Management

New York State Teacher Centers must comply with statute, regulation, and local policy. Policy Board members and staff:

• Establish and maintain a professional working environment with appropriate resources.

• Employ a variety of communication strategies to ensure the full participation of constituents.

• Maintain electronic communication facilities linking individual Centers and the statewide network.

• Establish and maintain sound fiscal policies and practices.

• Seek resources in addition to New York State funding.

• Comply with New York State records management regulations and guidelines.

• Provide required documentation to the New York State Education Department.

Governance

New York State Teacher Centers are governed by Policy Boards composed of the multiple constituencies set forth in Education Law 316. Policy Board members and staff:

• Are elected and/or appointed by their respective constituencies.

• Apply high standards for professional development in carrying out their roles.

• Recruit, retain, and support personnel necessary to carry out the Center’s mission.

• Work collaboratively with school districts and other constituent organizations and agencies.

• Ensure that the Center fulfills state and local requirements.

Education Law 316

Program

New York State Teacher Center programs promote continuous inquiry and growth. Policy Board members and staff:

• Apply knowledge of current research in professional development.

• Use a variety of strategies and techniques for identifying the professional growth needs of constituents.

• Design and implement a variety of activities and programs responsive to needs assessment and evaluation data.

• Align local needs with state initiatives, standards and assessments.

• Enable teachers to participate in collaborative program design.

• Address teachers’ needs at different stages of their careers by providing opportunities for reflection and inquiry.

• Collaborate with school districts and other organizations and agencies to enhance the range of program opportunities.

Evaluation

New York State Teacher Centers use program evaluation data collected in a variety of ways. Policy Board members and staff:

• Use individual program evaluation to assist in the development of new activities and refine continuing programs.

• Employ a variety of evaluation strategies to assess the impact of the Center’s activities and programs.

• Include both quantitative and qualitative data in evaluation design.

• Examine the impact of programs on teacher effectiveness and student learning.

• Share evaluation findings broadly to build awareness of Teacher Center work.

CONCLUSION

Political and educational leaders of New York State support Teacher Centers as an essential institution for the sustained professional growth of New York State’s teachers and other educators. These leaders place their confidence in school practitioners, in partnership with others, to identify, plan, and implement comprehensive professional development to assure that the State’s elementary and secondary school students have the benefit of the most current and effective instruction available.

The organizational structures, programs and services of the New York State Teacher Centers reflect the standards for professional development. Teacher Centers...

• Recognize that professional growth is integral to teachers’ work.

• Embed professional growth in the daily lives of schools.

• Model for teachers and students the importance of life-long learning.

• Promote the growth of communities of learners.

• Encourage teachers to assume leadership roles.

Effective Teacher Center Professional Development

Organizations succeed by learning from their own work. New York State Teacher Centers use annual documentation from an independent evaluator and reports from each individual Teacher Center to build their own capacity for growth and improvement.

Teacher Center professional growth activities are customized for constituent educators and schools. These programs can be accessed through the New York State Education Department, the regional networks, individual Centers, and on the worldwide web.

Seven regional networks create opportunities for Center Policy Board members and staff to consult and learn from each other.

Five advisory committees (Evaluation, Strategy, Higher Education, Planning, Technology and Public Relations) assist the New York State Education Department and report results of their efforts through regional network representatives and online. Ad hoc task groups with representatives from all the regional networks are convened as needed to address issues of immediate importance. Electronic networking among all Centers is required and supported by State Education Department and by the New York Institute of Technology. Many Centers maintain their own worldwide web sites with local, regional, statewide, national, and international links. Three annual statewide Teacher Center conferences address growth and capacity of Centers. These conferences provide opportunities for sharing effective practice and staying current with recent research. A handbook for Center Policy Board members and staff, designed and continually refined by the Teacher Center directors is distributed to each Center to achieve effective program development, evaluation, governance, and management.