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PRESS RELEASE

For more information contact:
Sabrina Tom
Development Manager
415/824-6196 x124
stom@partnersinschools.org

PARTNERSSI EXPANDS SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

San Francisco, CA - January 23, 2006 - Partners in School Innovation (PartnersSI) announces the expansion of their School Improvement Fellowship program, a two-year fellowship connecting individuals with outstanding teaching and leadership skills and a commitment to education reform and equity, with direct experience supporting teacher professional development in low-income public elementary schools.

The program is primarily comprised of site-based work and focuses on improving teacher practice as the most important lever for transforming chronically low-performing schools into equitable learning environments for all students. School Improvement Fellows (SIFs) support teachers to accelerate the learning of low-performing students and close the achievement gap by using data and other evidence to improve instruction. Additionally, SIFs guide teachers through a continuous process of peer collaboration and reflection, in order to better identify and address different students' learning needs. Because SIFs are former teachers themselves, they are already familiar with the many challenges facing teachers in under-resourced schools and thus have the credibility and experience to support them through their professional development. The result is an equitable and ongoing learning community for teachers and students alike.

There are currently two SIFs working at select partner schools across the Bay Area. Starting next school year, PartnersSI will place a SIF in each of their partner schools, significantly expanding their program.

"Our SIFs have already proven to be outstanding leaders," said Executive Director Becky Crowe Hill. "We're excited for additional SIFs to positively impact our schools by providing more instructional expertise for classroom teachers."

Megan Winters, a first-year School Improvement Fellow at Miner Elementary School, is energized by her role. "My work has enabled me to take what I learned about policy, school reform and leadership in my master's program and apply it at the ground level to help teachers create a professional learning community focused on ensuring that their students of color succeed."

In addition to the direct school improvement work, SIFs will receive their own professional development from PartnersSI. They will engage in intensive training and receive regular coaching and mentoring from dedicated school improvement leaders. The weekly sessions will also give SIFs the time to reflect and strategize with colleagues on ways to improve their own practice. The professional development curriculum is aligned with the classroom work and is drawn from current research, best practices and the organization's twelve years of site-based experience.

"The Fellowship creates a pipeline of leaders committed to driving systemic changes in public education," said Ms. Crowe Hill. "After the two-year program, SIFs will be uniquely qualified to pursue school leadership and coaching positions and be advocates for equity and social change."

If you are interested in learning more about the program or becoming a SIF, please visit our website or contact Jennifer Watanabe Sheldon, Director of Special Projects, or call (415) 824-6196.

About Partners in School Innovation

Partners in School Innovation is the only San Francisco Bay Area non-profit school improvement organization that provides daily site-based implementation support to districts and schools serving predominantly students of color and English language learners. PartnersSI's approach to school improvement pivots on three convictions: (1) dramatically increasing student achievement is an essential priority (2) the strongest lever for improving student learning is improving teacher practice (3) sustaining school-wide improvement relies on building the leadership capacity of teachers, principals and district administrators. PartnersSI currently supports nine schools in San Francisco Unified, San Jose Unified and Oak Grove School Districts.