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MAJOR AREAS OF FOCUS
Educational Equity: Improving Achievement of All Students:
The MDSN's commitment to improving educational opportunities and student achievement in
high-poverty communities focuses its support and resources on preK–16
projects between higher education institutions and targeted school
districts in urban and rural areas. Technical assistance and support is
provided for needs assessments and planning, program and curriculum
development, leadership and professional development, use of current
technologies to enhance teaching and learning, and research and
evaluation. Major emphasis is placed on recruiting and retaining
qualified and competent teachers, improving instructional and assessment
practices that address the learning needs of all students, and
implementing research-based strategies for comprehensive school reform.
Improving Teacher Quantity and Quality
Educational research continues to give us clear and convincing proof that
the single most powerful in-school factor for student achievement gains is
the quality of the teacher. Recognizing this fact and the teacher shortage
crisis facing the region during the next decade, the MDSN is committed to
improving the quantity and quality of the teacher workforce, and the recruitment
and retention of qualified, competent teachers in high-poverty urban and
rural communities. Given the projections for new teachers needed to fill
critical shortages, the opportunity to transform schools by improving
the quality and retention of new teachers has never been greater. The
MDSN therefore supports high-quality, standards-based teacher
preparation and professional development that have a measurable impact
on teaching and learning, teacher retention, and continual professional
growth.
Leadership and Professional Development Consistent with LSS' national
role in enhancing and supporting educational leadership, the MDSN
supports and facilitates leadership development in institutions as an
essential factor in transforming the preK–16 system and building the
institutional capacity to continue and sustain educational improvements
over time. The MDSN focuses on building school-level leadership and
instructional capacity to enhance professional and instructional
practices, and to empower all members of the school community as agents
of change and educational improvement. To this end, the MDSN
concentrates its activities, technical support, and resources on
fostering leadership and professional growth to develop the school as a
learning community. This support includes, but is not limited to:
leadership development; school improvement planning and implementation;
research and evaluation methods; collecting, analyzing, and using data;
mentoring, coaching, and supervising; and use of modern technologies to
improve schools and enhance instruction and student learning.
Professional Networking and Support:
The MDSN serves as a "think-tank" and
resource for preK–16 institutions and a conduit for information between
and among member institutions, LSS, and educational, governmental, and
business organizations. It provides a dissemination system with multiple
opportunities for professional networking, interinstitutional support,
program and resource coordination, dissemination of relevant research
and literature, and support for research and dissemination of effective
strategies for improving the educational system, low-performing schools,
and student achievement.
Research, Evaluation, and Dissemination
The MDSN provides support to
conduct research studies on the development, implementation, and impact
of preK–16 educational improvement projects to advance procedural
knowledge related to systemic transformation and improvement of the preK–16
educational system, and the resultant impact on teacher preparation and
professional development, teacher quantity and quality, and student
achievement. The MDSN also encourages and supports dissemination of
successful educational models and reform strategies for replication
across the region.
MEMBER COMMITMENTS AND BENEFITS:
Institutional Members pay an annual membership fee that is used to fund mini-grants and
mini-scholarships to stimulate and support collaborative action research
projects and inquiry groups among preK–12 teachers and
education/arts/sciences faculty in member institutions, and
participation in sustained and intensive leadership and professional
development to build institutional and instructional capacity. Action
research and inquiry groups will focus on exploring, studying, and
disseminating effective strategies to improve school and classroom
practices, teaching, and learning.
Other major commitments for institutional
members include active participation in LSS/MDSN meetings and
conferences, and providing support for individuals representing
institutional members on MDSN committees or at MDSN/LSS activities (i.e.
release time, stipends, or other incentives).
Benefits for institutional members
include:
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Access to LSS resources
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Eligibility to apply for LSS/MDSN
grants and activities
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Access to regional conferences and
activities
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Participation in extensive networking
across states, pre K–16 institutions, public agencies, and the private
sector
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Opportunities for professional
development credit, mini-grants, and mini-scholarships
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Involvement in research opportunities
and activities to improve teaching and learning
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Access to resources and opportunity
base for continually improving the pool of teachers
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