Welcome to PREPS - The Program for Research and Evaluation in Public Schools

News from PREPS

PREPS has been selected by Virginia Department of Education to conduct its College Awareness program

PREPS has been selected by Virginia Department of Education to conduct its College Awareness program that will train 30 high school counselors March 29-30, 2006 at ODU. The training, sponsored by the National Governors Association, is designed to improve counselor skills and knowledge so that they can better assist high school students make the successful transition between high school and college.

Backing Schools: PREPS goes to school to develop fundable theory-to-practice collaborations

Giving many cause to celebrate the first day back to school in Norfolk and Newport News, the U.S. Department of Education announced two grants totaling $7,500,000 the week of August 20, 2005. The grants, Smaller Learning Communities and Gaining Early Readiness for Undergraduate Programs will drive the PREPS secondary education research agenda. Norfolk and Newport News are leaders in the secondary reform movement that is sweeping the nation.

PREPS director Dave Blackburn announced the grants at the Darden College of Education Faculty Governance meeting August 24, 2005. "Unlike conventional corporate consulting, where experts create a plan for change but are rarely involved in the implementation process, "Blackburn explained, "PREPS will support district high school reform efforts using a "theory-to-practice collaboration" model that draws upon district knowledge to drive sustainable large-scale improvement over time. The first such model was recently funded by the Virginia Department of Education. The school district, Northampton County Public Schools, faced the loss of 15 of its 29 special education teachers. Many of these teachers needed only to pass PRAXIS or complete licensure requirements for content courses. Over the past year PREPS worked in the County's schools to assess their needs followed by collaborative construction of several proof-of-concept" models, i.e., assessment literacy. The model provided PREPS researchers to help teachers examine student performance data and design interventions using research-based education programs. After the first year, the entire district met Adequate Yearly Progress. The model was then updated and submitted to VDOE for funding. An award of $416,000 was recently made to ODU to help special education teachers meet licensure requirements as well as develop instructional support teams. In short this is the new way PREPS is developing long-term relationships with districts.

SREB Training

PREPS is Virginia's SREB trainer and Richmond City Public Schools was the first district to complete SREB training. One principal wrote, “All of the information presented was not only pertinent for my school, but also for [the] district. Thank you!" Another principal said, “I have learned much about myself as an administrator and many ways to improve my leadership and areas of concern in my building." Still another commented, "This has been one of the best trainings I've ever attended. We want more, more, more…."

The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) has recognized that every school requires effective leaders to improve student performance. In response to the need for effective school leaders, the SREB and its partners have developed a cutting-edge school leadership curriculum. The curriculum contains 14 modules intended to help principals and school leadership teams know and to be able to do what is necessary to improve a school's instructional program and raise student achievement.

PREPS is proud to announce that we can now provide SREB Leadership Module training for your school division that will:

1. Enable your district leaders to successfully address a range of challenging AYP issues
2. Prepare your aspiring leaders to pass the SLLA assessment; and
3. Develop increased capacity in your district to create the conditions for success in your schools.

We are most excited that our trainers are practicing principals in many of the Commonwealth's districts, e.g., Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Newport News, Hampton, and Norfolk. These principals, who are members of the Principals' Center of Hampton Roads at Old Dominion University, have stepped up to the plate to acquire the knowledge and skills to assist other principals in the region. The Darden College of Education will provide additional slots for training its Principal Center members to become certified SREB Leadership trainers in 2005-2006.

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The Program for Research and Evaluation in Public Schools (PREPS)
Education Building Room 135
Old Dominion University, Hampton Blvd,
Norfolk, VA 23529 Tel 757.683.5449 Fax 757.683.5716