaware Center for Teacher Education and Delaware Academy of School Leadership, all in the College of Human Services, Education and Public Policy (CHEP). Programs also will be offered on the Polytech School District campus in Woodside, Del., south of Dover.
“There are always going to be questions about a new initiative and how it's going to fit in with what has already been done, but I think people are happy to have resources that are close by that are going to be dedicated to working full time as opposed to being part time,” Pika said.
“There are a lot of needs, particularly helping teachers differentiate their instruction, working with the students and using data to inform our decisions,” said Sandy Shalk, director of curriculum for the Smyrna School District who attended the presentation. “I see this as very helpful, especially in content areas and helping students work with content, helping them understand. Our secondary teachers need help in literacy activities. It will be a great partnership with UD.”
Donna Hall, high school curriculum supervisor for the Milford School District, said the presentation addressed many areas in which school districts need assistance and that the specialists “put things in perspective just beautifully.”
“We are finding that we have to conform to a lot of regulations, and, while that is expected, to have a program that helps coordinate all of this is just great. We've waited for this for a long time. I'm excited for our district; this is going to be a great help for us,” she said.
David Ring, superintendent of Delmarva School District, said the program was a long time coming and that it would help eliminate the long drives that teachers in southern Delaware have had to take in order to attend professional development events, mostly in Dover.
“Many people don't realize the cost involved,” Ring said. “Now we can send somebody to attend a morning workshop and they will be back by lunch time, instead of spending the whole day away. I think this will make more teachers interested in the program.
“UD has a great reputation and this is one way of sharing that reputation with southern Delaware,” Ring said. “I tend to think there are districts down south that don't promote UD because a lot of their students don't think that they can get in.”
“It's working for both ends,” Ring said. “Most of what comes from the Department of Education are regulations and requirements that have to be met, but when you go to your local district, everyone has their own needs. To customize training in that for their teachers and students is very inviting.”
Diane G. Sole, superintendent of Polytech School District, said the new program is an important resource, especially for small school districts.
“It's going to allow us to bring in experts in the field and enable us to share their expertise within the school district,” Sole said. “One thing that all of the school districts in the state are looking for help in is the alignment of the social studies program with state testing standards. This program will bring them together to work as a team.
“Another good thing about the program is that there will be centers in Sussex County and Kent County, so teachers will not have to travel to New Castle County. Also, they are asking us up front what our needs are, so we'll be able to plan our professional development programs according to our own needs,” Sole said.
After the presentation, Wilkinson said the response from the district leaders had made her feel even more positive and enthusiastic about the program.
“We learned that the school districts need help in aligning their science and social studies curricula with state standards by next August,” Wilkinson said. “Also, when state test scores are broken down into cells, we will be able to assist schools that would like to close the performance gaps in specific categories. This project can help teachers differentiate their classroom methods and also make sure that what they are teaching also matches what is going to be tested.”
Hudson said the superintendents and curriculum directors asked very good questions and brought up some very good points that gave the SDPDC team a good idea of where it needs to focus professional development in southern Delaware. “We are eager to help them meet their goals and to raise the standards,” she said.
Article by Martin Mbugua
Photos by Bob Bowden