Teachers remain unsure what it will be like to teach in a "restructured" school this year, but a three-day workshop by Edison Schools is giving them a better idea.

For students, the immediate impact is likely to be more tests, more reading aloud and less deviation from the lesson plans.

Teachers, administrators and staff from Central Middle, Dole Middle, 'Aiea Elementary and Pa'ia Elementary are spending the final day of the workshop at the Sheraton-Waikiki Hotel today, where for the first time they have learned about some of the core elements of Edison's restructuring plan, including monthly skills assessments, weekly lesson plans and a clear idea of the expectations under state and federal academic standards.

Edison is one of three private companies contracted by the state Department of Education to help 24 schools that have been unable to meet state and academic standards on their own. The other two companies are the National Center on Education and the Economy and ETS Pulliam.

The help is being provided under a process called restructuring, which also shifts authority over key decisions from school principals to regional school superintendents.

Midway through the training, teachers still were unsure what to expect when school resumes later this week.

Dole math teacher Nohea Goo said, "We have no idea what's going to go on curriculum-wise."

That is an uncomfortable feeling for Goo, who likes to plan out the entire year during the summer. However, while Edison is giving each school a week-by-week "framework" to map out lesson plans, adjustments will have to be made once each school's Hawai'i State Assessment results are returned next month.

John Krieck, general manager for Edison Schools in Hawai'i, said the company's specialists will be a constant presence at the schools, helping teachers and administrators focus instruction on the standards.

The monthly assessments will allow teachers to see how each individual child is progressing and adjust their academic plans accordingly.

Subject-specific "frameworks" will take the materials schools already have and align them to the standards. "We want to make sure the instruction they're giving the kids matches what they need to know," he said.

Teachers will be expected to follow the specified curriculum and supplement it when necessary to fill in gaps between the curriculum and the standards. Edison will help teachers come up with mini-lessons to fill those gaps.

While some teachers are apprehensive about the changes ahead, Dole science teacher Jennifer Story said morale is high at her middle school as they face the challenges of getting all students up to grade-level expectations, including those with special needs or limited English.

Story said teachers can't do anything less than remain optimistic. "We have to say it's achievable, or we might as well throw our hats in now," she said. "Why are we trying if we can't believe it?"