LISD Academic Advocates

1. Call to Order and Pledge. President Elizabeth Frey called the meeting to order at 7:15 and those present recited the pledge.

2. Secretary's report.. No report.

3. Program: Valerie Taylor, Eanes ISD, Westlake Writes. Ms Taylor has been a high school language arts teacher for nearly 20 years and is one of the founding members of the Heart of Texas Writing Project, a collaborative effort between university and public schools, partically funded by the federal Department of Education's National Writing Project. Ms Taylor described the training process for teachers including 2 and 4 week summer institues at UT as well as workshops within participating districts. District stipend support of the participants was an important element of the program although some teachers do pay for the training personally. Elements of effective professional development programs including learning oriented activities, practice based inquiry, profssional dialog, conceptual and pedagogical learning, time for reflection and continous assessment of progress are exemplified in the program.

Ms Taylor also spent some time reviewing a document from the National Council of Teachers of Englsh on How to Help Your Child Become a Better Writer, mentioning a number of websites such as the College Board and the NCTE sites as great places to look for writing tips.

4. Announcements:
a. Next meeting, Wednesday, February 25, 2004 7 p.m. , CPMS Library

5. The meeting adjourned at 8:25 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Erika Mittag
Secretary