Project Profiles

Below are summaries of some recent programs that are funded by grants.

This grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service is allowing Otterbein to further expand and refine its community service initiatives. Read more here.

Project SAIL is a direct result of a collaboration among Columbus Public Schools, Otterbein College and Project GRAD Columbus. Over the past three years, SAIL has provided professional development for 26 teachers in GRAD middle schools, field experiences for 39 Otterbein students, and a special summer program for over 200 middle school students from the GRAD schools. SAIL was designed to provide professional development for teachers in GRAD middle schools; to establish an urban field experience for Otterbein Middle Childhood Teacher Education candidates that focused on current middle school practices; and to expose middle school students to curriculum and instruction that is academically challenging, developmentally responsive and socially equitable.

During winter quarter 2005, the eight teachers selected for SAIL III learned about evidence based teaching, traditional and alternative assessment tequniques, qualitative inquiry and culturally relevant pedagogy under the direction of Diane Ross, SAIL Project Direct and Assistant Professor of Education at Otterbein College. During Spring term 2005, the eight teachers participated in the second graduate course which had teacher leadership and school improvement as themes. Eight Otterbein methods students were assigned to the three middle schools during spring quarter 2005.

The following activities were required in order to earn graduate credit: self-reflective journaling, team meetings, Otterbein student observations and evaluations, action research projects and preparation and implementation of summer plans.

Specific goals of SAIL:

• Proven practices in middle level education are incorporated in the SAIL program.
• Teaching practices are developmentally responsive to young adolescents.
• Teacher satisfaction and retention improves.
• The overall school climate and academic achievement improves.
• Sixty percent of the students will improve their attitude toward learning.
• Sixty percent of the students will increase their academic achievement.
• At least forty percent of the pre-service teachers will choose employment in urban settings.

ThisWeek newspaper featured Otterbein's SAIL program in summer of 2004 and the article is reproduced here.

From the archives: the story of SAIL's first year, 2003.