Building Learning Centered Schools

Montclair State University offers professional development expertise, partnership and services to schools committed to improving student achievement and building learning centered schools.

Research tells us that successful schools share a number of characteristics, including:

What are the outcomes when these
characteristics are in place in a school?

• A shared and deep commitment to student learning and success

• Common values and mission

• A focus on problem-solving rather than blame and despair
  Supportive and distributed leadership

• Respect, trust and open communication among school colleagues

• Teacher commitment to improvement and ongoing professional learning and development

• Teacher collaboration centered on improving practice and student learning

• Time for collaborative work and professional development

• Improved student learning and increased student achievement

• Less isolation and burnout and better morale and satisfaction for teachers

• Increased teacher retention

• Teaching expertise shared and developed across the school community

• Shared responsibility for improving student learning

• Collaborative learning and teamwork for students and teachers

Our Approach to Building Learning Centered Schools

Through the Center of Pedagogy and the Montclair State University Network for Educational Renewal (MSUNER), educators at Montclair State University work with school colleagues to foster, develop, and support these characteristics and outcomes.  We are not “fixers” with a pre-packaged, cookbook recipe for success.  Rather, we are partners who have the expertise to help you build capacity for school improvement focused on enhancing and improving learning for students and teachers.

After consultation visits with you to come to a shared understanding of where you are, what you want to build on, what’s working, and what problems teachers and principals need to tackle together, we offer:

• Workshops for teachers focused on teacher leadership, developing collaborative skills and habits, the process of collaborative problem-solving and planning, peer-coaching, teaching rounds, developing teacher study groups, looking at student work and action research.

• Workshops for principals on distributed  leadership, leading and facilitating the process of building a learning centered school, focusing on data analysis, professional development principles in action, building a climate of trust and respect, instructional leadership and mentoring and supporting beginning teachers.

• One on one coaching and mentoring for principals on leading the process of building a learning centered school by expert, experienced principals and educational leadership faculty.

• Coaching/mentoring/facilitating teacher collaboration by faculty and staff who are experienced at leading and participating in teacher study groups, professional learning communities and teacher action research groups.

• Support and mentoring for beginning teachers.

• A critical friends’ network of principals who are working on building learning centered schools, supported by technology (including online discussion forum, online consultation and resources) and periodic meetings and cross-site visits.

• Consultation is available from Montclair State faculty experts in literacy, curriculum development, special education, English language learners, authentic assessment, technology to enhance student learning, mathematics and science education if needed and requested

MSU BLCS Fees

• Consultation, professional development and coaching package for 15 days of professional services for teachers and principals, including initial consultation, written plan, appropriate workshops, reading materials, coaching/mentoring, and network participation. $23,000 (Schools will incur the cost of substitutes and refreshments.)

• Additional workshops, consultation and coaching at $1,500 per day including materials and planning.

For further information,
please contact Cheryl Hopper,
Director of the Montclair State University
Network for Educational Renewal at
973-655-7641 or
hopperc@mail.montclair.edu