The Regional School Support Centers peer review contacts have been encouraged to post regional activities on our NYSATL scheduler. Teachers are encouraged to visit our website, www.emsc.nysed.gov/nysatl/, and click on "NYSATL Events" to review peer review activities taking place in each of the State’s regions and to contact the RSSC point person for further information regarding peer review activities.

Commissioner Mills announced the names of the 2000-2001 members of NYSATL.  Members received certificates signed by both the Chancellor of the Board of Regents, Carl T. Hayden, and the Commissioner recognizing their participation in helping to raise learning standards for the students of New York State.

NYSATL congratulates all the members of this year's "class" and urges each of you, as well as previous years' Academy members, to complete the Statewide Peer Review Event survey. The data collected to date makes a powerful statement about the value of the Statewide Peer Review, but we need to hear from all participants in order to get a true picture of how the process is impacting classrooms and students.
In addition to completing the survey, NYSATL asks that each new Academy member who wishes to submit his/her validated learning experience for possible publication on NYSATL's website to read and follow the Web Guidelines. When teachers follow these guidelines, the process of website publication runs much smoother, thus making it possible to publish more learning experiences online.

Finally, NYSATL encourages all Academy members to continue to stay connected to the Statewide Peer Review by promoting the process among your colleagues and by visiting this website often to find out about activities, news updates, new links, and of course, to benefit from the rich bank of learning experiences that is continuously being expanded.

Again congratulations to all of you who are helping to make NYS learning standards "come alive" in classrooms throughout New York State.

Statewide Peer Review 2002
March 10,11, and 12, 2002
Albany Marriott
Albany, NY 12205

• Learning experiences postmarked December 1, 2001 will be considered for the March Statewide Peer Review.
• Invitations to Statewide Peer Review will be mailed in February to teachers whose learning experiences have been selected.
• For further information on the Academy and the Statewide Peer Review email us.

Statewide Peer Review Critical Friends Survey

NYSATL is recruiting educators to function as critical friends for its annual Statewide Peer Review event that is held in March each year. During the Statewide Peer Review, teachers present learning experiences they have written to a group of reviewers who comment on the learning experiences, using a set of criteria.

Reviewers include both teachers experienced in the presenting teacher's subject and grade level and those with other expertise (critical friends). At first, the third-grade teacher may worry that he/she will have little to contribute to the high school science teacher's review, or vice versa, but such concerns are quickly allayed by experience. Indeed, teachers whose own work seems at first far afield provide some of the most useful perspectives on the teachers' and student work they review. Diversity of teaching setting can help enormously, too: different schools and different districts are represented, and a mix of urban, suburban, and rural practitioners is included.

NYSATL is updating its database of critical friends. New York State educators who are interested in serving in this capacity should complete the Statewide Critical Friends Survey [PDF] and fax or mail it to Joan Payton. The fax number is 518-473-0858 and the address is New York State Education Department, Office of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, 674 EBA, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12234.

NYSATL Informational Booklet - An Update

An informational booklet describing the NYSATL and its Statewide Peer Review process is now available online. This version contains new information on the history and background of NYSATL, its mission, products and initiatives, as well as how a teacher becomes a member of the Academy.

The heart of the book is the description of the Statewide Peer Review process itself, including Criteria for Review, roles of participants, roles of Recorder and Facilitator, Criteria for Review Recording form, Protocol, and Learning Experience Outline form. An added feature is a Frequently Asked Questions about Statewide Peer Review.

Those who are familiar with the previous version of the book will notice that this updated version, which became effective March 2001 at the Statewide Peer Review event, contains revisions of the Criteria for Review, the Protocol, and Teacher Presentation, and the role of the Facilitator. These revisions ensure that there is a balance between what the teacher does (context) and what the students do (student work) so that both aspects of the Learning Experience are fully explored in relation to the Criteria. The previous version of the book (in effect from NYSATL's inception through March 2000) as well as the accompanying video, is available through the Department's Publication Catalog or by calling (518) 474-5922.

A Statewide mailing of a hard copy version of the new book will occur in the Fall with the announcement of the 2001-02 members of the Academy.

NYSATL February Seminar - Looking at Student Work

At a NYSATL seminar held in February, David Allen of Harvard's Project Zero addressed two questions: "Why look at student work collaboratively?" and "How does the closer focus on student work within the context of the Statewide Peer Review protocol achieve a better understanding of the New York State learning standards?"

In terms of the first question - - looking at student work collaboratively is helpful for:

• Understanding the learning standards
• Assessing student learning
• Developing curriculum and assessments
• Improving instructional practice
• Fostering teacher learning and professional growth
• Building a professional community of reflective practitioners
• Communicating with students and their families

In terms of the second question - - focusing on student work within the context of the Statewide peer review protocol:

• Grounds standards and practice in the reality of the classroom and student performance
• Allows participants to see a fuller continuum of teaching and learning
• Engages participants more fully in the learning experience
• Provides a richer source of evidence about the learning experience

Visit Looking at Student Work for research and resources.

Research from Expert Assistance Helps Strengthen NYSATL

Dr. Joseph McDonald, formerly of the Annenburg Institute on School Reform and now a professor of Teaching and Learning at New York University, spoke to a group of professional developers during NYSATL's February seminars. Dr. McDonald shared research on professional development, citing the following:

Effective professional development for teachers is:

• organized around real problems of practice;
• content-based;
• focused on actual student work and learning;
• conducted in a "professional community of practice" with norms that acknowledge diverse expertise and encourage "critical friendship";
• extended over time, with opportunities to incorporate new ideas into practice and to reflect on the results.

 Dr. McDonald applauded the efforts of NYSATL in crafting a process which contains elements of all these conditions. In addition to Dr. McDonald, other education researchers have written on effective professional development for teachers. For more information on this research, go to NYSATL Links.

NYSATL Seminars

In January, NYSATL faculty rolled up its sleeves to work side by side with some of its professional development partners in preparation for Statewide Peer Review 2001. Guided by Linda Headley-Walker of the Adult Education Staff Development Consortia and Charlotte Brummett of the Bilingual Education Technical Assistance Centers (BETAC), the faculty began to clarify issues and develop understandings of these statewide initiatives for adult learners and LEP/ELL students. Aileen Clifford and Fran Brewer, representing Models Schools, guided discussions on the appropriate use of instructional technology to help all learners achieve higher levels of performance related to the standards.

Teacher Centers Partner with NYSATL

NYSATL kicked off the new year responding to Teacher Centers request for an orientation to Statewide Peer Review. The partnership between NYSATL and Teacher Centers continue to strengthen as this professional development network offers teachers support in development of standards based learning experiences for students of NYS. Visit the Teacher Centers Directory for a statewide list of all teacher centers.

NYSATL Webster

NYSATL is pleased to welcome its new Web Team which is coordinated by Ed Donnelly, Office of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment. Thanks to Ed and his team we have posted several new learning experiences for your viewing.

NYSATL Orientation to Statewide Peer Review

On November 13 and 14, 250 educators gathered at the Albany Marriott to participate in a hands-on "Orientation to Statewide Peer Review". These educators represented each of the Regional School Support Centers (RSSC).  Also attending were professional development networks and the State Education Department's School Improvement Team liaisons to the RSSC's. NYSATL looks forward to continuing partnerships with these groups to expand peer review opportunities to all teachers on a regional basis. For further information on regional planning, contact RSSC.

Let's Talk About Peer Review
Q&A, October 2000,  WSWHE BOCES

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