In this 1-day session, participants examine and assess sample student assignments individually. Then in groups, they identify quality criteria for assignments that support a standards-based curriculum. Teamwork and collaboration among teachers is emphasized as participants work together to revise a sample assignment. A rubric for assessing assignments and a cover sheet for submitting assignments to collaborative teacher groups is provided for all participants.

Go to Quality Work for more information about the rubrics.

In Level I, participants learn how to use Critical Friends Groups (CFG) to look at the quality of work teachers give students to do. During the two-day workshop, time is spent reviewing what critical friends groups are and how they function; examining what protocols are and why we use them; experiencing a protocol as a participant; reflecting on the quality of a teacher assignment by using a quality rubric; and, preparing for the start-up of a Critical Friends Group.

In Level II of Facilitating Teacher Groups in Improving the Quality of Assignments, participants review what they learned in CFG Level I Training and share experiences in trying to implement a group in their schools and districts. In this two-day workshop, they learn more about the research supporting this professional development model; have in-depth practice sessions with another protocol; examine ways to modify protocols to meet their needs; practice scoring assignments using a quality rubric; and, think again about implementation of CFG groups in schools.

Go to Critical Friends for more information.

Some districts and schools are interested in building the idea of "quality work" for students to do into a larger support system for teachers around developing or revising units of study. SERVE is working closely with one district in developing the structure for a year-long professional development program around high quality units. The work with a group of teachers on an identified topic area (e.g., the Federalist period in US History) begins with a two-day overview on planning quality units. Participants view and assess sample units, develop quality criteria for units and collaboratively plan a content-based or interdisciplinary unit, using a standards-based curriculum. A rubric for assessing units is provided. For an article on the larger professional development model, download Increasing Academic Rigor through High Quality Professional Development (PDF).