TLN Making News        The Learning Network          Coaching and Other Inservices          Professional Library
Professional Development

                                                                                    The Learning Network

Understanding the Learning Network Continued...

Schools Supported by The Learning Network^®

Growth of Numbers Following pilot programs during the 1992–1993 school year, over 
200 schools have received support from The Learning Network. The number of schools 
supported by The Learning Network continues to increase substantially each school year. 
In most of the states shown in the figure below there are multiple schools and 
Learning Network classes.

Geographic Growth  The geographic range of Learning Network schools is also increasing.
From the first sites in New York City, Easthampton, Massachusetts, Aurora, Colorado, and
Phoenix, Arizona, The Network’s influence now reaches many more communities. Expansion of
The Learning Network is determined by the number of coordinators. As additional Learning 
Network coordinators are trained, The Network’s capacity to be implemented in more and 
more areas grows.

Growth Within Districts   In some districts, The Network has expanded from the original
school to most of the district. Although TLN has been implemented primarily in elementary
schools and some middle schools, there is no upper grade limit on the impact of this model
of teaching and learning. Also, because of the enthusiasm and commitment generated by
the support of The Learning Network, many schools are training additional teacher leaders
to maximize the number of teachers who can be supported.

A Variety of Settings   Schools supported by The Learning Network can be found in urban,
suburban, and rural settings. There is a wide range of grade levels, including middle schools.
Student populations display a diversity of ethnic backgrounds, economic situations, and
transience rates.

For More Information About The Learning Network^®

Richard C. Owen Publishers, Inc. Catalog  The complimentary catalog includes all books
and services provided by Richard C. Owen Publishers, Inc., including leveled classroom materials,
professional resources, and school development.

Research and Data Supporting the Content and Structure of The Learning Network
This complimentary booklet contains resources, research summaries, and explanations of how
the structure of TLN’s in-school support and theories of reading and writing are supported by
research by independent and government authorities.

News and Views from the Lakeview School District videotape  This 29-minute videotape 
contains interviews with teacher leaders, classroom teachers receiving support, and district 
leadership Battle Creek, MI. Complimentary loan.

Becoming a Community of Learners videotape   This 16-minute video-tape
shows a glimpse of TLN in action in Easthampton, MA. It was produced and funded by
Easthampton Public Schools with a Title I dissemination grant. Complimentary loan.

Richard C. Owen Publishers, Inc. web site www.RCOwen.com is the home of
The Learning Network on the World Wide Web and the source for information about our
summer institutes, professional and children’s books, and professional development
services.

The Learning Network Listserve A listserve is an e-mail-based system that allows
people who share a common interest to correspond electronically. Any message posted
to the listserve is automatically distributed to all subscribers on the listserve. The TLN
listserve is open to any interested educator. To subscribe to The Learning Network listserve
at no charge, send an e-mail message with no subject and nothing in the body of the message
to: TLN-on@lr.listserve.com

Site Visits  Contact Richard C. Owen Publishers, Inc. at 800/262-0787
(9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. EST, M-F)
to visit an active TLN school.

Inservice Opportunities There are times when schools need additional experiences
in order to move toward a deeper commitment to change. Richard C. Owen Publishers, Inc.
can work with you to design a professional development opportunity uniquely suited to
the needs of your faculty. Call our School Development division to arrange for a day of
inservice focusing on reading, writing, organizing for learning, or creating a school-wide
instructional resource room.

Projected Costs for Joining The Learning Network^®

The cost for implementing The Learning Network depends on the size of the school, the
amount and kind of instructional resources already present, the cost of substitute teachers,
and the cost of long-term release time for the two teacher leaders in Year 2 and beyond.

Because of the nature of The Network, it should not be seen as an add-on to current staff
development and inservice. Instead, it is a replacement for the variety of programs that
exists in many schools. It is economical in that it is self-sustaining; after two years of formal
involvement with The Learning Network coordinator, the key administrator and teacher leaders
are prepared to work on an on-going basis with the entire faculty, including teachers new to
the school in future years.

The true economy of The Learning Network may not be immediately apparent from this table.
However, data being gathered now suggests that The Network can reduce significantly the
number of children who are referred to special services, thereby reducing those costs. Through
the set up of a room of shared resources, budgets for the purchase of individual classroom
materials may be reduced or used more effectively. Regarding these two benefits alone, the
value of the investment becomes clear.

Calculating Your School’s Costs

Not all expenses incurred come from funds allocated for staff development. The worksheet
is divided into four budget areas. The Learning Network Expenses are those registration
fees and Learning Network coordinator expenses payable directly to Richard C. Owen Publishers, Inc.
In-School Faculty Support by substitutes and/or aides provides class coverage when teacher
leaders and teachers are released from their classrooms. Resources include books for teachers
as well as books and other instructional reading materials for students. Faculty Travel Expenses
covers the transportation, housing, and meal cost of teacher leaders, key administrators, and 
teachers attending the summer institutes and conferences

We have provided the following information and Appendixes A through E to assist you in calculating
the costs to your school and district. All expenses are based on one TLN school with two teacher
leaders who, with 50% release time in School Year 2 and beyond, can each work with eight teachers
per school year. TLN pricing is reviewed on an annual basis. If you require additional information 
regarding variables such as covering release time or classroom resources, please contact us.

Possible Sources of Funding

There are many possible sources of funds for The Learning Network. Because The Network goes beyond
typical inservice programs, not all expenses incurred by joining fall under the staff development budget
line. In addition to reallocating available funds, some schools have gone outside their districts. Sources
of funding for current Learning Network schools include, but are not limited to: district; state; federal;
general fund; staff development; conference moneys; Title I; Title VII; Goals 2000; local education agency;
grants from private industries; grants from local businesses, and Comprehensive School Reform funds.

Budget Worksheet for One Learning Network School

Pricing for The Learning Network will be available in December.

Tools for Learning Network^® Members

TLN+ Listserve   TLN “plus” is a restricted-access listserve for TLN administrators and teacher 
leaders in schools supported by TLN.

TLN+ Forum  This is a restricted-access area of www.RCOwen.com that contains documents, 
forms, and other materials for TLN schools.

The Learning Network Handbook for Administrators and Teacher Leaders    
This three-ring binder of extensive support materials is provided to the 
key administrator and every teacher leader. It includes Benchmarks and 
Indicators of Teaching and of Observation and Instructional Dialogue, 
The Record of Progress at Instructional Level for tracking progress of K-2 
students, and many more vital documents and guidelines.

The Learning Network Portfolio This empty three-ring binder is 
provided to each school supported by The Learning Network  to house 
the school’s own collection of research and data showing the academic 
growth experienced by the students, teachers, and administrators.

 Forms TLN coordinators work together to produce and fine-tune these forms.

² Action Plans and Instructional Dialogue forms Three-part action plans and instructional 
dialogue sheets are provided at no charge to schools in Years 1 and 2 of formal involvement 
with The Learning Network. After Year 2, they may be purchased in bundles of 40 for $5.00 
or downloaded at no cost from the TLN+ forum.

² Administrator Action Plans    Two-part administrator action plans are provided at no charge 
to key administrators in Year 1, Year 2, or continuing contact with The Learning Network. 
They can be downloaded from the TLN+ forum.

Professional Books  Richard C. Owen Publishers, Inc. publishes professional texts that further 
professional growth for administrators and teachers. Some titles are required for principals, 
teacher leaders, and teachers being supported in TLN schools – see Appendix D on page 22.

² Inside Learning Network Schools  This is an in-depth exploration of The Learning Network 
ranging from classroom management issues to district-level involvement and research.

² The Reflective Principal: Leading the School Development Process  This provides 
strategies and solutions for administrators seeking to establish effective learning communities. 
Included with The Leadership Seminar.

Appendix A: Sample Contact Day Schedule, Year 1¹

¹ This schedule is presented only as an example. The TLN coordinator workday is 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. 
with appropriate time for lunch.

² Focus meetings rotate among all schools in a Learning Network class. This will reduce the time 
allocated to classroom observation and instructional dialogue on two of the eight contact days, 
assuming that the class has four schools.

³ Minimal release time may be required for TLs for instructional dialogue.