To support classroom changes, Oak Park reallocated funds to create jobs for instructional specialists in the critical MEAP areas of science, mathematics, and language arts. The specialists coordinate curriculum, instruction, and staff development. It was crazy for us to ever believe we could increase MEAP scores or learning in those areas when we didn't have anyone who was responsible for that and that alone,'' Marx said. By paying closer attention to data from the MEAP and other assessments, building principals could quickly identify struggling teachers and help them improve. Teachers soon realized that parents needed better information about learning goals.
Parents can check off their children's progress throughout the year.
By summer 1996, Oak Park had enough momentum to offer an intensive three-week summer staff development institute to interested elementary school teachers. Working in grade-level teams convinced teachers they needed to continue meeting during the school year. With funding from the C.S. Mott Foundation, Oak Park paid teachers to attend monthly districtwide grade-level meetings after school. Many teachers also volunteered additional time to create smaller grade-level teams at their schools. During summer 1997, elementary school teachers once again went back to school for an intensive institute.