Academic Year Residency Trainings for School Developers and Leaders.

The UPCS Institute for Student Success, a project of Jobs for the Future in partnership with the University Park Campus School and Clark University, is pleased to offer residency trainings to school developers and leaders at small high schools. These two-and-a-half day immersion experiences expose visitors to the culture and academic program that has led to UPCS’ extraordinary record of success and train them to implement the High Achievement/High Support Design Principles on which the school is based. The UPCS Institute is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Apprenticeship for Excellence

Too often professional development that focuses on strategies to raise the achievement of underserved students happens outside the context of real teaching and learning. This is not the case at UPCS. Residency participants step into UPCS’ unique culture and observe the successful instructional techniques used by the school’s master teachers. In addition, attendees participate in school leadership and instructional workshops that support them to adapt and transfer the key design elements to their own schools.

During the residency, attendees participate in:

Classroom observations: Participants are immersed in the school’s powerful culture that motivates all students to achieve. They observe the differentiated instruction and the program of literacy across the curriculum that has led to success for all students at UPCS.

Leadership and Instructional Workshops: Participants attend workshops to go deeper into the instruction and leadership of the school. Leadership sessions led by Donna Rodrigues, UPCS’ founding principal, clarify the design principles which have supported UPCS’ success. Instructional sessions focus on literacy across the curriculum strategies which form the core of UPCS’ instructional program. These strategies include collaborative group work, writing to learn, literacy groups/circles, questioning strategies, scaffolding texts and classroom talk.

Team Time: Participants engage in team time to reflect, synthesize, and design an action plan to incorporate observed practices in their own school models.

Typical Residency Schedule:

Orientation & Dinner 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.	Orientation and opening dinner with Donna Rodrigues and UPCS School Principal June Eressy introducing participants to the history of the school and the design principles that have been key to its success.
Day 1 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.	Morning: Classroom observations Conversations with faculty Afternoon: Lunch with students Leadership workshop Clark University partnership panel Team time
Day 2 7:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.	Classroom observations Instructional workshop Team time Closing debrief & box lunch

Residency Trainings will focus on how to:

Incorporate the academic and organizational approaches of UPCS’ high achievement/high support approach into your school’s design,
Build a culture of achievement among the students so that they all believe in themselves and the power of helping each other,
Implement a demanding, college preparatory core curriculum without pull-outs or tracking,
Develop a professional culture committed to sharing, mutual support, collaboration, effective practice, and helping every student to achieve,
Design and build strong partnerships with all stakeholders, with a particular emphasis on developing strong college and community partnerships, to create a "community of commitment" to the school’s mission and student success,
Use data to inform practice,
Develop a instructional program focusing on literacy across the curriculum,
Use of differentiated and tiered instruction to support diverse learners, including English language learners, within a common classroom.

Training Dates & Registration Info:

UPCS offers one professional development opportunity per month for early college high schools and other small schools supported by Jobs for the Future to visit the school and learn from its success. Priority is given to districts and intermediary organizations participating in Jobs for the Future's capacity building partnerships. Limited space is available for other early college high schools and other interested schools. Please contact us for more information.

Academic Year Residencies During the 2007-2008 School Year:

September 16-19, 2007
October 14-17, 2007
November 12-14, 2007
December 11, 2007
January 6-8, 2008
February 10-12, 2008
March 11-13, 2008 (all spaces reserved)
April 13-15, 2008
May 4-6, 2008

Registration
Click here to register.
Reactions from Past Residency Participants:
I came expecting a brief tour . . . I got an immersion experience.

I came expecting a school that works magic. . . I got a school that works magic!

I came expecting to learn how an Early College High School could be designed. . . I got that this is a true model school.

Professional development the way it should be: professional, developing, and organized.

A truly unique opportunity to witness how public education in this country should function.

The residency provided a vivid example of abstract principles such as literacy across the curriculum.

We have a better understanding of how to take students from a variety of backgrounds and learning levels, and make them more responsible for learning.