Cross Case Features: Context

South Lake District High School: District Context

South Lake is one of the most diverse large cities in the U.S., with students in the area schools speaking over 40 different languages. The South Lake School district has a national reputation for excellence in education. One of the qualities that sets South Lake apart is its pervasive “culture of professional development,” according to Kim Lipton, Social Studies Curriculum Supervisor. Supported from the “top down,” it is a culture that uses professional development as a primary tool to improve student learning. The district requires training for new teachers and for those with unsatisfactory evaluations. The district also encourages teachers to make presentations to each other’s classes and work in teams.

A key mechanism that supports South Lake’s philosophy of collaboration and sharing is the Teachers’ Resource Center (TRC). The TRC is filled with resources, including a wide variety of Asian materials. The TRC’s accessibility, its excellent organization, and the “culture of sharing” encourage teachers to use the resources and also share their own materials. As Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator Kim Lipton puts it, “ South Lake does not have an attitude that ‘this is my resource.’”