Sisseton Wahpeton Rural Systemic Initiative

西塞顿瓦佩顿农村系统倡议设在西塞顿瓦赫佩顿社区学院，在许多方面是部落学院农村系统倡议的延续。然而，由于这是一个以当地为基础的项目，而不是六个州的努力，我们将能够集中在特拉弗斯湖保留地人口的教育需求在更大的程度上。SWRSI项目的最终目标是通过系统的改革来改善我们孩子的教育，特别是在数学和科学领域。这是一个需要社区所有利益相关者的支持和奉献的过程。这项改革始于三年前，当时引进了TCRSI项目，制定并采用了标准，并增加了基于研究的课程的专业发展。地方学区联盟的形成和“重点学校”的建立也发生了。TCRSI项目期间的活动被称为第一阶段。第二阶段将是一个更深入的系统改革方案，我们的主要目标是增加基于研究的课程的实施和文化相关的替代评估的发展。这些评估将与地方和州标准建立的基准挂钩，并与传统的标准化考试相关联。通过这种方法，我们的学校将能够根据我们学生的学习风格开发更好的教学方法。如果没有最新的和深入的教师专业发展的支持，研究型课程的实施是一个潜在的危险。当这些程序在不理解其基本原理的情况下被引入时，课程就成为问题的一部分。我们的第二个目标是创建一个专业发展体系，该体系是课程具体的、密集的、持续的和与教师需求相关的。同时，它必须能够克服农村环境、预算有限和教师更替率高等问题。我们克服这些问题的策略是利用远程学习技术、基于网络的支持，以及在SWCC培养当地专家和在重点学校培养领导教师。在“传统”讲习班上和通过视频会议提供的信息将被放在一天24小时向我们的参与者提供的“支持”网页上。与课程使用有关的问题可以张贴，由专家顾问或其他课堂教师提供答案。为了解决教师流失率高的问题，SWRSI和合作机构将开发和维护用于培训目的的互联网课程。这些努力将直接解决可持续性问题。SWRSI项目的第三个目标是提高各个重点学校和部落学院之间的合作水平。作为这一努力的一个组成部分，成立了一个行政委员会和一个指导委员会（由重点学校教师、SWCC工作人员和社区成员组成）。SWRSI的专业发展活动将归功于这一努力，因为每个学校将帮助计划和参与这些联合培训课程。

The Sisseton Wahpeton Rural Systemic Initiative, based at the Sisseton WahpetonCommunity College, is in many aspects a continuation of the Tribal Colleges RuralSystemic Initiative. However, since it is a locally based project, instead of a six-stateeffort, we will be able to concentrate on the educational needs of the Lake TraverseReservation population to a far greater extent. The ultimate goal of the SWRSI project isimprove the education, particularly in the areas of math and science, of our childrenthrough systemic reform. This is a process that requires the support and dedication of allthe stakeholders in the community. This reform began three years ago with theintroduction of the TCRSI program, with the development and adoption of standards andincreased professional development in research-based curricula. The formation of acoalition of the local school districts and the establishment of "focal schools" alsooccurred. Activities during the TCRSI project are referred to as Phase I.Phase II will be a more intensive program of systemic reform, with our majorobjectives being the increased implementation of research-based curricula and thedevelopment of culturally relevant alternative assessments. These assessments will betied to benchmarks established by local and state standards, and correlated to traditionalstandardized tests. By this method our schools will be able to develop better teachingmethods based on our students learning styles.The implementation of research-based curricula is a potential hazard if notsupported by up-to-date and intensive professional development for teachers. Whenthese programs are introduced without understanding their underlying philosophies, thecurriculum becomes part of the problem. Our second objective is to create a system ofprofessional development that is curriculum specific, intensive, ongoing, and relevant toteacher needs. At the same it must be able to overcome the problems of a rural setting,limited budgets, and high teacher turnover rates. Our strategy to overcome these issues isto use distant learning technologies, web-based support, and the development of localexperts at SWCC and lead-teachers in the focal schools. Information given at"traditional" workshops and via video conferencing sessions will be placed on curriculasupport web pages available 24 hours a day to our participants. Questions related to theuse of the curricula could be posted with answers being provided by expert consultants orother classroom teachers. To combat the high teacher turnover rate Internet courses fortraining purposes will be developed and maintain by SWRSI and collaboratinginstitutions. These efforts will directly address the issue of sustainability.The third objective of the SWRSI project is to increase the level of cooperationbetween the individual focal schools and the tribal college. An AdministratorsCommittee and a Steering Committee (composed of focal schoolteachers, SWCC staff,and community members) has been formed as one component of this effort. Theprofessional development activities of SWRSI will attribute to this effort, as each schoolwill help plan and participate in these joint-training sessions.