On Friday, October 13, the School-Based Teams from each of the WPS secondary schools met at Clark University for an all-day planning session. A presentation on Youth Involvement and soliciting student input in the planning process was made by Laurie Ross (above) and Mardi Coleman. Both are working with the Clark/WPS Carnegie Project, focusing on community participation.
The charge to the Planning Teams was made by Superintendent James Caradonio (above) who outlined the process whereby the Carnegie grant was received and how the school teams served as the centerpieces of the school-site planning process. Dr. Caradonio also encouraged participants to remember that part of the planning involves "kicking it up a notch," reminding the group that the task was to take Worcester schools from the current best practices in which they are engaged to a higher level of reform-generated pedagogies-ones that will open access to a quality education for all district students.
In small-group discussions, the school teams (such as the one shown) were asked to consider the four categories that serve as the planning guide for the process. Each group took on one of the categories: 1. School structure, environment, and learning cultures; 2. Academic curriculum, learning, teaching and assessment practices; 3. Professional culture, learning practices, leadership and roles; and 4. Community support and collaboration.
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