Coding with Ozobots K-5 new
Ozobots are robots used to teach coding. The students learn to program using color-coded patterns drawn on paper. Students will create simple programs to develop coding skills.
Applicant: Donna Busa
Schools: District-wide K-5
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $11,250
READ MORE
Supporting Students via Eye Gaze Technology new
This professional development offering is an opportunity to learn more about utilizing eye gaze technology in the classroom to ensure high quality education for students with significant disabilities. It would help ensure that these students have access to tier 1 instruction and support ways for students to show their knowledge in more creative ways.
Applicant: Stacey Crocker
Schools: Williams
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $425
READ MORE
Assistive Technology Professional Development new
This grant will provide funding for professional development in assistive technology for an educator seeking to learn new tools and strategies. As the sole specialist in my district, I need to expand my knowledge to better support high-needs students in accessing the full curriculum. The proposed project aligns with the funding criteria for professional development by enhancing my knowledge and skills in AT, which will improve my ability to support students with complex needs. Through targeted training, I will gain expertise in the latest tools and strategies, allowing me to implement evidence-based solutions that promote student success.
Applicant: Kayla McAlister
Schools: Williams
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $849
READ MORE
Spring Mental Health Summit
The Mental Health Summit is in its 2nd year. Offered twice a year to the ~130 mental health professionals district-wide for a day of learning and community building. It's become a much-anticipated space and time for our folks! Our mental health professionals play an integral role in the culture and climate of our buildings and classrooms. The mental health summit, as reported overwhelmingly in feedback surveys afterwards, feeds their souls professionally, deepens their current practice, and provides space for professional improvement with like-roles. Staff who feel supported and joyful are better prepared to provide the same environment for students and their colleagues!
Applicant: Casey Ngo-Miller
Schools: District-wide
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $10,000
Professional Learning Communities – Creating the Foundation For Personalized Student Support new
Train principals to then train teacher teams in their buildings on the expectations for robust Professional Learning Communities (PLC) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) work and outcomes.
Applicant: Anna Nolin
Schools: District-wide
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $34,832
READ MORE
FOCUS Executive Function Curriculum and Training new
Executive Function Curriculum and Training for Special Educators, Inclusion Teachers and Support Staff (35 staff) The curriculum includes pre and post assessments in the areas of Executive Function. Assessments will be used each trimester to measure progress. Adopting a new Executive Function curriculum in the Focus Program allows for direct instruction over 3 years for students on the Autism Spectrum who have deficits in Executive Function Skills.
Applicant: Renae Fulkerson-Keszycki
Schools: Brown Middle School
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $2,328.89
READ MORE
National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention
The NCTE Convention is an annual event for ELA and literacy educators held all over the country. This November it will be in Boston, providing an excellent opportunity for NPS literacy educators to attend a national conference without traveling.
Applicant: Deana Lew
Schools: Elementary
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $8,250
READ MORE
Co-Teacher Development Pilot Program
We are piloting a program for co-teachers to improve practices. We aim to shift the culture to one that increases parity in co-teaching relationships and provides opportunities for collaboration, collective resources and professional development. While co-teaching is not a new model, approaching co-teaching holistically and collaboratively will give educators opportunities to approach their pedagogy differently. By piloting different models of co-teaching, teachers and Unit C staff will use their strengths in tandem, further developing professional skills. Refining the co-teaching dynamic will add to the educational experience for students. Effective collaboration will increase equity and accessibility for students.
Applicant: Emily Shire and Lillian Robinson
Schools: NSHS
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $9,247.08
READ MORE
Deepening Teachers’ Math Content Knowledge
Teachers will work on math activities and examine case studies. Teachers will develop skills to identify the next step for each student and be able to formulate effective questions to push students of all levels to a deeper understanding. This will provide a meaningful professional development opportunity for teachers. Engaging in math with other adults and deepening one’s understanding of math concepts helps teachers to be prepared to challenge the range of learners in their class.
Applicant: Kelly Gartside
Schools: Memorial-Spaulding
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $4,536.28
READ MORE
Professional Development- Keys to Literacy
I would like to bring Keys to Literacy, a PD program, to the science department at NNHS. I have taken PD through them in my previous district and believe they would be helpful to teachers. The Keys to Literacy program is Professional Development that provide a framework for teaching comprehension strategies and vocabulary routines. I think these strategies would be particularly helpful for our multilevel teachers in the North science department. We have a wide range of skills in the ML classrooms, including ELs and students with disabilities. Many of the techniques shown in the PD show scaffolding that would help a teacher in the multilevel setting. achers in multilevel classes.
Applicant: Melanie Pennison
Schools: NNHS
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $1,950
READ MORE
Instructional Coaching Impact Cycle Professional Development
The goal of the workshop is for our team to learn how to leverage Jim Knight’s “Impact Cycle” model to grow student achievement. It aligns with the NPS goal of Academic Excellence by impacting Tier 1 instruction, improving student learning for all students, aligning with Educational Equity. The coaching model is dialogical, emphasizing CRI moves, trauma-Informed practices, and SEI tools. This workshop will increase our ability to collaborate and create a culture of learning in a meaningful way.
Applicant: Jen Terrazzino
Schools: Lincoln Eliot
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $1,884
Igniting a Writing Revolution
We will conduct a book-study on “The Writing Revolution 2.0,” with the aim of developing consistent writing scaffolds that can be explicitly taught in the special ed. classroom and generalized to the general ed. setting.
Applicant: Caitlin Irwin
Schools: Oak Hill & District Special Ed. Programs
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $245
Newton Schools Foundation
P.O. Box 590020
Newton, MA 02459
info@newtonschoolsfoundation.org
