Whole Faculty Study Groups help Holdrege students make progress
January 23, 2008
That is the question driving Holdrege Public School teachers as they participate in professional learning communities called Whole Faculty Study Groups (WFSG). The groups are “Whole Faculty” because the whole faculty participates in groups that focus on data-based student instructional needs. In groups, teachers deepen their knowledge and understanding of what is taught, design lessons, take action in their classrooms, assess student needs, reflect on their actions and student results, and take joint responsibility for the students they teach.
Carlene Murphy, the founder and director for the National Center for Whole Faculty Study Groups in Augusta, GA., met Monday with representatives from all twenty eight Holdrege Public Schools teacher and administrator groups. She assessed group progress and offered recommendations to successfully target and address student needs. Mrs. Murphy also addressed the entire Holdrege staff to praise their progress and encourage them to continue this valuable process. Mrs. Murphy told staff that she could not be more pleased with what they are doing and that Holdrege teachers are as far along as any first year school where she has ever worked. “You’re just doing a great job”, she said.
In the summer of 2007, twenty one Holdrege teachers and administrators, along with other Nebraska educators, attended the Whole Faculty Study Institute offered by the Nebraska Department of Education at Horizon Middle School in Kearney. That institute was conducted by Carlene Murphy and Dr. Karl Clauset, Executive Director of the Whole-Faculty Study Groups National Center. In a three day period Holdrege educators were trained in the process of WFSGs and met to decide how WFSGs might work for Holdrege Public Schools. This group became the focus team responsible for implementing the study groups and training other faculty members. The focus team assembled a book of materials for all teachers and developed a skit to introduce WFSGs at the beginning of the school year.
Whole Faculty Study Groups worked on curriculum development first semester and are now turning their focus to students needs. Dr. Clauset visited Holdrege in September to help groups with their progress and was a guest presenter for Holdrege Public Schools staff in-service on January 3rd and 4th. Dr. Clauset helped teachers assess their first semester work and transition to the student needs focus 2nd semester. A grant from the Nebraska Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD) brought Dr. Clauset to Holdrege and will also pay stipends for teachers to attend 2008 summer training in Kearney.
Whole Faculty Study Groups meet once a week for forty five minutes. A challenge has been finding time for all groups to meet. The Holdrege School Board will consider approving building time into the weekly schedule for all groups to meet for the 2008-2009 school year. The proposed time is 1:45 – 2:30 p.m. on Fridays with students being dismissed at 1:30 p.m. Additional time will be added to daily schedules so that students will not miss instructional time. Because staff development can be delivered through the WFSGs, fewer staff development days will be needed throughout the school year and therefore students will gain additional instructional days.
Whole Faculty Study Groups provide a way to focus on student needs, collaborate with other teachers, incorporate staff development and growth, and implement school improvement. The teacher groups are very productive and working well for Holdrege Public Schools.
