Governor's Institute for Educators: Improving Academic Achievement by Improving School Climate
Sunday, July 27, 2008 through Friday, August 1, 2008
Bloomsburg University
Governor Edward Rendell invites you to attend Improving Academic Success Through Positive School Culture being offered through the 2008 Pennsylvania Governor's Institutes for Educators.
NOTE: Registration for the Governor's Institute on Improving Academic Success Through Positive School Culture is closed. Applicants have been notified of their acceptance or non-acceptance to the Institute.
What will I learn?
Improving Academic Success Through Positive School Culture will challenge school teams to examine the learning environment in their school to determine if the current climate supports and promotes academic achievement. Institute faculty and practitioners will provide teams with examples of research-based strategies that when implemented at the building level will bring about environmental changes such as increasing student attendance, decreasing bullying and harassment and fostering positive relationships between students and staff. Participants will also be introduced to the PDE Wellness/Resiliency approach and learn how to build and strengthen protective factors in their school community. The overall result of these systemic changes is increased academic achievement for all students.
The course of instruction is based on the “Single School Culture” model. It is a holistic approach to increasing academic performance by developing a stronger sense of school community. The approach is not a “program” but a method of organizing and running a school. The model begins with shared norms, beliefs, values and goals, and results in agreed upon processes and procedures. A single school culture uses specific and consistent strategies to improve academics, discipline, and school climate.
Teams will be instructed in how they can use the information, models and data to help them assess their own learning environments and develop action plans. Teams will complete a follow-up evaluation and make adjustments to the plan as needed.
Who should attend this institute?
This five-day institute provides professional development to teams of building-level administrators, instructional staff and pupil support personnel. A school-based team of three to five is preferred. A representative from the administration is required. Teams must identify a team leader. If space is available, individual participants may be accepted.
Application selection will be based on composition of the team, type of school (public, nonpublic, charter, alternative education), geographic location within the Commonwealth and type of school (rural, suburban and urban) in an attempt to have a diversity of representation.
Participant Benefits and Requirements
- All participants are required to live on campus for the duration of the Institute. University apartment housing is provided at no cost to the participant. Apartments consist of six secure individual bedrooms, two bathrooms and a common living area.
- Meals are also provided at no cost.
- A laptop computer is required for each team.
- Upon completion of all requirements, including implementation of an action plan in the participant's school, participants receive two graduate credits at no cost.
- Post-activities are required and graduate credits will not be awarded until Spring, 2009 when all post-Institute activities are reviewed and accepted.
- Sessions are ongoing throughout the day and evening.
Application Process
NOTE: Registration for the Governor's Institute on Improving Academic Success Through Positive School Culture is closed. Applicants have been notified of their acceptance or non-acceptance to the Institute.
- Each team member must apply for a scholarship by completing an online application at: www.papde.ws.
- Scholarship applications will be accepted until all 100 scholarships have been awarded.
- Application selection will be based on composition of the team, type of school (public, nonpublic, charter, alternative education), and geographic location (rural, suburban and urbran) and size of school.
- Applicants should check the status of their scholarship at www.papde.ws.
- After the scholarship application is accepted the applicant will receive additional information from the Center for Safe Schools.
Your application to this Institute signifies your understanding that you will:
- attend all sessions, Sunday through Friday, at no cost to you other than personal transportation costs to Bloomsburg University
- implement an action plan in your school
- keep a journal of reflections regarding implementation
- submit a revised action plan and journal in February, 2009
If you have any questions, please contact Stephanie Acri, Center for Safe Schools, sacri@csc.csiu.org or phone 717-763-1661 ext. 134.
Pennsylvania Department of Education Governor's Institute Series
This Institute is part of a series of summer professional education programs sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The institutes are designed to insure the creation of challenging learning environments in the Commonwealth's public, private and non-public schools. Each of the institutes provides an intellectually rigorous program of study that will improve academic classrooms and thereby assist educators in improving their students' academic achievement. To learn more about other institutes being offered, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Governor's Institute page.
