1 Facets of Professional Development: One Size Does Not Fit All Nadine Bezuk and Steve Klass CMC-N CAMTE Strand

2 Today’s Session Welcome and introductions What we know about professional development What we do in our professional development Impact of our work Questions/discussion

3 Characteristics of Expert Teachers Know the structure of the knowledge in their disciplines; Know the conceptual barriers that are likely to hinder learning; Have a well-organized content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK); and Continuously assess their own learning, knowledge, and practices. (Bransford, Brown, and Cocking, 1999, p. 230)

4 Effective Professional Development Is driven by a well-defined image of effective classroom learning and teaching; Provides opportunities for teachers to build their content and PCK and examine practice; Is research-based and engages teachers as adult learners in the learning approaches they will use with their students; (continued)

5 Effective Professional Development (continued) Provides opportunities for teachers to collaborate with colleagues and others to improve their practice; Supports teachers to serve in leadership roles; Links with other parts of the education system; and Is designed based on student learning data and is continuously evaluated and improved. –Loucks-Horsley et al. (2003), p. 44

6 Our Belief System Good professional development blends content and pedagogy. –Teachers with this understanding can teach effectively from any curriculum materials. Good professional development is led by people with K-12 teaching experience and expertise in mathematics and/or mathematics education. All students can learn mathematics. Assessment should be used to inform instruction. –Use student thinking to make instructional decisions.

7 SDSU Professional Development Supported by a $5.1M grant from Qualcomm to Improve Student Achievement in Mathematics (ISAM). This is the sixth year of our work. We offer: –University certificates and coursework –District partnerships –Professional development

8 Characteristics of Our Professional Development Accountable for teacher growth and increased student achievement Blends content and pedagogy Links to classroom practice Embeds equity Sustained over time

9 Unique Facets of Our Work University certificate programs District partnerships, including district-based professional development

10 University Certificate Programs Mathematics Specialist Certificate Program (upper elementary) Primary Mathematics Specialist Certificate Program –12 units of coursework 6 units of Mathematics coursework 6 units of Teacher Education coursework We’re thinking about certificates for middle school and high school

11 University Certificate Programs SDSU (not CTC) certificate Shows that teachers have special expertise in teaching mathematics Some districts reward recipients with stipends or salary credit Includes 6 units of graduate credit University ceremony is a morale booster

12 District Partnerships What are the district’s needs related to mathematics? Collaboratively plan: –Delivery model –Teacher participation –Starting options

13 District Needs Improve student achievement (as measured by CST, CAHSEE) Improve student success in algebra Increase student participation in higher-level mathematics courses Increase teacher effectiveness Help teachers meet NCLB requirements

14 Teacher Participation Voluntary or mandatory Specific grade ranges (e.g., grades 4 - 6) or specific content (e.g., algebra) Working in a district with an intact group of teachers or a mixed group from several schools/districts

15 A Variety of Delivery Models One year, two years, more After school (4.5 hours (with dinner) or 3 hours) Release days with sub coverage Saturday sessions Weekly sessions –Day of the week One day a month Four days a year

16 A Variety of Starting Options Summer start Fall start Winter start We conduct informational sessions prior to the start of sessions.

17 Limiting Factors Time Money--for stipends, subs, materials Communication Melding professional development and coursework/earning university credit for professional development

18 Distinctions Between Coursework and Professional Development TaskAllCourse Credit Professional Readings Read and think aboutExtra readings, reflections Student WorkCollect, analyze, and discuss Written analyses, collaboration, readings PlanningShare, collaboratively plan Provide evidence, analyze more deeply, connect with student thinking CollaborationMeet in groups to discuss their work Submit log/participate in online discussion group Math Problems Solve some outside of sessions Write-up problems and discuss strategies AssessmentSurveys, questionnaires, quick writes Math quizzes

19 Assessing Students’ Understanding of Multiplication  What is multiplication? Write down anything you know about multiplication. You can use words, numbers and drawings.

20 Assessing Students’ Understanding of Multiplication  Can you draw a picture to show how you would solve this problem?  Here is a multiplication fact: 7 x 6 Explain how you would figure out the answer.  Can you write a story problem for 7 x 6? What does the 7 mean? What does the 6 mean? What does the answer tell us?

21 How We Measure Impact Teacher growth: Content and pedagogy –Quantitative and anecdotal data Student achievement –Gains on CST –Matched pairs analysis: San Diego City Schools students

22 Impact on Teachers’ Content Knowledge Rational NumberGeometry % Correct Pre-testPost-testPre-testPost-test Mean61%79%45%66% Mode69%90%43%75% Minimum 18%44%18%31% Maximum 95% 75%90%

23 Sample Item from the Rational Number Test Place the following numbers in order from smallest to largest: 0.42, 0.50, Margaret, Sammy and Marie placed them in order as follows. What might each of the students have been thinking? How could you find out? Margaret: Sammy: Maria:

24 Sample Item from the Geometry Test A teacher gave her class the following problem: A floor measures 12 ft. x 15 ft. How much carpet would be needed in square yards? Here are two student’s responses: Dave’s answer: 15 x 12 = 180. I divided by 3 Because there are 3 feet in a yard. My answer is 60 square yards. Enrique’s response: But I got 20 square yards. I divided 15 by 3 and then 12 by 3 and then multiplied. a)Is Dave’s answer correct or incorrect? b)If Dave’s answer is correct, explain how you know it is correct.

25 Changes Reported by Teachers Question: “As a result of this program,...” % Responding “Yes” Do you have a better understanding of mathematics? 94% Has your mathematics teaching changed?98% Have your beliefs changed?87% Have your expectations of what students should know and be able to do mathematically changed? 85%

26 Impact on Teachers’ Instructional Practices Teachers report that they now: Try new strategies in their classrooms; Select among many tools including the textbook, the pacing guide, and CGI principles; and Recognize good mathematical problems from the text that will help students meet the standards.

27 Impact on Student Achievement Challenges –Data collection and design –Quantitative data –Performance assessment analysis –How to identify a control/comparison group

28 Gains on CST Mean Scale Scores, GradeState-wideSan Diego Matched-pairs study in progress.

29 One Teacher’s Comments About Our Impact on Her Teaching “I feel my knowledge and understanding of mathematics has been expanded to the point where I will never teach math the same again. I know too much about group/partner work, using manipulatives; reflective writing, student-directed teaching, student responsibility. In short, I feel enlightened. I feel I finally understand math.”

30 References Loucks-Horsley, S., et al. (2003). Designing professional development for teachers of science and mathematics (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (1999). How people learn. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

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