Small schools can have a tough time finding candidates for positions requiring specialized knowledge, especially in science. That's a challenge that requires creativity to meet, says David M. Hill, director of school improvement for the Douglas County school system. Fortunately, today, with the kind of technology that's available, you can get training without the teacher ever having to leave the site. Outstanding teachers get extra training, which they share with colleagues. These are conducted by teacher leaders.
Teachers identify more easily with another teacher than with a college professor.
The teacher leaders' classrooms are always open to drop-in visits by colleagues. The feedback we've gotten is fantastic. Above all, however, what Hill emphasizes is raising expectations. Subsequent tests showed that these supposedly weaker students did essentially as well as students whose ability to handle algebra had never been in doubt. Many went on to take trigonometry and calculus.