The story of each of these schools was drawn from several case studies, therefore the characters and names have been fictionalized. The case-study schools were not funded through the CSRD program but were involved in comprehensive school reform.

When Suzanne Martinez became the principal at Sierra Vista during the 1994-95 school year, she began to bring the staff together frequently for all-staff meetings where teachers could discuss challenges they faced as well as any classroom successes. Also, she organized faculty study groups. One group spent a great deal of time discussing the school’s reading program and led the staff to adopt a new reading program during the first two years that Ms. Martinez was principal. Members of the reading study group received intensive training for the new program and then served as coaches to other teachers as the program was put into place.

Ms. Martinez also began to work with her staff on building a vision and brought parents into the discussions to help shape the environment they wanted for their children’s school. The Sierra Vista staff had drafted a vision before they began studying possible comprehensive school reform (CSR) models for their school, and included parents in the research of the reform models. By the time they adopted a reform model, there was a firm vision in place for the school.

Many teachers know the school’s vision, a written statement, by heart and all were able to articulate the vision easily. Teachers acknowledged that the school’s goals and reform program were based on the vision. Several teachers mentioned that the staff has reflected on the vision annually and has made changes to the original vision. It appears the staff works diligently to carry out the goals that have been agreed upon. One teacher commented, "We are doing this not just for the principal or the reform program, we are doing it for the kids."

Now that the school is well into the implementation process for its reform program, faculty members have begun to meet regularly as a large group to discuss changes being made in curriculum and instruction, to receive training needed to carry out the changes that reform calls for, and to reflect upon how well students are learning. The staff spends a great deal of time analyzing test scores, reading assessments, and other indicators of student achievement. They discuss the data and use it to help individualize instruction for their students.

Teachers at Sierra Vista value Ms. Martinez’s support and the opportunities for collaboration that she provides the staff.

A fourth-grade teacher notes, "I think the collaboration that goes on makes this a good school. I feel very supported by the administration and other staff members. There’s just that camaraderie. And I feel my ideas are valued." A first-grade teacher remarked, "A teacher who just wants to go in and shut herself in the classroom and work alone will not fit in at our school."

A second-grade teacher described how the Sierra Vista faculty frequently works in groups to critique teaching and improve classroom strategies. "Maybe I will bring a unit to show the others in my group what I did. They are going to look at it critically and maybe praise it or tell me how to polish it. They are going to help me look at what I’ve done and to help me improve on it. The focus of the group is on kids’ work so we can improve our teaching for the kids."

Another Sierra Vista teacher added, "Suzanne makes sure that on a daily basis we’re talking about what’s working and what things we need to change."

While things may now sound rosy at Sierra Vista, this was not always the case. There were teachers initially resistant to the CSR program, and gradually most of these teachers were won over. It was not an easy process to get everyone on board. Ms. Martinez spent a great deal of time in discussions with those teachers resistant to change; she addressed many of their concerns regarding the program and encouraged them to talk to teachers at other schools that had similar reform programs. She also encouraged them to express their thoughts and ideas for alternate programs during staff discussions. Sierra Vista teachers who were enthusiastic about the reform program also worked to encourage others reluctant to go through the change process.

One of the major problems in getting Sierra Vista teachers to take on the reform program was convincing them to work the additional hours needed at first without additional compensation. It meant early morning meetings and giving up some weekends. After the first school year, Ms. Martinez was able to convince parents and teachers to lengthen the school day by 15 minutes so students could be let out of school early every other Friday, and teachers could use that free time for planning and meeting. She also reallocated time and money allotted for professional development by the district to be used for necessary training time. Ms. Martinez admitted, however, that she had several teachers who never felt comfortable with the reform program and the additional work time it required–they have moved on to other teaching positions.

After two solid years with the reform program, Sierra Vista’s standardized reading test scores have risen, while math is showing some slight improvement. Ms. Martinez happily points to what she considers other indicators of success–teachers collaborating on lessons, coaching each other, and becoming truly excited with the quantifiable increases in student achievement, although not as high as some had hoped. The students seem more eager to learn and have become more enthusiastic about their work, especially reading. "We’re on the right track," she says. "We just have to maintain our momentum and continue to focus on how we can help our students learn more than ever."