As the earliest secondary education to be established in Oswego County, New York, Mexico Academy and Central School District (MACS) now serves 2,500 students within five schools. Read our case study to find out how they have used PD 360 and Common Core 360 videos to help train and support their teachers and paraprofessionals. Sign up for a free trial at http://www.schoolimprovement.com/products/pd360/ Find more case studies here on SlideShare or on our website at http://www.schoolimprovement.com/research/case-studies/

1. PD 360
Case Study
Small Rural New York District Prepares
Paraprofessionals and Streamlines Observations
“The New York State Department of Education has
introduced new initiatives that necessitate more
classroom observations, feedback responses, and
aligned directions. Teamed together, Observation
360 and PD 360 are a great system for performing
complete observations and meeting the required
evaluation practices.”
Mary Beth Horn Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Mexico
Academy and Central School District, New York
Profile
Mexico Academy and Central School District (MACS) has
been a valued institution since its 1822 beginning in a
two-story brick schoolhouse called “The Academy.” Lower
grades on the first floor and high school on the upper, it
was the earliest secondary education to be established in
Oswego County, New York.
A small rural district in a charming area of farms and
orchards, MACS serves 2,500 students within five schools
and is supported by a wholly committed community. The
district is based on a conviction that “all children can
learn” and encourages students to be lifelong learners.
Focus
To ensure an outstanding education for all students, MACS
is dedicated to professional learning. Current focuses are
as follows:
• Common Core Standards
• Curriculum Mapping
• Constructivist Learning
Solutions
MACS Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and
Instruction Mary Beth Horn is a vibrant, knowledgeable
administrator who wanted an all-inclusive teacher resource
and a comprehensive observation system. In 2011, the
School Improvement Network’s Educator Effectiveness
System (EES) joined the district instructional program with
answers to their concerns.
Common Core 360
Common Core 360 prepares educators to understand
and implement the Common Core Standards. With a
library of almost 300 training videos that include 70 in-
class examples of teachers implementing the Standards,
Common Core 360 is a valuable tool for teachers
preparing students for college and career.
Curriculum Mapping
An internationally recognized expert in the fields of
curriculum and instruction, Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacobs’
PD 360 programs such as Mapping to the Core and
Curriculum Mapping demonstrate mapping major
concepts, units of study, skills, assessments, and
outcomes throughout the year.

2. Constructivist Learning
PD 360 programs such as Creating and Sustaining the
Constructivist Classroom and Cooperative Learning
and Multiple Intelligences illustrate how constructivist
teachers support student autonomy by fostering initiative
and critical thinking, thus creating active and motivated
learners. Ms. Horn states, “Outlining learning goals,
implementation, and expected outcomes will have a
positive effect on student success.”
Implementation
MACS began its EES rollout by training administrators
and paraprofessionals, while teacher instruction will take
place in the next school year. Following are some of the
ways PD 360 and Observation 360 are currently utilized
in the district:
Classroom Observations
MACS administrators are using Observation 360 to
evaluate teachers in classrooms. The observation
process will be fully integrated when teachers are
trained in PD 360 to receive immediate feedback that
includes relevant links.
Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)
PD 360 will be used to enhance PLCs and advance
comprehension of the data analysis process, such as
gathering evidence of student knowledge, planning future
action, and driving instruction and learning.
Paraprofessional Training
PD 360 prepares paraprofessionals with programs such as
“Training for Paraprofessionals” and with online interactive
communities that encourage sharing experiences and
reflections. MACS paraprofessionals also have personal
growth learning goals that include use of PD 360
instructional programs.
“PD 360 has helped us personalize our paraprofessional
training. Benefitting from the autonomy plus a multitude
of strategies, they love it and their feedback has been
very positive.”
Mary Beth Horn
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum
and Instruction, Mexico Academy and
Central School District, New York
Benefits
MACS administrators and paraprofessionals are already
drawing on PD 360 for specific needs in classroom
management and teaching strategies. Ms. Horn looks
forward to extending EES advantages to all teachers and
initiating Common Core 360.
Dependable Client Service
Delighted with EES client support, Ms. Horn affirms,
“Working with School Improvement Network has been
great. I appreciate their quick responses when dealing with
our needs.”
Renowned Experts
Educators appreciate the easy availability of over 120
respected experts such as Heidi Hayes Jacobs, Gayle
Gregory, Rick DuFour, Michael Fullan, and many more, thus
eliminating the need to rely on costly conferences to learn
from the best authorities.
Differentiated Professional Learning and
Instructional Support
PD 360 maintains independent, differentiated learning
with a library of over 3,000 videos targeting specific
educator needs and experience levels. Educators always
have flexible control of their own development anytime
and anywhere.
Educator Enthusiasm
Good usage numbers indicate that PD 360 has been well
received by MACS educators.
The following responses from MACS paraprofessionals
validate PD 360’s valuable influence.
“I watched programs showing that inclusion can have
a positive impact on the child with special needs to
learn academically and behaviorally from peers. In the
inclusion classroom, students are given the opportunity
to understand the needs of others and discover their own
capacity to give.”
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3. “After viewing programs on brain research and the impact
on student learning, I am reflecting on how I can best
implement the strategies for students with autism. I am
looking closely at a few key points to focus on.”
“The programs have reinforced my awareness of the
importance of being effective, frequent, and consistent
with bullying behavior. I need to support correct language
and behaviors in the hallways by being more vigilant.”
“A speaker in a PD 360 video I watched said, ‘It isn’t
just about students knowing the answer. It’s about how
students behave when they don’t know the answer.’ This
made me think about problem solving strategies and
how great learning also comes on the journey to finding
answers. What I learned today will motivate students to be
creative thinkers and problem solvers.”
“The programs offered views on teacher/paraprofessional
roles. I will set goals to be supportive, proactive to teacher
expectations, and to apply good communication skills.”
Conclusion
Enthusiastic about the EES advantages such as PD
360 building teacher effectiveness, Observation 360
streamlining classroom evaluations, and Common
Core 360 facilitating the Common Core Standards
implementation, Ms. Horn knows the students will be the
real winners.
“The Educator Effectiveness System is making a difference
in our district. Observation 360 increases educator
understanding of formal observations and PD 360 meets
individual needs of our educators. When teachers are
exposed to high-quality materials, students benefit.”
Mary Beth Horn
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum
and Instruction Mexico Academy and
Central School District, New York
About School Improvement
Founded in 1991 by teachers, School Improvement
Network has spent decades researching and documenting
the best practices in education. From this research, School
Improvement Network has developed the Educator
Effectiveness System. This system delivers a process to
improve teacher practice, and gives educators a set of
powerful tools to drive the process. Research shows that
districts and schools that use the tools in the Educator
Mexico Academy and Central SD, New York
PD 360 Usage March 2012 – May 2013
Registered
Users
Collective
Programs
Viewed
Collective
Segments
Viewed
Collective
Minutes
Viewed
Average
Minutes
Per User
299 1,188 2,446 13,725 50
www.schoolimprovement.com | 801-572-1153

4. About School Improvement
Founded in 1991 by teachers, School Improvement
Network has spent decades researching and documenting
the best practices in education. From this research, School
Improvement Network has developed the Educator
Effectiveness System. This system delivers a process to
improve teacher practice, and gives educators a set of
powerful tools to drive the process. Research shows that
districts and schools that use the tools in the Educator
Effectiveness System produce better teachers and,
as a result, experience dramatic increases in student
achievement, driving up student test scores by as much as
30 percent in a single year. School Improvement Network
works with thousands of schools and districts in every
state and around the world and has visited over 3,500
classrooms to document best practices in action. Learn
more at www.schoolimprovement.com
www.schoolimprovement.com | 801-572-1153