| Collaborating for Improved Educational Outcomes |
6/9/04 9:18 AM |
| Author:
Lynn Kepford
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The Project for School Innovation (PSI) exemplifies collaboration between charter and traditional schools by providing a network within which educators can share their best practices and push for educational reform. Believing that great educators hold the keys to solving the challenges faced by the educational system today, it provides a forum for sharing effective methodology. Schools — charter, district, or other that can prove sustained success in improving student outcomes can apply to become PSI model schools. PSI conducts interviews within selected schools to identify best practices. Once successful methods have been identified, a PSI facilitator works with teachers at the school to analyze a specific method, studying its history, implementation, and impact on student performance. Under the guidance of PSI, teachers at the model school develop lessons on the method and present these lessons to educators at participating schools. PSI staff and teachers at the model school develop a guidebook on the effective method. Using the book and the leadership skills acquired in the program, educators help their peers write action plans to detail how the effective method can be implemented at their schools. More projects like the Massachusetts-based PSI are needed throughout the nation. A forum where educators (charter, traditional and private) can work together to share innovations and methodology that has improved academic achievement is a strategy that holds much promise. (PSI website - http://www.psinnovation.org/PSI/index.html)
Posted as a reply to:
Replication of Successful Schools by Otho Tucker 
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