Success Stories
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Mock
Technical Visits: A Win/Win Experience:
A Project GREAT Success Story from the East Region
by Mary Geiger
What is success? There are many measures. One measure that is very important
to professional developers is the realization that the teachers appreciate
and value the information they have just received and see the connection
to their daily work. Such is the sequence of activities that began with
a request for a “mock” technical assistance visit.
After the state summer meeting in July, 2006, and learning of the increased
emphasis on Technical Assistance Visits, co-op directors in the East
GREAT (Project GREAT - Getting
Results Educating Adults in Texas—is
Texas’ system of eight regional professional development centers for
adult educators) region were told that they could request a “mock” visit
by GREAT Center staff. They were told the purpose of the visits would
be twofold: to verify program compliance with state and federal guidelines
and to check for program quality of instruction.
Eager to prepare for a regularly scheduled visit in a year, Sue Barker,
director at Northeast Texas Community College at Mt. Pleasant, requested
a visit. A date was set for two days on site for an audit team and the visit
was outlined. The East Region’s process is composed of three critical
segments: phase I is the data gathering and preparation step; phase II is
the actual process used on site; phase III is the follow-up with administrators
and teachers. The entire process from start to completion could take a month
or less.
Phase I consisted of gathering information about the program, location
and schedule of classes, and, of course, Texas Educating Adults Management
System (TEAMS) data printouts. TEAMS Coordinator, Freda Thomas, had a thorough
and complete collection of the current and prior year data. Ms. Barker also
forwarded a binder of information including newsclips, programs, and pictures
of yearly activities. Having this information ahead of time allowed the “auditors” the
opportunity to prepare appropriate questions for the actual visit. The auditors
for the visit were Adult Education Program Coordinator for Education Service
Center Region VI, Tammy Gilbert, East GREAT Coordinator, Jim Ratliff, and
East GREAT Training Specialist, Mary Geiger. Texas LEARNS staff Joanie Rethlake
and Tracy Hendrix shared sample criteria checklists with the center.
Phase II took place over a two-day period on-site in late October, 2006.
Groups of staff, individual staff, students, and administrators were interviewed.
The Texas LEARNS checklists were used to verify criteria. In addition, the
East GREAT had prepared in-depth questions that check for quality instructional
practice. Personnel records were checked, and TEAMS data were validated.
Phase III was the most exciting piece of the process. A report was immediately
shared with the director citing Corrective Actions (if any), Recommendations,
and Commendations. Ms. Barker chose to take the many commendations listed
and developed a Christmas card for her staff which outlined those commendations
and thanked them for all their efforts. In January, 2007, an evening session
was scheduled with all staff. At that time GREAT Center staff used three
different activities to allow teachers to analyze their data from the report,
experience what the Indicators of Program Quality look like in the daily
classroom experience, and identify a personal checklist of strengths and
areas of needed improvement.
Barker has used the process not merely for preparation of an upcoming
visit and checking for program compliance. More importantly, she has
used the experience to initiate meetings for continued dialogue, processes,
and professional development activities to strengthen an already excellent
program for students. And for the teachers - many have expressed
how empowering an experience can be that stretches what they already
do with research-based strategies that they can use, see the results,
and change what and how they teach. As is with most teaching and learning
experiences, one of the greatest benefits came to the GREAT Center
in visiting a quality program firsthand, spending time with teachers and
students, and developing a prototype for other programs to use. The “Mock” Visit
Process used by the East Region truly seems to be a Win-Win Experience
for all involved.
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