• June 25-27, 2008
• The Riverhouse, Haddam, CT
• August 19-21, 2008
• The Riverhouse, Haddam, CT
• September 23-25, 2008
• Location TBD

• April 28-30, 2008
• The Conference Center at Massasoit,
  Brockton, MA
• October 27-30, 2008
• Location TBD

• August 4-8, 2008
• The Center at Cathedral Plaza, Downtown Los Angeles
• August 11-15, 2008
• Sheraton Hotel, Pasadena
• October 20-24, 2008
• Locations TBD

• 2008 & 2009 dates TBD
• Locations TBD

• October 1, 2008
• November 6, 2008
• January 22, 2009
• February 5, 2009
• Locations TBD

UCLA SMP’s purpose is to build the capacity of school communities to maximize learning. This statement reflects our strong belief in the local nature of change: that those who are involved in the schools and district on a day-to-day basis are in the best position to understand the needs of their students and community, and that change will not be sustainable without their involvement in and commitment to the process. Because of this belief, one of the hallmarks of UCLA SMP’s work is that it has been customized in each setting to meet the needs of the local community. UCLA SMP’s model of school improvement planning involves developing a deep understanding of the unique needs of the district or school site and providing sound tools and processes that can be employed to support the continuous improvement of both the individual and the organization.

Recognizing that leadership is central to any organizational change effort, UCLA SMP focuses on building the capacity of school leaders to effectively lead the change process at their school sites and in their districts. This leadership framework is central to establishing the conditions necessary for effective teaching and learning, including common standards for student learning and collaborative planning and collegial learning (Linda Darling-Hammond, Doing What Matters Most: Investing in Quality Teaching. Prepared for the National Commission on Teaching & America’s Future, 1997). UCLA SMP’s role is to support school communities in creating a continuous improvement model that becomes the culture of the institution and can therefore be sustained once UCLA SMP has left.

Site Support Through Best Practices Continuous Cycle of Inquiry Creating Professional Development Settings for Change Implementing Inquiry-based Professional Development Coaching & Leadership Training Looking at Student Work Learning Organization (Systems Thinking / Human Dynamics / Organizational Development Equity, Access & Inclusion Professional Support for Grant Writing		Intructional Leadership Institutes Bridges to Understanding: Teaching That Matters for English Learners (EL) Discover the Power of Advisories (Advisory Programs for SLCs) Classroom Walk-Throughs (Classroom Observations) Critical Friends Groups Socratic Seminars Test “Thinking” Strategies Workshop Using School Data for More than Test Scores Writing Initiative
Customized Professional Development Programs & Community Initiatives Professional Development Workshops Leading for Learning Initiative Small Learning Community Initiative		State- & Federally-funded Programs Comprehensive School Reform Program (CSR) High Priority Schools Grant Program (HPSG) School Assistance and Intervention Team (SAIT) Immediate Intervention for Underperforming School Program (II/USP) External Evaluator (first-year planning and second and third year implementation) Title 1 School Improvement Program (SIP or PI)