Implementing a ‘Professional Development School’ Concept

As part of an appointment to the Centre for the Advancement of Learning at Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey the writer has the task of representing the University in the Professional Development School established within Delsea Regional Schools under a Professional Development Grant from the New Jersey Department of Education. This article outlines the nature of the program and the role played. It also includes some of the initial outcomes of the program.

There are two schools, a Middle School and a High School, located in Franklinville and serving an area of approximately 200sq km, covering the Franklin and Elk Townships. There are 1800 students in total and 170 teachers and support staff, housed in two buildings. Two primary school districts feed into the Delsea secondary school system. A separate Alternative School is run in the evenings for students that have not been successful in the traditional school setting. This school has 16 students and involves 10 teachers, who have chosen an involvement in this school in addition to their normal teaching load. High school commences at 7:25am and concludes at 2:17pm, with effectively 8 continuous periods of 43 minutes, including one half period of 22 minutes as a lunch break in the cafeteria. There is a range of voluntary after school activities, such as sports, clubs and academic enhancements. Meanwhile, the middle school goes from 8:30 to 3:30pm in a similar fashion.