Transcript Slide 1

Learning Community Forum
Where are we headed and why?
Supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. EHR-0315060
4 Guiding Questions
• What have we learned and why?
• How does all that fit in with the idea of
professional learning communities?
• How can our learning communities focus
on improving instruction?
• How can we learn more through our K12Higher education partnership?
Today
• Teacher Leader Development
– Science Content Knowledge
– Instructional Strategies
– Leadership Practices
• Professional Learning Community
Development
– Data Driven Planning
– Building PLC’s
Process
• Rationale: What does research support?
• Response: What strategies did NCOSP
apply?
• Evidence: What does the data say?
• Personal Connection: How does that fit
with my personal reflections?
Science Content Knowledge
Research
• Why does science content knowledge matter?
Science Content Knowledge
Research
“It is a truism that teachers must know the
content that they are to teach.”
Taking Science to School, NRC, 2006
Science Content Knowledge
Research
“Teacher knowledge influences instructional
practice and, in particular, classroom discourse
– an integral component of science learning
environments – is sensitive to teachers’
knowledge of science.”
Taking Science to School, NRC, 2006
Science Content Knowledge
Research
"Teachers who know the content and how
the content builds from understanding of
many topics are better able to diagnose
and address confusions. They know the
next best question to ask when students
are engaged in inquiry."
Keeley, P. Corwin, 2005
Science Content Knowledge
Research
“Higher levels of teacher subject matter knowledge
contribute to higher student achievement.”
Taking Science to School, NRC, 2006
Science Content Knowledge
Research
“Teachers need opportunities to be involved
in sustained learning, through teaching
that models the methods that they are
being urged to adopt.”
How People Learn, NRC,1999
Science Content Knowledge
Strategies
Summer Academy Content
Immersions
TLs’ Science Content Knowledge
Data
Course
SA 2004:
Physical Science
SA 2005: Life
Science
SA 2006: Earth
Science
Pre-test Mean
(%correct)
Post-test Mean
(%correct)
One-year
Follow-up
(%correct)
58**
Number of
Inservice
Teachers
50
37
87*
67
84*
78**
165
65
85*
To be
administered in
summer 2007
143
* Denotes statistically significant increase from pre-test to post-test at p < 0.05
** Denotes statistically significant increase from pre-test to one-year follow-up at
p <0.05
Science Content Knowledge
Reflection
1) Describe an example from one of the Summer
Academies where you distinctly remember
“learning” a new science concept.
2) Describe an example of where the content
knowledge examined during one of the Summer
Academies contributed to your teaching.
3) What strategies do you use to develop your
content knowledge outside of formal courses
and workshops?
Instruction
Research
• What strategies support
student learning?
Instruction
Research
“A critical feature of effective teaching is
that it elicits from student their preexisting
understanding of the subject matter and
provides opportunities to build on – or
challenge – the initial understanding.”
How People Learn, NRC, 1999
Instruction
Research
“Effective instruction helps students develop
both a deep knowledge base and a
conceptual framework for that knowledge.”
How People Learn, NRC, 1999
Instruction
Research
“Integration of metacognitive instruction with
discipline-based learning can enhance
student achievement and develop in
students the ability to learn independently.”
How People Learn, NRC, 1999
Instruction
Strategies
• Modeling the incorporation of the three key
findings from “How People Learn” in
immersion experiences
• Debriefing the use of those strategies
• Whiteboarding, questioning strategies,
inquiry boards, science notebooks,
formative assessments, etc.
TLs’ Instructional Strategies and
Metacognitive Skills
Data
Rate your understanding of the topics
below both BEFORE and AFTER your
Summer Academy (SA) experience.
How to elicit students’ thinking
How to help students construct their
understandings
How students learn science
My own learning process
% Clear to Very Clear Understanding
SA 2004
SA 2005
SA 2006
(N=144)
(N=152 )
(N=130)
Before/After Before/After Before/After
46
90
68
92
70
98
49
91
60
90
66
96
59
72
95
98
79
87
98
99
81
90
99
100
Impact of NCOSP PD on TLs’
Classroom Practices
Data
2004 SA Impact Survey
2005 SA Impact Survey
N
61
88
Response
41%
52%
 98% reported “positive lasting effects”
 87% and 89% felt “more confident teaching
science”
Impact of NCOSP PD on TLs’
Classroom Practices
Data
By the spring of 2005…
• 84% had been working to identify students’
preconceptions and address students’ misconceptions in
their classrooms
• 72% of teachers increased discussion and dialogue
through questioning strategies to help reveal students’
thinking
“I experienced first-hand the difficulty of overcoming the
misconceptions of oneself and others, and really appreciate the
need to draw them out before trying to teach new content.” –Teacher
Leader
Impact of NCOSP PD on TLs’
Classroom Practices
Data
Specific Instructional Strategies
• Whiteboarding
• Notebooking
“Science notebooking has made a world of
difference in my ability to assess their prior
knowledge, their current understanding and to
integrate literacy and math instruction.” –
Teacher Leader
Instruction
Reflection
1) Describe how the recommendations from How
People Learn influenced your thinking about
teaching and learning?
2) Describe a specific instructional strategy you
have incorporated into your teaching as a
consequence of participating in NCOSP and
how that practice has helped you address the
recommendations from How People Learn.
It’s Lunchtime!
Lunch will be served in VU 565
We’ll start again at 1:00
........facilitate others
• doing lesson study
• Curriculum Topic Study (CTS)
• Looking at Student Work (LASW)
• writing assessments
• implementing kits
• such as your building team
• such as your district team
• in a regional, state, or national group
• by arranging extracurricular science such as a science
fair/club or off-site field studies
........make presentations to
• teachers
on topics such as kit training, notebooks,
How People Learn, etc.
• your school board or other district-level groups
• PTA or parent groups
• community groups
• regional, state, or national groups or conferences
........coach or consult with
• colleagues
• a student teacher
• a new teacher
• a teacher new to your school or grade level
• your principal or district administrator
• building team members
• district team members
• colleagues around the region, state, or beyond
Leadership Practices
Research
What contributions can teacher leaders
make toward the shared goal of school
improvement?
Leadership Practices
Research
“In adaptive schools all players administrators, teachers, support staff,
students - must have the knowledge and
skills to manage themselves and influence
and lead others.”
Garmston and Wellman, Christopher Gordan,1999
Leadership Practices
Research
“The key notion in the definition of teacher
leadership is that leadership is about
learning together, and constructing
meaning and knowledge collectively and
collaboratively.”
Linda Lambert, ASCD,1998
Leadership Practices
Research
“Effective leaders know how to select and
execute the right role for the right group
and when and how to switch roles within a
group.”
Kaser, Mundry, Stiles, Loucks-Horsley, Corwin, 2006
Leadership Practices
Research
“Teacher leaders, with their mastery of
content and instructional practices,
credibility with colleagues, and proximity to
students, offer valuable expertise central
to school improvement efforts.”
Landel and Miller, 2007
Strategies
Facilitating
Consulting
4 Hats of
Leadership
Coaching
Presenting
Leadership Practices
Strategies
• Leadership Inventory
• Seven Norms of Collaboration
• Non-verbal communication
Leadership
Data
Did the Summer Academy prepare you to take on
more of a leadership role in your school? How?
Yes (N=109)
• Training in Facilitation Skills (41)
• NCOSP Facilitation of District Action Plans (24)
• Protocols as tools to implement change (16)
• Collaboration with teachers & admin (9)
• Increased Content Knowledge (5)
Needs- more admin support, more practice with
facilitation
2006 SA Week 2 Survey
Leadership Knowledge and Skills
Data
LCF Month/Topic
Question
Mean
SD
Total
October 2006
4 Hats of Shared
Leadership
Increased
Understanding?
3.92
0.69
51
December 2006
Presentation
Increased
Understanding?
3.90
0.66
28
January 2007
Coaching and
Consulting
Increased
Understanding?
3.68
0.48
25
Scale of 1-5 with 1 being “Not at all” and 5 being “To a great extent.”
Leadership Practices
Reflection
1) Complete the Four Hats Likert scale post-test
2) Describe an example from your work in your
district or building this year when you were a
“facilitator”, “presenter”, “coach”, or “consultant”.
3) What leadership opportunities will you pursue
next year?
Professional Learning Communities
Research
What is the impact of
teacher collaboration
on teacher retention
and student learning?
Professional Learning Communities
Research
“Professional development for teachers can have a
positive impact on student achievement if it is
sustained over time; focuses on specific
content areas; supports the collective learning
of most, if not all, teachers in a school; aligns
with school and teacher goals; and provides
opportunities for teachers to practice and apply
new knowledge.”
Professional Development Analysis, Mid-continent Research for
Education and Learning
Professional Learning Communities
Research
“Meaningful changes to the teaching and learning
environment can increase teacher retention and
encourage teachers to return to the profession.
Those who planned to stay said that having
meaningful input in the decision making
process and collaborative relationships with
their colleagues were reasons to remain.”
Center for Teacher Quality at Sacramento State
Professional Learning Communities
Strategies
•
•
•
•
Lesson Study
Curriculum Topic Study
Looking at Student Work Protocols
Developing Formative Assessment Probes
Collaboration among Teachers
Data
Collaboration has been a key component of the NCOSP partnership
Across Partnership Surveys, LCF surveys, and SA surveys,
teachers consistently report that…
• The development of collaborative relationships with other
teachers has been one of the most important aspects of the
partnership
• Discussions with other teachers have been one of the most
important components within the NCOSP PD activities that
has helped develop their understanding
Lesson Study
Data
Please rate each of the following:
Mean
Participation in a lesson study group has increased
my connectedness and collegiality with my
group members.
Participation in a lesson study group has increased
my knowledge of how students learn.
4.4
The work of our lesson study group has helped me
improve my teaching practices.
3.7
5 = “to a great extent” ; 3 = “somewhat”; and 1 = “not at all”
source TL Partnership Profile 2006 (N=90)
3.8
Curriculum Topic Study
Data
Question
Mean
SD
N
How knowledgeable do you feel
you are in the use of CTS?
3.52
0.77
77
To what extent do you think CTS
can help teachers strengthen
their content knowledge?
4.28
0.68
78
To what extent do you think CTS
can help teachers strengthen
their pedagogical knowledge?
4.07
0.81
72
Participants responded using a scale of 1-5, with 1 being “Not at all,” and 5 being
“To a great extent” on the 2006 LCF Impact Survey
Looking at Student Work Protocols
Data
• 28% of TLs coming into the 2006 Summer Academy had a clear
understanding of the use of protocols and how they can improve
teaching and student learning.
• 93% of TLs left the Summer Academy with a clear
understanding of the use of protocols and how they can improve
teaching and student learning.
• 25% of TLs responded that the use of protocols for looking at
student work was the most relevant topic to their classroom
practice that they learned about during the 2006 SA.
Week 2 Survey at 2006 SA (N= 130)
Professional Learning Communities
Reflection
Describe how your participation in a
collaborative group deepened your
knowledge of:
1) Science content relevant to your teaching
2) Instructional practices that support student
learning
3) Collaborative practice that support effective
groups
Professional Learning Communities
Strategies
• District Action Planning
District Action Plans
Data
Impact: Cross-grade level collaboration on activities in DAPs
Most Common Activities in DAPs
– Creating assessments (53%)
– Aligning teaching with GLEs (53%)
– Working on a “scope and sequence” (42%)
Most Common Strategies in DAPs
– Science notebooking (47%)
– Looking at student work (42%)
Most Common Feedback on DAPs
– Goals too broad or ambitious
– Need to make objectives more measurable and define data
collection strategies
Professional Learning Communities
Reflection
1) How did the DAP process influence your
thinking about data-driven decision-making
and collaborative planning?
2) How will the work you completed this year
through your DAP influence the work you will
initiate this summer?
Moving Forward to Summer 2007
and beyond
Supporting Professional Learning
Communities in Your Building
Research
"Teachers in successful schools are undeniably
interdependent. Professionals working in concert
produce cumulative effects in student learning.
As more schools, districts, states, and provinces
develop and attempt to implement clear
standards and high expectations, the need for
collaborative energy becomes increasingly
clear.”
Garmston and Wellman, Christopher Gordan, 1999
Supporting Professional Learning
Communities in Your Building
Research
“School capacity is the key to success. This
capacity consists of five components: (1)
teachers’ knowledge, skills and
dispositions; (2) professional community;
(3) program coherence; (4) technical
resources; (5) principal leadership.”
Fullan, Leading in a Culture of Change
Supporting Professional Learning
Communities in Your Building
Strategies
• Engaging Principals and Teacher Leaders
in supporting a Professional Learning
Community
Future Directions for NCOSP
Data Sources
1) Focus Group Discussion Feb. 2006 LCF (n= 94 TLs,
HEI faculty, and administrators)
2) Focus Group Discussion during 2006 SA (n= 6 TLs)
3) SA 2006 Week 2 TL Survey (n= 130 TLs)
4) SA 2006 Administrator Survey (n= 30 administrators)
5) SA 2006 Facilitator Survey (n= 25 SA facilitators)
6) May 2006 LCF Impact Survey (n= 79 TLs)
7) Teacher Leader Partnership Profile Spring 2006 (n=
88 TLs)
8) NCOSP Internal Evaluation Report 2005-2006
9) SA 2006 Report
Future Directions for NCOSP
Data
• Continued focus on Teacher Leaders
– Develop facilitation and leadership skills through practice
• Impact on greater number of teachers
– Teacher leaders rated teachers at their school as their
most important resource in their work with science reform
• Increase the participation of school and district
administrators
– Administrators indicated a need for better understanding of
quality science instruction and how to best support teacher
leaders
Professional Learning Communities
Reflection
1) Thinking about what you have learned in terms
of (a) science content; (b) instructional
strategies, and (c) leadership skills:
Identify 2-3 areas that will help you in your work in
the next year and why?
Summer 2007
•
•
Applications submitted May 7
Applications reviewed May 10
– Intent of reviews
– Process of review and feedback
– Actions required
•
Feedback will be distributed today
Themes observed in applications
Strengths
•
•
•
•
•
•
High expectations
Valuable and effective strategies
Teachers of different grades and “non-science”
teachers (e.g. reading specialists, math teacher,
special education specialists, etc)
Well-articulated rational for the team members
Evidence of commitment to and alignment with
standards and grade-level expectations
Strong reflection of NCOSP tools, strategies, and
resources
Themes observed in applications
Areas for improvement
•
•
•
Need for clearer learning targets and more
manageable scope of work
Need for better definition of roles and responsibilities
for principals, teacher leaders, and participating
teachers
Need for inclusion of more sources of data and for
continuous use of data as part of the work of the
professional learning community
Closing
•
•
•
Complete the end of year LCF Impact
Survey
Exchange your survey for your summer
PD application and feedback
Join us tomorrow for a day at the movies!
See you tomorrow
at 8:30 AM…