In order to attend team meetings, teachers are released from their classroom duties and their school provides substitutes. The frequency with which the teams have been meeting has varied from once a month to once every week. Over the course of a school year, teams have engaged in the Pathways cycle from two to four times, depending on the time needed to learn the new technology, the complexity of the activity the team designs, and the academic schedule into which the activity must fit. In addition to regular team meetings, Pathways teams have also participated in special summer curriculum development projects sponsored by the district and other professional development forums developed for the project. Summer curriculum projects have ranged from one to four five-hour days, and teams have learned particular pieces of software and developed curriculum activities to use in the fall.
Professional development is facilitated.
Each Pathways team has a local facilitator who functions both as team leader and as liaison to the school and the district. As a team leader, a facilitator coordinates and leads team meetings, and serves as a resource for team members. As a liaison to the school and district, a facilitator shares the work of the team with others in the school community, helps to orchestrate organizational support, and collaborates with other facilitators and EDC consultants. Local facilitators work closely with EDC consultants to review and plan the various areas of Pathways work, especially in the initial phases of their assignment. Outside support gradually diminishes as local facilitators become more familiar with their roles.