Find out how this small, rural school district in Montana has been able to decrease discipline problems while increasing student achievement. PD 360 gives them the resources to provide differentiated professional development in areas like classroom management, math skills, or disciplining. Observation 360 gives Prinicpal Mark Faroni the ability to give effective classroom observations and prescribe professional learning video segments to his teachers. Sign up for a free trial at http://www.schoolimprovement.com/products/pd360/ Find more case studies on our website at http://www.schoolimprovement.com/research/case-studies/

1. PD 360
Case Study
Small, Rural Montana District Improves Classroom
Observations and Student Discipline
“PD 360 and Observation 360 are great products.
PD 360 is always accessible, and our teachers
are delighted to use it at their own leisure and
convenience. Observation 360 easily supports
classroom improvement and is a trigger for better
communication between administrators and teachers.”
Mark Faroni Principal, Dixon Elementary School, Montana
Profile
Journalist David Lamb wrote that in every true Montanan
there is something that says, ‘I am a last holdout.’
Settled in the late 1800s by railroad workers, ranchers,
and homesteaders, the community of Dixon thrived. But
it nearly vanished when the railroad branch eventually
closed, weather patterns changed, droughts occurred, and
the economy crashed. The tenacious ones who stayed to
continue building were true Montanans, the last holdouts.
Located in a western corner of the Flathead Indian Reser-
vation, along the Flathead River, Dixon today is a close-knit
community of 210 residents. Regardless of its small size,
the Dixon School District strives to provide its eight teach-
ers with comprehensive training and its seventy PreK-8
students with educational opportunities.
Focus
Like all school systems, Dixon is challenged to improve
teacher effectiveness and student readiness. The top dis-
trict focuses are as follows: :
• Classroom management
• Professional learning
• Math proficiency
• Students at risk
• Student attendance
The following factors have impacted Dixon’s high number
of students at risk:
• 95% of students are from a culture of poverty and eligible
for a free or reduced price lunch program.
• 60-65% of students are Native Americans.
• 25% of students have 1 or 2 parents incarcerated at any
given time.
Solutions
Dixon Elementary School Principal Mark Faroni is an
innovative, concerned administrator who truly cares about
boosting teacher skills and student achievement. His
accomplishments as principal have included increased
reading proficiency, improved student discipline, and

2. the addition of School Improvement Network’s Educator
Effectiveness System (EES) into Dixon’s teacher
development.
Mr. Faroni is a strong advocate of PD 360 and Observation
360, components of School Improvement Network’s
EES with unique, specific answers to Dixon focuses. The
district acquired PD 360 in 2010, included Observation
360 in 2012, and added Common Core 360 in 2013, to be
implemented during the 2013-14 school year.
Classroom Management
PD 360 empowers teachers with techniques to better
manage students and create environments that promote
participation. Teachers who are proactive in classroom
management typically have students who achieve
proficiency at higher levels with more positive attitudes
about school.
Professional Learning
Mr. Faroni believes that high-quality, consistent, and
reliable teacher training should meet a diversity of abilities
and adapt to evolving needs. With more than 3,000 videos
on 125 topics from 120 experts, PD 360 ensures that
teachers of every experience level can find individualized
support to improve classroom strategies.
Math Skills
PD 360 programs such as Classroom Instruction That
Works, Teaching Strategies, Teaching Mathematics to In-
crease Achievement, and Teaching with Math Tasks enable
teachers to be competent and confident in their ability to
effectively teach mathematics using techniques that suc-
cessfully reach students.
Students At Risk
Because students have a variety of backgrounds, skills,
strengths, and learning styles, Dixon teachers need
differentiated instruction techniques to reach everyone,
including students at risk. PD 360 programs such as
Working with Students from a Culture of Poverty, Equity
and Innovation, and Differentiated Instruction for All
Students illustrate lesson plan strategies that make certain
every student has an equal opportunity to learns.
Student Attendance
Consistent attendance is vital to student learning and
has been a large concern in Dixon. PD 360 topics such
as inclusion and differentiated instruction are excellent
sources for teachers to better understand how to create an
atmosphere of belonging and succeeding.
Implementation and Driving Usage
Dixon is currently using PD 360 and Observation 360 to
meet professional needs in a variety of ways:
Bi-Weekly Staff Meetings
Teachers are often assigned to watch specific PD 360
programs prior to the twice-weekly staff meetings.
This provides opportunities for discussions about
implementation while encouraging common language
and comprehension.
Student Discipline
Many teachers face student discipline issues such as
violence, behavioral disorder, bullying, and extreme
defiance. By incorporating PD 360 programs such as
Positive Discipline, Dixon has had a dramatic drop in
discipline problems. Last year’s reported 130 detentions
have been reduced this year to only three.
A recent independent study has shown that educators
using PD 360 tools have far fewer discipline issues.
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33.2% 7.4%
Higher Engagement
Schools
Low Engagement
Schools
351% advantage in gains for higher engagement schools
(p.001)
4.5 times the engagement

3. “We have had strong improvement in student discipline.
This is an important step toward student achievement and
is a result of including PD 360 in our teacher training.”
Mark Faroni
Principal Dixon Elementary School, Montana
Professional Growth Plans
A personal Professional Growth Plan is developed by
each Dixon teacher to identify areas for growth-action
plans that include PD 360 implementation, and progress-
reporting procedures.
Classroom Observations
Because Mr. Faroni considers observations essential
to teacher development, he visits each classroom weekly
and uses Observation 360 to provide feedback with
PD 360 links relevant to the varied needs of each
teacher’s situation.
“Observation 360 is about time and convenience. The
ability to have instant communication between teacher
and administrator enhances and streamlines the evaluation
process significantly.”
Mark Faroni
Principal, Dixon Elementary School, Montana
Benefits
A small district in an out-of-the-way location, Dixon has
successfully integrated up-to-date, progressive teacher
training that has significant advantages.
Capacity and Accessibility
PD 360 can be accessed anytime and anywhere. The
ability to log on at home as well as at work encourages
Dixon teachers to take charge of their own learning by
viewing program segments as often as needed.
Online Interactive Learning Communities
PD 360 interactive learning communities allow Dixon
teachers to communicate with teachers around the country
as they suggest implementation ideas, participate in
discussion forums, upload lesson plans, and recommend
helpful links. The ability to share with others reduces feelings
of classroom isolation, regardless of remote locations.
Teacher Enthusiasm
Dixon teachers have responded positively to PD 360 as
shown by their high usage numbers.
A 2011 independent study of PD 360 usage showed that
higher number of video minutes viewed per user in schools
resulted in more than twelve times the gains in math
proficiency and twice the gains in reading proficiency than
district averages.
Conclusion
The strength and tenacity of ‘true Montanan’ settlers
carries on in Dixon School District with committed
educators who are determined to prepare students for the
future with high-quality education.
“Educators should identify their district goals, understand
the product capabilities, and learn how it could work for
them. If it all fits together, then just move forward because
PD 360 and Observation 360 are worthwhile resources.”
Mark Faroni
Principal, Dixon Elementary School, Montana
Dixon School District, Montana
PD 360 Usage March 2012 – May 2013
Registered
Users
Collective
Programs
Viewed
Collective
Segments
Viewed
Collective
Minutes
Viewed
Average
Minutes
Per User
10 207 281 1,987 199
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4. About School Improvement
Founded in 1991 by teachers, School Improvement
Network has spent decades researching and documenting
the best practices in education. From this research, School
Improvement Network has developed the Educator
Effectiveness System. This system delivers a process to
improve teacher practice, and gives educators a set of
powerful tools to drive the process. Research shows that
districts and schools that use the tools in the Educator
Effectiveness System produce better teachers and,
as a result, experience dramatic increases in student
achievement, driving up student test scores by as much as
30 percent in a single year. School Improvement Network
works with thousands of schools and districts in every
state and around the world and has visited over 3,500
classrooms to document best practices in action. Learn
more at www.schoolimprovement.com
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