Making a Difference! What Effective Teachers Do to Support At-risk/Highly Mobile Students

1. Making a Difference!What Effective Teachers Do to Support At-risk/Highly Mobile Students Beyond Housing January 20, 2012 Leslie W. Grant, Ph.D. Old Dominion University Patricia A. Popp, Ph.D. The College of William and Mary

2. What is the significanceof this study? • Moving from Access to Academics • Addressing the Achievement Gap • Addressing Unique Instructional Challenges • Focusing on Importance of Teachers

3. Research Study Essential Questions: • What do award-winning teachers of at-risk and/or highly mobile students do that makes them effective? • How do teachers in China and the United States compare?

4. Defining “At-risk” Internal v. external factors Poverty Mobility “Border Children” “Minority”

5. National Context of Teacher Effectiveness Research • U.S. • Federal: No Child Left Behind (NCLB) • State: 50 systems of education • Focus on standards and individuality • China • Nationwide curriculum reform since 2001 • Shift from memorization, drill, and prescribed textbooks to practices that foster individuality, self-expression, inquiry, creativity, and creative thinking skills

6. Method • Case Studies of six award-winning teachers in the US • 2-hour observation of teaching • Interview of beliefs about teaching and teaching practices • Case studies of six award-winning teachers in China (same process) included here anecdotally

7. Classroom Observations • Observation Elements: • Instructional Activities • Level of Student Engagement • Cognitive Levels of Tasks • Learning Director • Observations in 5-minute intervals

8. Instructional Activities Per Observation

9. Student Engagement Per Observation 1 = low engagement 2 = moderate engagement 3 = high engagement

10. Cognitive Level of Instructional Activities Per Observation 1 = not evident 2 = evident 3 = highly evident

11. Questioning Percentage of Questions by Cognitive Demand for Teacher-Generated and Student-Generated Questions U.S. Teachers Only

12. Questioning Percentage of Questions by Cognitive Demand for Teacher-Generated and Student-Generated Questions U.S. Teachers Only Grant, Stronge, & Popp (2008)

13. Questioning Percentage of Questions by Cognitive Demand for Teacher-Generated and Student-Generated Questions U.S. Teachers Only Grant, Stronge, & Popp (2008)

14. Qualities of Effective Teachers EFFECTIVE TEACHERS Background Job Responsibilities and Practices Prerequisites Classroom Management & Instruction Implementing Instruction The Person Organizing for Instruction Monitoring Student Progress & Potential Used with the Permission of Linda Hutchinson, Doctoral Student, The College of William and Mary

15. Meeting At-Risk/Highly Mobile Student Needs • Affective Needs • Academic Needs • Technical Needs

16. Affective Needs • What does it mean? • Helping students develop a sense of belonging • Developing intrinsic motivation • Attending to emotional needs • What does it sound like? I work hard to reduce stress in the classroom – to make it very comfortable and positive. I want to be seen as a helper/facilitator, not a dictator. -- Jeana

17. Academic Needs • What does it mean? • Focusing on the academic achievement • Working toward academic progress • What does it sound like? I think [my relationship with students] it’s a big role because I take ownership into their learning process and involvement and there should be no question on their part that I’m a player and that they don’t stand alone. And I think that makes a big difference. -- Janice

18. Technical Needs • What does it mean? • Focusing on the outside needs of at-risk/highly mobile students such as assistance with food, housing, referrals to agencies • Considering relationship with parents in working with students • What does it sound like? It’s not that the parents don’t care and I find the parents increasingly supportive. But the reality is that they also come from highly dysfunctional homes. -- Tanya

19. Overall Themes • Affective and academic needs intertwined • High expectations for all students • Assessment integral to instruction

20. Application Join a group Read the recommended practices Identify how you could incorporate the suggestion Be ready to report out 1-2 ideas

21. Metaphors for Teaching Teacher Voices Teaching students who are at-risk/highly-mobile is like …

22. …fostering (planting) a piece of seed. You must have a correct values like nutrition, correct view of knowledge like sunshine, correct methods like the farmers’ work. -- Mei (China)

23. … a Roller Coaster Ride There are incredible highs and incredible lows, but eventually you reach your destination if you just hang on. If you don’t mind being on a roller coaster, it’s the thrill of a lifetime. -- Tanya

24. Xianxuan XuThe College of William & Mary757.229.5743xxu@email.wm.eduJames H. StrongeThe College of William & Mary757.221.2339jhstro@wm.eduWebsite: jhstro.people.wm.edu Leslie W. GrantOld Dominion University 757.683.3315 lgrant@odu.eduPatricia PoppThe College of William and Mary757.221.7776pxpopp@wm.edu