NNER Setting Annual Report



NNER Setting Annual Report2013Setting NAME WYOMING School-University Partnership Setting Contacts— please include names, e-mail addresses, institution affiliation, and roles for eachSetting NNER partnership ContactAudrey Kleinsasser, DirectorWyoming School-University Partnership1000 East University Avenue, Department 3374Laramie, WY 82071307.766.6358 (office)307.766.3792 (fax)uwyo.edu/wsuppartnership@uwyo.edudakota@uwyo.eduBeth Wiley, Office AssociateWyoming School-University Partnership1000 East University Avenue, Department 3374Laramie, WY 82071307.766.3274 (office)307.766.3792 (fax)uwyo.edu/wsuppartnership@uwyo.eduewiley2@uwyo.eduMichael Day, Interim DeanCollege of Education, University of Wyoming1000 East University Avenue, Department 3374Laramie, WY 82071307.766.3145 (office)307.766.6668 (fax)uwyo.edu/education/MikeDay@uwyo.eduSetting Governing Council Representative if different from aboveDave Barker, SuperintendentPlatte County School District #2555 South Wyoming AvenueP.O. Box 189Guernsey, WY 82214-0189307.836.2735 (office)307.836.2450 (fax) Tripartite Council Arts and Science RepresentativeAudrey Shalinsky, Professor of Anthropology, andAssociate Dean, College of Arts & SciencesUniversity of Wyoming 1000 E. University Avenue, Department 3254Laramie, WY 82071307.766.4106 (office) 307.766.2697 (fax)ashal@uwyo.eduSetting Tripartite Council Education Representative Allen Trent, Professor of Educational StudiesUniversity of Wyoming 1000 East University Avenue, Department 3374Laramie, WY 82071307.766.3463 (office)307.766.2018 (fax)atrent@uwyo.eduSetting Tripartite Council P-12 RepresentativeDiana Clapp, Partnership Chair and SuperintendentFremont County School District #6223 North Cherry StreetP.O. Box 10Pavillion, WY 82523-0010307.856.7970 x1 (office)307.856.3385 (fax) this template to enter the information from your setting. The report should be approximately 3 to 5 single-spaced pages that address the setting’s current work to advance the NNER mission.DESCRIBE SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES INCLUDING PROJECTS, INITIATIVES, AND ACTIONS THAT ADVANCE SIMULTANEOUS RENEWAL ACROSS INSTITUTIONS, DEPARTMENTS, OR OTHER GROUPS. Collaborative grants, reciprocal professional development, partner school and/or community partnerships, and collaborative policy work that advance the mission serve as examples. Provide detailed information that will help colleagues learn from your successes and include descriptions of challenges.Successes:Lost in Transition: High School to Higher Education InitiativeThe Partnership continues to try to find ways to expand this work. The current initiative provides an avenue of respectful sharing among colleagues that remains unique and valued, a robust example of simultaneous educational renewal and democratic practice. Meetings include faculty from high schools, community colleges, and the university. English/language arts (both writing and literature), mathematics, life sciences, social studies, and world languages hold Lost in Transition meetings once a year. The gatherings are variously called summits and colloquia, but not workshops. Language is important and these convenings feature the highest level of collegial sharing and conversation. To underplay status issues, meetings are not held at the University of Wyoming, but at more neutral locations around the state. The most successful communities (English/language arts and life sciences) enjoy strong leadership from the arts and sciences. Planners make professional development renewal credits available to the participants.The timeline below illustrates the initiative’s impact. Open-ended comments from participants go much further to describe the way simultaneous educational renewal is practiced. Selected comments are provided below:* The engagement/involvement of different levels was awesome.* Communication is the KEY factor to ensure success of our students and faculty.2013 NNER Summer SymposiumThe Partnership covered the full registration ($650) for four Wyoming attendees. The participants were: Aurora Chang, Assistant Professor, Educational Studies, College of Education, University of Wyoming; Kevin Derby, Lingle-Ft. Laramie high school social studies teacher and concurrent enrollment instructor, Eastern Wyoming College; Leslie Rush, Associate Dean, Undergraduate Programs, College of Education, University of Wyoming; and Kathy Vetter, President of the Wyoming Education Association. All four participants reported out on their experience in the Partnership’s September newsletter. To see their thoughts and insights about the 2013 NNER Summer Symposium, visit the following website. of Democratic SchoolsThe Partnership paid the full school membership fee for four schools participating in this program of the NNER for 2013-2014 ($250 per school for a total of $1,000). The schools are Woods Learning Center and Star Lane Center, Casper (Natrona #1), UW Prep School, Laramie (Albany #1), and Guernsey-Sunrise High School, Guernsey (Platte #2). Wyoming School-University Partnership Memberships We continue to gain members. This year, three school districts were unable to join again due to budgetary restraints. However, three new districts joined the Partnership. Currently, 28 of 48 school districts belong to the Partnership and pay annual dues. Dues for 2013-2014 totaled $86,000. Dues are used for the general operation of the Partnership office, including the salary and benefits of the office associate, and to fund the Partnership’s initiatives. Our goal is to maintain current membership and increase district membership by one or two a year. The Partnership has a presence in all but four Wyoming counties (23 total) the four being far from the University of Wyoming which is located in the southeast corner of the state.Our current school district members include: Albany #1 - Laramie, Superintendent Brian RechtBig Horn #1 - Cowley, Superintendent Shon HockerBig Horn #2 - Lovell, Superintendent Dan CoeCampbell #1 - Gillette, Superintendent Richard StrahornCarbon #2 - Saratoga, Superintendent Bob GatesConverse #1 - Douglas, Superintendent Dan EspelandFremont #6 - Pavillion, Superintendent Diana ClappFremont #14 - Ethete, Superintendent Terry SmithFremont #25 - Riverton, Superintendent Terry SnyderFremont #38 - Arapahoe, Superintendent Chantell DensonGoshen #1 - Torrington, Superintendent Jean ChrostoskiHot Springs #1 - Thermopolis, Superintendent Dustin HuntLaramie #1 - Cheyenne, Superintendent Mark StockNatrona #1 - Casper, Superintendent Steve HopkinsNiobrara #1 - Lusk, Superintendent Jonathan BraackPark #1 - Powell, Superintendent Kevin MitchellPark #6 - Cody, Superintendent Ray SchultePark #16 - Meeteetse, Superintendent Jay CurtisPlatte #1 - Wheatland, Superintendent Dennis FischerPlatte #2 - Guernsey, Superintendent Dave BarkerSheridan #1 - Ranchester, Superintendent, Marty KobzaSheridan #2 - Sheridan, Superintendent Craig DoughertySublette #9 - Big Piney, Superintendent Gerry ChaseSweetwater #1 - Rock Springs, Superintendent Mathew NealSweetwater #2 - Green River, Superintendent Donna Little-KaumoTeton #1 - Jackson, Superintendent Pam SheaUinta #1 - Evanston, Superintendent James BaileyWashakie #1 - Worland, Superintendent David NicholasThe graphics below illustrate how Wyoming school district membership has increased over the past several years. The 2009-2013 Impact Map side by side comparison can also be downloaded at Board DevelopmentEach governing board meeting features a specific theme (accompanied by a short advance reading) for discussion. Session evaluations reveal the importance of the conversations to many governing board members. Some governing board members report using the readings with principals or their school district board of trustees.Board members have expressed that Partnership governing board meetings are a place to bring personal and professional concerns about education to a group of others who can provide wise counsel. And governing board meetings are often the only place board members have opportunities to discuss important educational issues that revolve around more than testing and accountability. This is just one more way that we practice Agenda for Education in a Democracy principles. Feedback from governing board meetings confirms that board members appreciate this atmosphere and find themselves being renewed at the governing board annual meetings. Website Presence and Marketing MaterialsWith total credit to the talents of several exceptional office associates, the Partnership fields an excellent website which also enables effective and dependable online registration for events. We’ve been very successful distributing an impact map that shows where the Partnership is in Wyoming and what it does. Far and away, the document elicits the most comments and questions when we share our materials. The full map is available online at Partnership NewslettersIn 2013, we published four newsletters. The newsletters are available to download on the website and are also sent electronically to a list of over 1200 people who have signed up to receive email updates from the Partnership. We also regularly distribute over 100 hard copies of each newsletter.Co-sponsor, 5th Annual UW College of Education Fall Literacy Conference, October 4-5The Partnership co-sponsored the 5th Annual UW College of Education Fall Literacy Conference by providing marketing, a website for the conference, and online registration. Approximately 80 educators registered for the conference that took place at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, October 4-5. Challenges:FundingLost in Transition: High School to Higher Education InitiativeThe Partnership has plans to expand the initiative during 2013-2014 to possibly include shorter online sessions that would encourage faculty to continue talking about the larger issues discussed during the symposia and colloquia. This might involve contracting out a coordinator for these sessions. The Partnership has received several very generous donations from the University of Wyoming President’s Office, the Qwest Foundation, and the Wyoming P-16 Education Council to help convene these Lost in Transition meetings. Those funds are nearly exhausted, and we would need to seek funding to continue expanding.We also continue searching for ways to combine current education concerns, such as the Common Core State Standards and issues around dual and concurrent enrollment, with our Lost in Transition meetings.School Community Engagement InitiativeThe Partnership received generous donations from the University of Wyoming’s Office of Student Affairs and the NNER to pilot the school-community engagement initiative. Each school also contributed funds for the project. This seed money has now been spent with good results. There are several other Partnership member school districts that are interested in starting similar projects. The Partnership is currently looking for ways to continue providing some funding for the initiative to encourage those interested to find ways to involve their students in projects for the schools and the communities.MarketingThe Partnership continues to try to find ways to get the word out about our initiatives. While the web presence, the newsletter, and word of mouth continue to expand, the Partnership is thinking about new ways to reach the educators in the state of Wyoming. ExpansionThe Partnership has a goal of recruiting at least one school district from each of Wyoming’s counties. The counties that do not currently hold Partnership membership all come from areas that are located quite far away from the University of Wyoming in Laramie, the host site for the Partnership. The Partnership would also like to explore inviting other entities, such as the Wyoming Professional Teaching Standards Board, the State School Board, and the Facilities Commission, to join.Please note that at the October meeting the governing council asked that community engagement efforts and progress be included in each report that we can continue to focus on this and learn from one another as settings continue to do innovative and effective collaboration. DESCRIBE SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES RELATED TO ANY OF THE FOLLOWING NNER PRIORITIES THAT HAVE BEEN A FOCUS FOR THE SETTING AND ARE NOT INLCUDED ABOVE. Advancing equityPromoting the democratic purposes of schooling in the current political environmentStewardship of the profession and quality teacher preparationResearch related to NNER mission and its implementation,Other Setting Information:(Provide any additional information including celebrations, acknowledgements, awards, accomplishments, challenges at the setting, changes in personnel, etc. that provide additional background.)DESCRIPTION OF WORK:2013 NNER Annual Conference PresenceThe Partnership was happy to report that sixteen Wyoming presenters contributed to the 2013 NNER annual national conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Partnership was able to assist with travel costs for some of the presenters, including a few students. We had follow-ups on a few of the presentations in the Partnership’s December newsletter, Co-sponsoring the 17th Annual Shepard Symposium for Social Justice/League of Democratic Schools Teacher TeaIn conjunction with the 17th Annual Shepard Symposium for Social Justice, April 4-6, the Partnership helped sponsor the annual teacher tea.Involvement in the Wyoming P-16 Education Council and Other Wyoming Education OrganizationsAudrey Kleinsasser continues to be a supportive part of the Wyoming P-16 Council. The council is currently discussing the possibility of disbanding or reimagining their current set-up. Kleinsasser continues to offer the Partnership’s assistance in ways to help this organization find a successful format for operation and a focus in the current charged political atmosphere of Wyoming. Kleinsasser also remains involved with other education organizations in Wyoming, such as the Wyoming Foreign Language Teachers’ Association, the Wyoming Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships, and the Advisory Board for Wyoming’s National Board Certification of Teachers, and consulting with state legislative and educational accountability advisory committees looking at teacher and administrator accountability systems in the state. Kleinsasser seeks to foster relationships to encourage these educational organizations to work with the Partnership in keeping democracy a vital part of education. We also encourage Wyoming education organizations to help the Partnership see where we could be useful in stewardship of the profession within the state.Office Associate position moved to full-timeThe Partnership was able to financially support the office associate position as a full-time position beginning in October of 2013. _____________________________________________________________________________________________Submitted by the Wyoming School-University Partnership’s executive committee with formal acceptance from the governing board at its regular meeting, January 29, 2014. ................
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