Samuel Mason School, Roxbury, Massachusetts

Samuel Mason School in Roxbury, Massachusetts, was honored in December 1996 by the U.S. Department of Education for its exemplary program of professional development. Along with five other American schools, Mason School was recognized under the new National Awards Program for Model Professional Development.

Mason's professional development program was instrumental in helping the school meet its reform goals. Those goals included recruiting students and increasing enrollment, establishing an after-school program, increasing reading achievemnt for all students, providing more effective instruction in reading and mathematics, and integrating technology into the curriculum.

Evaluation of the professional development program at Mason indicated organizational change at the school level, increased teacher effectiveness, and improved student learning. At the organizational level, there is a high level of support and collaboration among staff. Teachers work together and draw on the strengths of other staff members before seeking outside assistance. When outside assistance is needed, teachers have access to trained consultants. For example, a consultant from Wheelock College in Boston provides assistance with the inclusion of special education students into the regular classroom. Outside consultants also assisted with the integration of technology into the curriculum.

To increase teacher effectiveness, all teachers have become certified in both elementary and special education. This dual certification is especially important because 26 percent of Mason students are special-needs students who are included in regular classrooms. Teachers also have focused on improving their practices in the teaching of reading, writing, mathematics, and technology. They have researched current ideas in education, such as portfolio assessment and writing instruction, and have incorporated these ideas into their own practices.

Improved student outcomes are evident by increased student achievement in core subjects, especially reading. Technology has been integrated into the curriculum. Mason students at the second- through fifth-grade levels have shown a greater gain in reading and mathematics on the Metropolitan Achievement Test than students in the Boston Public School System.

Student enrollment has increased from 133 to 296 students. An after-school program was developed for students and now has a waiting list. (The entire Boston area practices school choice, so parents are able to choose the schools that their children attend.)

A variety of professional development activites are available to all staff. Such activities include workshops, courses, visits to model classrooms, action research, study groups, currriculum development, grant writing, inter-classroom visitations, and summer externships. Each staff member has a personal professional development plan and keeps a log of all professional development activities. Staff members plan, partipate in, and evaluate all professional development activities. When new strategies are implemented, teachers seek accountability data indicating student improvement.