Archived Information

Panel Review Report
Samuel W. Mason School, Boston, MA

Introduction

The Program

The Exemplary Schools Program is one part of the Massachusetts School and District Accountability System. The purpose of the Exemplary Schools Program is to recognize and celebrate improvement in Massachusetts schools, and to disseminate information and encourage networking and sharing of good ideas, effective practices, and models for success. The program is intended to provide a means for these schools to share their expertise with other schools in the state.

Based on the School Performance Ratings issued in January 2001, the Department identified 242 schools that exceeded their expectations for improvement and invited them to participate in the Program. Of the more than 100 schools who chose to do so by submitting a School Leader Questionnaire, nine elementary and three middle schools were selected as finalists for possible designation as Exemplar sites, and scheduled for closer review to determine the willingness and capacity to serve. The data and information gathered from the other participants' questionnaires will be compiled and published in a report this June.

The Commissioner will designate up to 12 of these elementary and middle schools to serve as Exemplar sites. Exemplar sites will receive special recognition and a $10,000 grant to support the participation of their administrators and staff in information sharing and dissemination activities over the next year.

The Report

This report summarizes the findings and analyses of a small team of education professionals during its day and a half investigation of the Samuel W. Mason Elementary School on March 28 - 29, 2001. The purpose of this report is to assist the Commissioner in determining which schools from among those visited will be designated to serve as Exemplar sites in the state's new Exemplary Schools Program.

The review panel evaluated data and written information on the school's performance and improvement efforts, visited the school, and met with school and district officials in order to answer the following two key questions:

1. Is this school using effective improvement initiatives that could be replicated in other similarly profiled schools?
2. Are the conditions in place for this school to serve as a model of effective practices and successful improvement initiatives?

The panel's responses to these two questions frame the report. The findings and conclusions presented here are the product of analysis, discussion, and observation, and are based on the evidence made available to the panel before and during their visit. A list of panel members who participated in the Mason School review is provided in Appendix A. A detailed schedule of the panel's activities is provided in Appendix B.

Samuel W. Mason School Profile

Samuel Mason is one of 72 elementary schools in Boston that enrolled students in kindergarten through 5th grade in 2000. Mason identified 55 percent of its 202 students as African-American, 26 percent as Hispanic, 13 percent as white, four percent as Asian, and two percent as Native American. Four out of five (78%) students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and one-third spoke a first language other than English. The school did not identify any students as Limited English Proficient.

In 1999 (the most recent attendance data available to the panel), the school's daily attendance rate was 96.4 percent, with students missing an average of six to seven days per school year. Only seven other Boston schools had higher attendance rates. For the past three years (1998-2000), no students have been suspended in-school or out-of-school, and none was excluded more than 10 days. Two students were retained in grade in 2000.

Staffing

Mason's students are taught by 16 full-time teachers for an approximate pupil-to-teacher ratio of 13-to-1. There is no central staff other than the principal, Janet Palmer-Owens. Of the 16 full-time teachers, 12 (75%) have attained at least one master's degree. The school reported that 13 (81%) of its full-time teachers were certified to teach in their current positions. Eleven of the teachers (69%) have multiple certifications including nine with certifications in both special needs and elementary or early childhood, a speech and hearing specialist, and a reading specialist.

MCAS Results

Although the Mason's Cycle 1 overall performance category was "Low", the school "Exceeded" their overall improvement expectation by achieving a 1999/2000 average score that was 7.7 points higher than its baseline score. The school increased the overall percentage of students scoring in the Proficient/Advanced performance levels from four to 20 percent, and decreased the percentage of its students scoring in the Failing performance level from 38 to 15 percent. Between 22 and 30 percent of the fourth graders at Mason were enrolled as special education students since 1998. Until 2000 when three pupils were excused or exempted from the test, 100 percent of Mason's students were tested in all subject areas.

Panel Responses To The Key Questions

Key Question 1: Is This School Using Effective Improvement Initiatives That Could Be Replicated In Other Similarly Profiled Schools?

Which improvement initiatives have had the greatest impact at the school?

The staff and administrators at the Samuel W. Mason School provide a high quality educational experience for the children of Boston as a direct result of their commitment to a common vision and belief in high standards and expectations for all children. The enthusiasm and the positive attitude that pervade the Mason School is the product of decisions made almost a decade ago. Those choices promoted attitudes and practices that are now so embedded in the school culture that their origins are difficult to trace.

School leaders and staff credit the convergence of three specific actions for their transformation from a failing school on the verge of shutdown to a successful model of school improvement:

1. immersion in the Accelerated Schools program;
2. access to training in Total Quality Management supported through their partnership with John Hancock, and
3. the decision to become a full inclusion school, serving special needs children in the regular classroom.

Building on the changes inspired by these three events, the staff at Samuel W. Mason continues to revise and refine their work as educators. The current conditions contributing to Mason's improvement include:

1. productive partnership
2. student-specific curriculum choices
3. extensive and embedded professional growth opportunities, and
4. collective commitment of time and energy to continual development toward exemplary practice

Veteran staff and the previous school principal initiated participation in the Accelerated Schools program (www.acceleratedschools.net) in 1991. A core group of experienced teachers and the school leader made a commitment to the key principles of the Accelerated Schools model: unity of purpose, empowerment coupled with responsibility, and building on strengths. The impact of their original commitment continues to be visible in almost every aspect of the Mason School today. The school's vision statement, "The children are the heart and soul of the Mason School," reflects a common belief that is evident everywhere - in the classrooms, in the corridors, in the office, and during every conversation with members of the staff. Teams of teachers planning programs and modifying practices to meet the needs of their students are the embodiment of 'empowerment coupled with responsibility.' Leaders of the improvement effort early in the process recognized the strengths and talents of the faculty. One veteran teacher interviewed during our visit said it best when she said, "We were working hard but working in isolation." School leaders acknowledged the gaps in internal capacity that needed to be filled for the school to move forward. The foresight of the early leaders who anticipated a need for additional support resulted in the development of partnerships with community agencies. These associations provide supplementary personnel, materials, and resources, which contributed to the success of the Mason School.

The Mason School partnership with John Hancock had a particularly tangible impact early in the revival process. School administrators and teacher leaders were trained in Total Quality Management (TQM) strategies through John Hancock's support. Teachers credit the TQM training with providing the skills they needed to make meetings productive and worthwhile. Using TQM skills, the staff at Mason collaborated on projects to define their mission, solicited commitment from the faculty, and set benchmarks for tracking the impact of change on students and teachers. Learning goals were defined, a building-wide scope and sequence was constructed, and the monitoring of responsibilities was clarified and assigned. The principles of Accelerated Schools and the techniques of TQM combined to give the Mason staff their sense of direction and the action plan that transformed the school.

The decision to become a full inclusion school is an early change that continues to be a defining characteristic of Mason School. Special needs students are integrated into all aspects of the school community. Almost all Mason teachers have dual certification in both special needs and regular elementary education. Through the creative allocation of funds and the commitment of caring partners, each classroom is staffed by three or more adults resulting in a very low student/ teacher ratio. The success of the full inclusion model is clearly linked with the ability to keep class sizes so small. The benefit of this model is striking when you walk into a classroom to see the individual attention given to each and every student. It's difficult to discern the regular education student from the special needs student. Becoming an inclusion school in the early 90s continues to factor significantly into the choices made by teachers and administrators about the direction of the school.

Mason School includes a pre-school program and many children become part of the Mason family as three year olds. These pre-schoolers then spend two years with the same group of children and the same teacher. This important design adds stability to the early educational experience of these young children.

In the years following the initial innovations, Mason staff and school leaders have selected curriculum programs and instructional methods that align with the school's vision of how students learn and how teachers can provide their students with meaningful opportunities to succeed. With literacy as the primary curriculum focus, Mason staff chose the Literacy Collaborative program for their students. Literacy Collaborative includes a structured blend of independent and guided reading, writing, and phonics beginning in preschool and serving students through grade 5. For mathematics, Mason School staff selected Investigations in Number, Data and Space from TERC, a program that engages students in solving authentic problems using standard and creative reasoning strategies. Displays of student work in these and other subject areas cover the walls of classrooms and hallways, demonstrating the level of rigor and quality of performance expected of students. Alongside student work products are descriptions of the lesson and task that led to the student products as well as the Boston and Massachusetts Curriculum Standards addressed by the lesson. The Panelists concluded that these displays are indicative of the school's deep-rooted focus on common learning goals and high standards.

Successful implementation of programs like the Literacy Collaborative and TERC Investigations requires intensive, ongoing professional development. Mason staff instituted "Looking at Student Work" (Ruth Mitchell model) early in their reform efforts, and teachers credit the LASW process with serving as a rich resource for their professional growth as well as an on-going assessment of students' needs. At weekly ninety-minute LASW meetings, teachers evaluate the impact of their teaching by examining student work products with their colleagues. Through creative scheduling by the principal, such as contracting services for music and science, the ninety-minute weekly common planning time is kept "sacrosanct" by all staff. Teachers value this uninterrupted time block as an opportunity to share ideas and receive honest and useful feedback.

Other professional development opportunities are selected based on their alignment with the needs of the students at Mason. Most professional growth opportunities are modeled on the train the trainer design, with Mason teachers bringing back strategies from workshops and sharing their new knowledge with colleagues at available opportunities before or after the student's school day. Literacy and mathematics "coaches" are available weekly in the building to model new techniques for teachers and to mentor them as they try new strategies. The Mason staff roster includes a number of lead and mentor teachers, who receive special training during the school year and during the summer in various programs. With this wealth of highly trained personnel, most of the professional growth needs of the staff can be provided in-house.

The success of many of the programs at Mason is directly or indirectly dependent on partnerships with a number of community agencies, businesses and higher education institutions. Partners provide programs, personnel and material resources. On the day of the Panel visit, twelve adult volunteers from John Hancock arrived to present the fourth module of a pilot program on Kenya to the Mason third graders. Building on John Hancock's sponsorship with the Boston Marathon and the recent success of Kenyan runners, the Kenya project uses videos, simulations and activities to introduce students to the geography, culture and history of Kenya. As a culminating activity, students will have an honored place at the finish line of the Boston Marathon later this month. In previous years, John Hancock piloted a mathematics program at Mason, Financial Wizards, which is now widely used in other Hancock partner schools.

Personnel resources are available through Mason partnerships with Wheelock College, Boston University, and Harvard. The school hosts several fifth year intern teachers from Wheelock and their presence allows a consistency of class coverage in the building. Tutors from Boston University and City Year complement the teaching staff in providing extra help for struggling students. Creative use of contracted services from area musicians and artists and the Massachusetts Audubon Society bring professional expertise to the students, supplementing teacher expertise in critical areas.

Parent volunteers are active participants in special projects, such as book fairs and parent workshop planning and coordination. The school identifies its parent partnerships as critical factors in student's success. The school's Home-Links and Book Links projects involve parents by providing training and materials to support the child's learning at home. Parents are invited to training programs in the early morning, evening and even on Saturday to learn the skills they need to help their children succeed. Teachers volunteer their time to develop and sustain the critical partnership with parents. Parents commented that the school welcomes their presence, remarking that this is a distinct difference from other school's attitudes toward parent involvement.

Support from community service organizations, including the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, the Newmarket Business Association, and the Community Development Corporation has allowed for significant material resources at Mason, including a new MAC computer lab. Each classroom has a set of four computers for their own use, but the MAC lab will be used to supplement classroom technology training. One community partner purchased MCAS kits for the third and fourth graders, a test preparation tool developed in a neighboring school district and adopted by Mason teachers. Parents are important partners in implementation of the MCAS kit materials.

A key factor contributing to the successful implementation of the programs and partnerships at the Mason School is the effort of school leaders and staff to align new projects with the school vision and mission. In a school as small as Mason, every staff member has multiple roles and committee assignments. The principal recognizes that additional projects, no matter how beneficial, bring additional duties with them. Unless new projects integrate smoothly into existing school programs, the principal and school staff have wisely chosen to graciously decline to participate.

Plans for new initiatives have not ceased, however. Projects currently in place and stimulating renewed energy and enthusiasm among Mason staff include: Saturday Scholars, a career exploration project hosted by the Principal for fifth grade students; Summer Stars, an enrichment program for students; and Sunrise Scholars and Prime Time, grant-funded before and after school programs at Mason. The 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant provides the opportunity for before and after school enrichments and remediation for Mason students. Special enthusiasm is expressed for a "Bully Proofing" grant recently awarded to Mason, and for a major grant for a Parent Center to be housed on the Mason site which will provide parents and community members with a convenient resource center for a variety of essential services.

At each stage of its recent history, Mason School leaders and staff have made decisions that concentrate on student learning. Each decision presented challenges, posed questions and required staff and leaders to reach consensus on the answers. The commitment of all members of the Mason community has been necessary to continue to move toward greater efficacy in providing for the challenging students in its care.

How have these improvement initiatives contributed to improved student performance results?

The Panel Review team identified three ways in which the initiatives implemented at the Samuel W. Mason School have had a positive impact on student performance:

1. Partnerships provide additional personnel.
2. Decisions about initiatives are based on a clear understanding of student needs.
3. Continual assessment of the impact of initiatives leading to continual revision, refinement, improvement

As described in the preceding section of this report, the additional personnel serving in various capacities from intern teachers, paraprofessionals, tutors, aides and coaches effectively reduces the adult to student ratio to a very low level. Additional trained personnel allow teachers to provide focused instruction based on specific student strengths and weaknesses. Aides and tutors have a clear tasks assigned when they arrive, with all supplies ready in their "bucket." Paraprofessionals enable the full inclusion model to work smoothly for all students. Each child receives carefully targeted assistance as soon as assistance is needed. By continually providing students work that is challenging but achievable, students experience frequent success. By continually celebrating student success, teachers enhance student confidence in their own ability.

The distributed leadership model of school management at Mason allows teachers to work collaboratively to measure student progress on a daily basis with the assistance of specialist coaches and their colleagues. Grade level teams have the responsibility and the authority to develop creative ways to address student needs identified by various assessment tools. Comprehensive analysis of school-wide data is used to identify the need for large-scale projects. Professional development plans are directly linked to the student needs identified at both team level and building level analyses. At Mason School, student needs are identified, teacher skills assessed, and the two aspects of the school linked through carefully selected professional development work. Teachers find their professional development work meaningful and directly related to their classroom activities. In every instance, they express enthusiasm and genuine desire to continue to grow professionally. Students benefit from improved teacher skills as well as from enhanced teacher enthusiasm and confidence. The energy level among Mason staff is fueled by student contact and is supported by the respect of their colleagues. Teachers' choices have motivated many of the change efforts over the past decade at Mason.

The Mason School has been identified as an exemplary site for some time, but the principal and staff have continued to assess, evaluate and refine the school's programs to meet changing student needs and staff qualifications. Even the school's partners are included in regular performance assessment. On the morning following a John Hancock visit, third grade teachers and Hancock coordinators meet to evaluate student's response to the lesson and to consider new ideas. The Mason Whole School Improvement Plan includes a comprehensive School Assessment Summary, which examines the school's progress toward each of its improvement goals using quantitative and qualitative assessments of performance. The school's internal assessment is impressive in its detail and clarity, particularly in defining the connection between the school's efforts and their impact on student performance.

Underlying the direct impact of school initiatives on student performance are the personal qualities that support continued efforts in the face of dramatic challenges. Confidence pervades the atmosphere at Mason School illustrated by the staff's belief in their ability to make a difference in students' lives. Teachers demonstrate in their words and in their design of instruction their conviction that students can reach high standards, even students identified as special needs.

How did the school set about planning its improvement initiatives?

The quality of the educational experience at Samuel W. Mason is the result of deliberate, gradual changes chosen by consensus and implemented with conviction by all members of the school community. Teachers involved in the school's improvement efforts since the early 90s describe using the strategies of TQM and the principles learned from the accelerated schools program to bring about a way of thinking about their work, a "unity of purpose," that guides their choices into the present. The original vision of the school, defined in its mission statement, has been the focus of discussion about curriculum, instruction, staffing, partnerships and programs. The accelerated schools principle of "empowerment with responsibility" concentrates problem-solving discussions at the classroom level where they have an immediate impact on the learning experience of Mason's students. Recruiting support from parents and community partners who share the school's vision and support its mission has enabled Mason to succeed where other schools have struggled. No single picture was proposed for how Mason would look when it began its change efforts early in the last decade, but the investment of staff and leadership time and energy in making each step coherent with the overarching objective of student achievement have produced the school everyone would have imagined during those early years.

How did the school implement their planned initiatives?

Because the programs at Mason depended as much on implementation as on planning, many of the implementation steps have been described in previous sections of this report. In interviews, the principal, staff, parents and even the school's partners describe how much time has been necessary for programs to be put into place. Since the school's practice requires program decisions to be consensus choices, extended time is required to promote the understanding of new plans and to enlist the support of all staff and participants. Veteran teachers explained that changes over time have been gradual and slow, but always guided by the belief in the inclusion model for Mason adopted early in its reform cycle. Many of the newer faculty served as student teachers or interns before being hired as full time staff, easing the induction period for novice teachers and improving the regularity of instructional practices so helpful to many of Mason's students with special challenges.

Overall the characteristics of Mason's implementation process include:

1. consistency - use of a consensus model for decisions; all classrooms arranged in a similar physical orientation; all teachers using the same literacy program
2. sacrosanct components of day - 90 min literacy block per day; 60 min math block per day; 90 min LASW/ PD block per week
3. creative structuring, staffing - using contracted services to bring professional expertise to the classroom and to provide common meeting time
4. empowerment coupled with responsibility -- focusing decision-making at the classroom level and aligning resources -- personnel, time, and money - to support the achievement of defined goals.

Did the school monitor the effectiveness of the initiatives?

As part of the Whole School Improvement Plan, Samuel W. Mason staff report their progress toward previously identified goals in a comprehensive School Assessment Summary. All aspects of school life - students, teachers, resources, org structure, and partnerships - are evaluated and their impact on student learning assessed. Targets for future efforts are derived from this internal assessment, and incorporated into future school improvement planning efforts.

Tools for regular assessment of student progress include the Slosson Test of Oral Language, Schlagel Spelling Test, Clays Observation Survey and Running Records, along with MCAS, ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills) and Stanford 9. TERC and the Boston Public Schools produce tools used for formative assessment of student mathematics progress. During their common planning time and LASW periods, teachers engage in extensive analysis of the data from these tools to refine and revise lessons to accommodate identified student needs.

Over the years, the analysis of program evaluation data has led Mason staff to adjust and amend programs. Partnership offers have been declined when not appropriate. The MCAS preparation kits have been added to enhance student's test-taking skills. Materials are being developed to supplement the computation practice provided by the TERC mathematics program. Teachers and administrators consider their ongoing monitoring of school programs to be a rich source of information that guides their long term as well as daily classroom decisions.

does the school think these initiatives can be duplicated? Why?

The experience at Mason School over the past decade demonstrates the value of engaging staff in activities that lead to genuine belief in and commitment to a common goal for student learning. Other schools can adopt the initiatives currently in place at Mason School, but the successful impact of the initiatives will depend primarily on the belief and commitment of the staff and parents to a common vision for student achievement. Over the past decade, Mason school personnel have demonstrated how it can be done.

At the Mason School, the catalyst for a decade of change was the adoption of the principles of the Accelerated Schools project; namely, unity of purpose, empowerment coupled with responsibility; and building on strengths. Complemented with skills and attitudes learned through TQM training, Mason school staff and administrators refocused their attention on students as the "heart and soul of the Mason school."

It is reasonable to expect that other schools can make similar commitments of time and attention to define their own vision of high expectations for their students. As schools move forward, program decisions that are founded in the common purpose that the school has defined for itself can be integrated into the work of the students and staff, just as Mason staff have selected programs that sustain their own vision. Mason staff and partners recall that the process has not been quick or easy, but they agree that it has been immensely rewarding.

Some special conditions have contributed to the Mason School transformation. Concurrent with the start of the school's change, community agencies were beginning to direct their attention to supporting educational programs. Willing community partners were available to supplement scarce resources. A skillful principal enabled the partnerships to flourish while maintaining the school's identity and its focus on learning. The small size of Mason School has eased the challenges of consensus building and moderated the difficulty of scheduling the time necessary to engage in intensive group dialogue. The collegial support among the faculty held the staff together when spirits and energy lagged. It is difficult in the short time allocated for the Panel Review to determine the exact contribution of these "special conditions" to the change process, but they are significant factors cited by the school as contributing to its success.

The conditions currently in place at the Mason School - effective leadership, rewarding partnerships, quality staff, and curricula suited to student's needs - are the product of an intense focus on the classroom and the dedication of time and energy to achieving the best for students. The Mason School community has combined these factors into a high quality learning experience for children unique to this building, but the underlying foundation of commitment and focus are available to any school.

Key Question 2: Are The Conditions In Place For This School To Serve As A Model Of Effective Practices And Successful Improvement Initiatives?

Do leadership and staff have a shared understanding and use a common language to describe the changes/initiatives that have led to improvements in teaching and learning?

At the Mason School, there is a striking similarity among descriptions of the school's programs and the reasons for its work. The school's vision is posted throughout the building, and classrooms function in ways that bring that vision to life. Conversations with both novice and veteran teachers reveal a common understanding of the purposes of the school and the connection between the school's programs and practices and its vision. "Sacrosanct" weekly common planning time serves to initiate new teachers, support experienced practitioners and energize veteran staff. Decisions are made by consensus, not majority vote, so that all staff input is valued and respected. Faculty are articulate and knowledgeable not only about their own practices, but broadly familiar with alternative strategies. New ideas are brought into the school for discussion as existing projects undergo evaluation and assessment.

The comprehensive data analysis presented in the School Assessment Summary is the product of extensive faculty discussion of student performance data. In keeping with the principle, 'empowerment coupled with responsibility,' staff members are as familiar and versatile in discussing program assessment, as are administrators. With a number of lead teachers, mentor teachers and trainers on the Mason staff, there is a broad range of curriculum and pedagogical expertise.

How effectively do leadership and staff articulate the connections between specific changes and improvement initiatives they have implemented, and the improvements made in teaching and learning?

The origins of the attitudes and behaviors at the Mason School are subtle and implicit, yet school leaders and staff are able to explain how their practices support their student's learning. Novice teachers praise the effect of the school's "sacrosanct" literacy, math and common planning periods. In-house training leaders for the Literacy Collaborative and TERC mathematics can demonstrate the impact of Looking at Student Work (LASW) sessions on teachers' understanding of their student's learning. Team-based and school wide choices on programs and projects link directly to the likely impact of each program on classroom effectiveness. All teachers are involved in regular review of student work, so they are thoughtful and articulate when describing ways to diagnose student strengths and modify instruction to support weaknesses.

Is there a school wide focus on, and sufficient investment in, continued improvement of student performance?

At Samuel W. Mason, the focus is on the classroom. Teachers engage in daily informal discussions of student performance as they coordinate with their paraprofessionals, interns, aides and volunteers. Weekly common planning time is dedicated to reviewing student work and modifying instruction to meet specific student needs. Administrative energy is devoted to assuring the smooth operation of these activities, while bringing in additional resources to refresh and rejuvenate existing programs.

The school's investment in ongoing professional development and continual assessment of the effectiveness of its work serves to maintain a focus on student achievement. New projects to enhance classroom work include the "Bully Proofing" grant and the Parent Resource Center. Both new initiatives are likely to have an impact on student performance in their own way, one by creating a safe and secure environment for learning and the other by supporting parents as their children's primary educators.

does the school appear to have the capacity to host site visits and to participate in various activities to share effective strategies and practices with other schools in the state?

Visitors to the Samuel W. Mason School are greeted by a colorful display of the school's sense of itself - pictures of smiling students and staff arranged in the windows of a cardboard replica of the building, cheerfully decorated with seasonal flowers. Above the display is the school's vision: "Children are the heart and soul of the Mason School." Guests are greeted with welcoming smiles from staff and students, mirroring the smiles in the pictures on the display.

The Mason School hosts numerous visits from groups interested in its programs and teachers are fluent in discussing their programs with others. The school's facilities are not expansive, but there is sufficient room to provide meeting space for visitors and staff. The presence of intern teachers allows host teachers to be made available to meet with visitors for some period of time. Every staff member plays multiple roles on school committees, as trained instructional mentors, or as lead teachers, so their time must be carefully allotted. The current principal has proven to be skillful at protecting her staff from over-commitment.

Visitors should expect some limitations in their movement throughout the building. As a full inclusion school, many Mason students have physical, cognitive, and behavioral challenges that are best met when routines are respected. Some of the fundamental features of Mason's program - the "sacrosanct" literacy and math blocks, and the common planning periods - are credited with the school's success, and their disruption by visitors should be avoided.

Samuel W. Mason staff, administrators, students and parents are justifiably proud of the work they do. Their experience would enlighten the understanding of many other educators seeking answers to persistent concerns about student achievement. The history of Mason's transformation reveals the depth of the changes in the professional culture that can be accomplished with a few carefully chosen tools and passionate commitment to providing a quality learning experience for students.

Appendix A

Team Members

John Desses, Mason Panel Coordinator, MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Accountability and Targeted Assistance, Title I Programs

Dr. Karen Laba, Mason Panel Chairperson, SchoolWorks Project Manager, Beverly, MA

Carolyn Richards, Panel Member, Testing and Assessment Coordinator, Lowell Public Schools

Kathleen O'Connor-Abrams, Panel Member, Vice Principal, Chelsea High School, Chelsea, MA

James Devine, Panel Member, Principal, Federal Street School, Greenfield, MA

Appendix B

Exemplar School Candidate Site Visit Schedule

The times specified on the following schedule may be adjusted slightly to align with the daily schedule and practices in each of the schools being reviewed.

The times specified on the following schedule may be adjusted slightly to align with the daily schedule and practices in each of the schools being reviewed.