1 Facets of Professional Development: One Size Does Not Fit All Nadine Bezuk and Steve Klass CMC-S 2005

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 about 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 Critical Issues to Consider in Designing Professional Development Find time for professional development; Ensure equity; Build professional culture; Develop leadership; Build capacity for sustainability; Scale-up; and Garner public support. –Loucks-Horsley et al. (2003)

7 Our Belief System All students can learn. Assessment should be used to inform instruction. –Use student thinking to make instructional decisions Teachers who have a deep understanding of mathematics and effective pedagogy can teach effectively from any curriculum materials.

8 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

9 Characteristics of Our Professional Development Accountable for teacher growth and increased student achievement Blends content and pedagogy Embeds equity Sustained over time

10 Components of our Professional Development Features designed with teachers in mind: Provides a close look at the content of topics taught at the their grade levels: e.g., Number and Operations, Geometry and Measurement, Quantitative Reasoning and Algebraic Thinking. Practice-based, reflective work focused on the teaching of mathematics in participants’ classrooms.

11 Effective, research-based strategies for teaching mathematics. Collaborative analysis of student work and instructional decision-making. Components of our Professional Development (continued)

12 Connections to the Classroom Practice-based Tasks –Conduct student interviews to assess children’s understanding. –Analyze children’s thinking. –Make instructional decisions based on your understanding of children’s thinking. –Try out collaboratively planned mathematical tasks in your classroom.

13 Multiplication Interview What is multiplication? Write down anything you know about multiplication. You can use words, numbers or drawings. Here is a multiplication fact: 7 x 6 –Explain how you would figure out the answer. –Can you write a story (word) problem for 7 x 6? What does the 7 mean? What does the 6 mean? What does the answer tell us? –Can you draw a picture or show with the counters how you could solve this problem? Is there anything else you’d like to tell me about multiplication?

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15 Unique Facets of Our Work University certificate programs District partnerships, including district-based professional development –Difference between professional development and coursework –Long-term partnerships with districts for sustainability

16 University Certificate Programs Mathematics Specialist Certificate Program 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

17 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

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

19 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

20 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 Weekly sessions –Day of the week One day a month Four days a year

21 Teacher Participation Voluntary or mandatory Specific grade levels (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

22 Starting Options Summer intensive (1 - 2 weeks) Pre-school-year days (“buyback”) Less intensive (1 session/week) We conduct informational sessions prior to the start of sessions.

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

24 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

25 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

26 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%

27 Sample Item from Rational Number Test

28 Sample Item from Geometry Test

29 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%

30 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.

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

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

33 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.”

34 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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