Welcome

1. Welcome It’s About Time: A Model for Transformative Professional Development Presented by Ivan Cheng Collaboration and Student Success Conference June 20, 2006

2. Agenda • Background • The SITTE model • What we did • What we found • How we did it • What we must do • Where do we go next? • The DREAMS Collaborative

3. Background Problem • Algebra success rate in high schools is low in Los Angeles Unified School District. • Failure in algebra “triggers dropouts more than any single subject” according to Superintendent Roy Romer. • Teachers need time to rethink and revise their teaching strategies.

4. Background What Teachers Need “To improve their mathematics instruction, teachers must be able to analyze what they and their students are doing and consider how those actions are affecting students’ learning.” NCTM Principles and Standards, p. 18

5. Background What Teachers Experience “The environments in which most teachers work have been structured in ways that actually work against the kind of sustained collaboration that we have suggested is needed for significant and steady improvement.”Stigler and Hiebert, 1999, p. 172

6. What We Did ARCHES Collaborative • Los Angeles Unified School District • California State University Northridge • Los Angeles Mission College • Project GRAD Los Angeles • Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley

7. What We Did ARCHES Collaborative • Los Angeles Unified School District • District 2 serves over 106,000 students • Provides extensive professional development for teachers • Provides paid time for teachers for teachers to engage in SITTE • Provides training for math coaches

8. What We Did ARCHES Collaborative • California State University Northridge • Engaged in Teachers for a New Era project sponsored by Carnegie Corp. • Provides resources through Center for Teaching and Learning • Provides personnel and knowledge for research and evaluation

9. What We Did ARCHES Collaborative • Los Angeles Mission College • Provides access to higher education for local community • Provides engaging programs such as culinary arts and robotics • Provides concurrent enrollment and college credit for high school students

10. What We Did ARCHES Collaborative • Project GRAD Los Angeles • National non-profit organization to promote college readiness and success • Provides tutoring, summer institutes, field trips for students • Provides training and resources for teachers and parents

11. What We Did ARCHES Collaborative • Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley • Networks local businesses to support education • Provides internship opportunities for students • Hosts education summits and meetings

12. What We Did ARCHES Collaborative • “Fix” the teachers to improve student achievement. • Focus on student learning to foster teacher learning.

13. What We Did ARCHES Collaborative • Designed a pilot project based on research from the Inter-session Teaching and Training (ITT) project in 2004 • Implemented Student Improvement Through Teacher Empowerment (SITTE) pilot project in 2006

14. What We Found How did ITT affect what teachers know about what their students know or don’t know? • Teachers increased their awareness of student thinking: • Acquaintance with alternative solutions • Watchfulness of student misconceptions • Attentiveness to student attitudes • Responsiveness to student reasoning • Expectation of trajectories in student thinking • Teachers increased the application of their knowledge of student thinking: • Guiding principles for lesson design

15. What We Found How did the ITT professional development experience affect teacher beliefs and practices? • Teachers increased their flexibility and resourcefulness • Departing from the textbook • Designing lessons based on student learning needs • Teachers increased in their sense of efficacy and confidence to find instructional solutions • Attitudes about students • Attitudes about self • Teachers increased their interdependence and teamwork • During ITT • After ITT

16. What We Found How did the ITT professional development experience affect student achievement? • Test scores improved • Significant improvement in MDTP • Small gains in District Quarterly Assessment • Grades improved • Pass rate increased (60.4%) • Perceptions of teachers improved • In-class performance and dispositions improved • Greater participation and higher engagement • Increased sense of efficacy and perseverance

17. What We Found How did the ITT professional development experience affect student achievement? • Test scores improved • Significant improvement in MDTP • Small gains in District Quarterly Assessment • Grades improved • Pass rate increased (60.4%) • Perceptions of teachers improved • In-class performance and dispositions improved • Greater participation and higher engagement • Increased sense of efficacy and perseverance

18. What We Found How did the ITT professional development experience affect student achievement? • Test scores improved • Significant improvement in MDTP • Small gains in District Quarterly Assessment • Grades improved • Pass rate increased (60.4%) • Perceptions of teachers improved • In-class performance and dispositions improved • Greater participation and higher engagement • Increased sense of efficacy and perseverance

19. What We Found How did the ITT professional development experience affect student achievement? • Test scores improved • Significant improvement in MDTP • Small gains in District Quarterly Assessment • Grades improved • Pass rate increased (60.4%) • Perceptions of teachers improved • In-class performance and dispositions improved • Greater participation and higher engagement • Increased sense of efficacy and perseverance

20. What We Found How did the ITT professional development experience affect student achievement? • Test scores improved • Significant improvement in MDTP • Small gains in District Quarterly Assessment • Grades improved • Pass rate increased (60.4%) • Perceptions of teachers improved • In-class performance and dispositions improved • Greater participation and higher engagement • Increased sense of efficacy and perseverance

21. What We Found How did the ITT professional development experience affect student achievement? • Test scores improved • Significant improvement in MDTP • Small gains in District Quarterly Assessment • Grades improved • Pass rate increased (60.4%) • Perceptions of teachers improved • In-class performance and dispositions improved • Greater participation and higher engagement • Increased sense of efficacy and perseverance Comparison of Pass Rates

22. What We Found How did the SITTE professional development experience affect student achievement? • Test scores improved • Significant improvement in MDTP • Small gains in District Quarterly Assessment • Grades improved • Pass rate increased (60.4%) • Perceptions of teachers improved • In-class performance and dispositions improved • Greater participation and higher engagement • Increased sense of efficacy and perseverance Comparison of Pass/Fail Rates Pass SITTE 2006 Inter-session 2005 SITTE 2006 Inter-session 2005 Fail

23. How We Did It Discussion • What are some ways that schools can foster teacher learning?

24. Ways to Foster Teacher Learning • Going to workshops--come back to share • Anchor teachers to mentor colleagues • Intensive training in Math Matters • Formalizing professional development in teacher training in technology • Website available, EdGate • Alternative assignments • Summer algebra flagship institute • Professional learning communities, master schedule with common preps • Sponsor teacher to go into industry

25. PD Teacher Student Achievement How We Did It Deficit “Empty Vessel” Model

26. Teacher Learning How We Did It Focus on student learning to foster teacher learning Student Learning

27. How We Did It Professional Development as a Lever Student Learning & Achievement Knowledge

28. How We Did It Method • Professional development aligned with district instructional guidance systems • Professional development situated in the context of actual classroom teaching • Daily collaborative lesson planning • Reflecting and refining lessons based on ongoing recognition of student thinking

29. How We Did It Activity • “Scrambled Numbers” • Cover-Up Equations • Fraction Boxes

30. How We Did It 10 – = 7 Cover-Up Equations 2x + 1 3

31. What We Must Do Understand local context and teacher needs Use teacher knowledge to build new knowledge Focus on student improvement rather than teacher development Provide tools and resources Focus on what works, but ask tough questions Create the environment that promotes engagement through empowerment

32. Where Do We Go Next? Discussion • What elements of this model did you like? • What elements have we not considered? • What would it take to make this work in your setting?

33. What Elements Did You Like? • Identify the problem and come up with solutions • “It’s the student’s fault” • Focus on what teachers already know • Teacher dialogue • Sharing strategies • Focused on structuring information rather than clinging to book • Attention to patterns and student understanding

34. What Have We Not Considered? • What about kids who don’t come prepared • Who decides the curriculum? Or structure at the start? • Future tracking of student achievement • Intervention for support class during class? • Survey students at the end of the course • Return on investment based on numbers of students and cost savings

35. Where Do We Go Next? The Challenge Leadership needs to shift “from one of bureaucratic authority, where change is led by telling and selling, to a leadership style of protecting commitment to shared values determined by teachers engaged in a collaborative and co-creative process.” Dr. Timothy Kanold NCSM President

36. Where Do We Go Next? A New Vision Developing Resources and Empowering Activities to Motivate Students (DREAMS) • Scale up effort for SITTE • Technology support for collaboration • Robotics pipeline for students • Internship opportunities with RWCs • DREAMS Summit to create new solutions

37. The DREAMS Collaborative • A New Vision • Based on SITTE process of empowerment • Focused on student achievement • Aimed at changing systems • Structured to provide room to grow • Energized by innovation and creativity • Designed to benefit all stakeholders • Sustained by ongoing collaboration

38. Thank You It’s About Time: A Model for Transformative Professional Development Ivan Cheng icheng@csun.edu www.csun.edu/~icheng Joe Morgan joemorgan@earthlink.net Collaboration and Student Success Conference June 20, 2006

40. What Would It Take to Work? • Start here