August, 2009


Meet the Directors of the MSU Good Schools Resource Center

Shirley Jackson and Gloria Waters are the Co-Directors of the MSU Good Schools Resource Center (GSRC), where they are responsible for providing technical support and professional development to the network of Good Schools, as well as supporting the Skillman Making the Grade grant application process. Both Shirley and Gloria serve as liaisons with the partner organizations involved in the Good Schools initiative.

Shirley also serves as a Principal Leadership Coach with the Michigan Coaches Institute and Michigan Principals Fellowship on issues related to curriculum, school improvement, governance and professional development. She has been a principal in Detroit and Southfield and formerly served on the board of directors of Chandler Park Academy, a charter school in Harper Woods, Michigan.

Gloria also serves as a Principal Leadership Coach with the Michigan Coaches Institute and Michigan Principals Fellowship. She has more than 30 years of experience as a secondary school administrator, director of human resources, and school team leader in the Detroit and Southfield Public Schools. Ms. Waters currently serves as the president of the Michigan Council for Staff Development for 2009-2010.

The MSU Connection
The Skillman Foundation selected the Office for K-12 Outreach Programs in the College of Education at Michigan State University to provide the intellectual and managerial capacity for the MSU Good Schools Resource Center. The College, ranked as number 1 in the nation in the preparation of elementary and secondary teachers for 15 straight years by U.S. News and World Report, provides rich resources in the application of the best education research and practices in urban education. Barbara Markle, Assistant Dean for K-12 Outreach Programs in the College, serves as the Executive Director of the MSU Good Schools Resource Center. She is responsible for overseeing all services provided by the center to the Skillman Foundation’s Good Schools and Good Neighborhood schools. In this capacity she guides the development and implementation of all GSRC programs. Barbara is assisted by K-12 Outreach specialists Marcia Leone and Chris Reimann and data specialist Bettie Landauer-Menchik.
Contact the MSU Good Schools Resource Center with questions and requests for information and services – 313-309-1686.

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MSU Good Schools Resource Center Website

In April, the Good Schools Resource center launched its interactive website, www.msugoodschoolsdetroit.org . The website includes materials from the professional development seminars, including video and PowerPoint files in multiple formats, as well as links to partners and other resources. Materials focused on the Good Schools indicators are added to the site regularly. By fall, the site will include opportunities for Good Schools participants to interact in on-line professional learning communities.

Seminars Offered by the MSU Good Schools Resource Center

Beyond coordinating the Skillman Foundation’s Good Schools grant application process, the MSU Good Schools Resource Center is designed to provide support for the network of Good Schools (public, charter, religious and private) that are working to improve student achievement and school success. Support includes opportunities for school leaders to deepen their knowledge and application of the Good Schools Indicators of Success through seminars organized around the indicators. Professional development seminars will continue throughout the 2009-2010 school year. All Good Schools and Good Neighborhood schools will be invited.
Two seminars were held last Spring that focused on Indicators 3, Leadership and Educational Vitality; 6, Student Focus and Supports; and 8, Professional Community. You may view the presentations and have access to the materials from the first two seminars at the MSU Good Schools website at http://msugoodschoolsdetroit.org

2009 Good Schools Awardee Proposals due September 14:
Proposal Writing Workshop Held

In order to receive their awards, Skillman Good Schools grant awardees are required to write a proposal to the Skillman Foundation describing how their grant monies will be spent. They are also required to develop a school-based public relations plan and a school professional development plan. Proposals to the Skillman Foundation from the 2009 Good Schools Awardees are due by September 14, 2009.

Proposal and Award Procedures

Once your proposal is reviewed, the principal will be notified by email that the school’s award letter is ready for pick-up at the Skillman Foundation office, 100 Talon Centre Drive, Detroit, MI 48207.

For Detroit Public Schools: Submit your award letter to Lillian Dock, Program Associate, DPS, Department of Funds and Development, 3011 W. Grand Boulevard, Detroit MI 48202. The award letter must be signed by the principal, chair of the school improvement team, associate superintendent and executive director of Funds and Development. Lillian Dock will coordinate submission to the Skillman Foundation.

For Religious, Private and Charter Schools: Submit your award letter (signed by the principal and chair of the school improvement team) directly to the Skillman Foundation, 100 Talon Centre Drive, Detroit, MI 48207.

You (the principal) will again be notified by email that your check is available to be picked up at the Skillman Foundation offices, 100 Talon Centre Drive, Detroit, MI 48207.

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Proposal Writing Workshop

A 2-day proposal writing workshop to provide instruction and support for writing the proposals was held July 23 and 24 at YouthVille Detroit for the 102 schools awarded Skillman Good Schools: Making the Grade grants for 2009. All of the workshop presentations were videotaped and can be viewed on the MSU Good Schools Resource Center website at http://msugoodschoolsdetroit.org

July 23 Program (videotaped)

The program on July 23 began with a presentation on Data Analysis and Identification of School Needs by Dr. Sharif Shakrani, Professor and Co-Director of the Education Policy Center at MSU and Bettie Landauer Menchik from the MSU College of Education’s K-12 Outreach Data Services Unit. Their session focused on how to use data to improve student achievement. There are four kinds of data – outcome, demographic, perceptions and process data. MEAP provides important outcome information, but there are other types of data that you can use to identify the strengths in your school.

Brooke Franklin, representing the Detroit Regional Chamber, talked about the Chamber’s involvement with the Good Schools initiative and the resources available through the Chamber to schools in Detroit. Specifically, she discussed the Chamber’s Education Engagement Project which facilitates building school/business and civic partnerships. You can find information about the project and Good Schools supportive activities at Education Engagement Project.

The Co-Directors of the MSU Good Schools Resource Center Gloria Waters and Shirley Jackson presented Using the Good Schools Indicators to Determine your School’s Professional Development Needs. This presentation focused on the new definition of professional learning proposed by the National Staff Development Council. Effective professional development is 1) Intensive – requires regularly scheduled common planning time and other opportunities for teacher collaboration; 2) Ongoing – 90% of teachers experience mostly short term conferences or workshops; however, research supports participation in extended learning opportunities and productive collaborative communities; and 3) Connected to Practice – promotes knowledge of content specific pedagogy. Participants viewed film clips of the new professional development in action and were provided a template and flowchart to guide proposal writing.

July 24 Program (videotaped)

The program on July 24 included a presentation by Robert (Bob) Harris, communications expert and Professional Development Consultant with the Michigan Education Association, on Creating an Effective School-based Public Relations Plan. Stressing that public relations encompass all interactions and communications with the public by everyone in your school, from school secretaries to maintenance workers to teachers, principals, board members, and students, he provided recommendations for what to do and what not to do in promoting your school. Bob provided a template to help participants draft their public relations/communications plan.

The afternoon session was devoted to the Skillman Foundation’s Good Schools grantee meeting. Forms and guidelines to help grantees develop their plans and proposals were provided.

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2010 Grant Application Workshops Scheduled

(Intended for schools that plan to submit an application
for a 2010 Good Schools: Making the Grade grant award)

The MSU Good Schools Resource Center (GSRC) recently notified Detroit public, charter, private and parochial elementary and middle schools of their preliminary qualification to apply for a 2010 Skillman Foundation Good Schools Award. The preliminary qualification is based upon the fall 2008 5th and 8th grade MEAP scores. Non-MEAP school qualification is based on Iowa Basic Skills test scores.

Two grant application workshops have already been held. One more application workshop is scheduled for September 17 at 4:30 p.m. which will be held at the MSU Good Schools Resource Center at YouthVille Detroit, 7375 Woodward Avenue. To reserve a place, please call the MSU Good Schools Resource Center office at 313-309-1686. Please note that the August 11 application workshop was videotaped and can be viewed on the GSRC website at http://msugoodschoolsdetroit.org.

Sharon Lewis, national advisor to the Good Schools: Making the Grade initiative, conducts the workshops, providing participants with details on the application process and guidelines for writing applications. She provides samples of well written and poorly written applications with advice on what data should be provided to be successful. GSRC staff is on hand to answer questions. Applications are available on the Good Schools website – http://msugoodschoolsdetroit.org and will be made available at the workshops. All preliminarily qualifying schools are strongly encouraged to attend one or more of the workshops. School teams are welcome.

There are two categories under which schools can apply. To qualify to apply for an elementary or middle school award in the “High Performing” category, at least 75 percent of 5th or 8th grade students must be proficient in 2 of 3 subject areas (reading, mathematics and science) and at least 60 percent in the third area. To qualify to apply in the “Improving” category either (a) at least 60 percent of 5th or 8th grade students must be proficient in 2 of 3 subject areas (reading, mathematics and science) or (b) the percentage of students who are proficient in two of the three subject areas increased by 10% as measured by the 2007 to 2008 MEAP tests.

Data Workshops Scheduled

In response to requests by numerous grantees, the Good Schools Resource Center is offering four half-day workshops led by Bettie Landauer-Menchik, former teacher and now with Data Services, K-12 Outreach, Michigan State University. Principals should have received a letter of invitation with a RSVP form to return to the Good Schools Resource office.

Sessions will take place on Thursday, August 27, 2009 and Friday, August 28, 2009 at YouthVille Detroit, 7375 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, Michigan. The format includes a morning session each day from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. and an afternoon session from 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.To maximize support for each participant, the number of attendees is limited to no more than ten (10) in each session on a first come, first served basis.

Data Workshops

Thursday, August 27, 2009

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Introduction to Excel. Participants will create an electronic grade book and make charts and graphs for multiple purposes. Participants should bring a laptop computer that has Excel on it.

1:00 p.m.– 4:00 p.m.

Making the Most of Your MME and ACT Data. This workshop will use the Student Data File and the Summary Report from your MME reports to target strengths and challenges.

Friday, August 28, 2009

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Process and Perception Data. This workshop will explore straightforward and productive practices from MI-MAP, the Victoria Bernhardt series and other data platforms. Participants will evaluate surveys as a means to collect perception data from teachers and students, talk about ways to evaluate instructional activities and save preferred ideas on a flash drive or laptop. A laptop computer with wireless Internet capability is needed for this session.

1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Analyzing MEAP Data from the Student Data File. Participants will use the 2008 MEAP Student Data File from the Office of Educational Assessment and Accountability’s (OEAA) secure website to maximize use of MEAP data. The Student Data File will allow participants to sort students by scaled scores, performance levels, by strands, and by student growth from one year to another. By the end of the workshop, participants will be prepared to use the data to work with school staffs. Participants will make charts and graphs for use as public relations materials and for completing the CNA. A laptop computer with Excel and the Student Data File which you must download from OEAA’s secure website will be needed.

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