1. What We Know About Effective Professional Development: Implications for State MSPs Iris R. Weiss June 11, 2008

2. Table Discussion What are the most pressing needs for professional development in your state? How do you know?

3. What are some common needs for professional development among teachers of mathematics and science?

4. Data from the 2000 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education

10. When teachers were asked about their professional development needs, many indicated needs in: –Content –Using investigative teaching strategies –Understanding student thinking –Assessing student learning

11. Key Elements of High Quality Instruction Engage students with the mathematics/science content; Create an environment conducive to learning; Ensure access for all students; Use questioning to monitor and promote understanding; and Help students make sense of the mathematics/science content.

12. Classroom observation studies indicate that: –Mathematics/science content is generally significant and worthwhile –Lessons typically have a climate of respect for students’ ideas, questions, and contributions

13. However, relatively few classrooms demonstrated other important features of high quality instruction.

14. Only 13 percent of lessons were judged to be both respectful and rigorous. ©

15. Many lessons were respectful, but lacking in rigor. For example: ®

16. Questioning was a major weakness of many lessons The observer noted that the entire lesson consisted of a whirlwind of lower level, factual, and procedural questions. For 40 minutes the teacher asked students in this 5 th grade class questions about:

17. the metric system the meaning of base 10 place value multiplication division fractions decimals mixed numbers improper fractions fraction names for 1 equivalent fractions simplifying fractions divisibility rules for 2, 3, 5 and 10 writing numbers in base 5 and 3 place value in these two bases changing mixed numbers to improper fractions defining fractions as division pulling up real world occupations that use fractions comparing fractions using cross multiplication and common denominators changing a fraction to a decimal then to a percent

18. (a) (b)

19. Quality of Instruction Observers saw both “traditional” and “reform-oriented” lessons that appeared to provide substantial opportunity for student learning of important mathematics/science content. They also saw many lessons, both “traditional” and “reform-oriented,” which were not likely to be effective.

20. How might state MSPs identify needs? The process of identifying needs provides an opportunity to help ensure teacher ownership. Teachers have a voice in setting priorities.

21. Caveat: While PD should target priority needs, spending too much effort on identifying needs leaves too few resources to spend on addressing those needs.

22. PD priorities can be based on several sources of data State standards What teachers find difficult to teach/students find difficult to learn Teacher self-report Teacher assessments Knowledgeable observers

23. Surveys Inexpensive Allow prospective projects to consult large numbers of teachers –May increase the feeling of ownership in the PD –But teachers may not know what they don’t know

24. Surveys If a project conducts a survey, it would be better to choose a random sample and do what is needed to get a high response rate than to survey everyone and get a low response rate.

25. Focus Group Interviews Involve fewer teachers Require skilled facilitators Have the advantage of allowing you to probe respondents, and for teachers to react to each other’s ideas

26. Classroom Observations Expensive Provide a sense of the quality of instruction that nothing else provides

27. Teacher Content Knowledge Assessments Good source of data to identify needs Politically tricky—teachers/teacher unions may not want teachers to be tested Few measures currently available

28. MSP Knowledge Management and Dissemination Goal: To synthesize knowledge generated through the Math and Science Partnerships and integrate it into the broader knowledge base for education reform. http://www.mspkmd.net

29. Instruments Measuring Teacher Content Knowledge Database Database under construction as part of MSP-KMD to include information such as: –Topics/Type of TCK measured –Nature of the instrument (interview, paper/pencil, etc.) –Type of questions (multiple choice, open- ended, etc.) –Validity/reliability

30. Student Achievement Data The “bottom line” for parents and policymakers Using student data to make the case for PD is often a winning strategy

31. Student Achievement Data You need to be careful; just because the average percent correct in an area is low doesn’t mean that students are doing worse in that area; maybe the questions were more difficult.

32. Which is the greater need? District average percent correct: Algebra – 65% Geometry – 80%

33. Which is the greater need? District average percent correct: Algebra – 60% Geometry – 75% Comparable districts average percent correct: Algebra – 60% Geometry – 90%

34. For a given standard/learning expectation, items often differ in difficulty. Maybe the algebra items were simply more difficult.

35. How difficult is this item? In what year did the battle of Gettysburg take place? a. 1776 b. 1812 c. 1863 d. 1944

36. How difficult is this item? In what year did the battle of Gettysburg take place? a. 1861 b. 1862 c. 1863 d. 1864

37. Key Point #1: Each method of identifying needs has its potential advantages and disadvantages.

38. Key Point #2: Which ever methods are chosen need to be done appropriately.

39. What do we know about professional development to support effective mathematics/science instruction?

40. –TCK influences how teachers engage students with the subject matter. –TCK influences how teachers evaluate, create, and use instructional materials. –TCK is related to what students learn. MSP-KMD Literature Review: Teacher Content Knowledge Matters

41. Emerging Consensus Elmore (2002) summarized what he called an “emerging consensus” on quality PD, listing what many in the field believe to be the features of effective professional development:

42. Professional Development: The Consensus View (Elmore, 2002) Focuses on a well-articulated mission or purpose anchored in student learning of core disciplines and skills Derives from analysis of student learning of specific content in a specific setting Focuses on specific issues of curriculum and pedagogy Embodies a clearly articulated theory or model of adult learning Sustains focus over time—continuous improvement

43. Develops, reinforces, and sustains group work Involves active participation of school leaders and staff Models effective practice –Delivered in schools and classrooms –Practice is consistent with message Uses assessment and evaluation –Active monitoring of student learning –Feedback on teacher learning and practice

44. There is very little empirical evidence on the features of effective professional development. However…

45. What does the empirical evidence tell us about effective PD? A study of Eisenhower supported professional development (Garet et al., 1999) provides support for a number of features of high quality PD highlighted by Elmore.

46. Features of High Quality PD Focuses on content knowledge; Emphasizes active learning; Promotes coherence; Provides a large amount of training sustained over time; and Encourages collaboration among teachers.

47. Effective PD Teachers who reported opportunities to learn about student mathematics curricula in PD reported more of the kind of classroom practice that the CA frameworks advocated. Student performance was related to teacher reports of curriculum-focused PD. (Cohen and Hill, 2000) Similarly, Hill and Ball (2004) found that content-focused PD led to improvements in teacher content knowledge.

48. The Challenge for PD PD needs to keep the focus on student learning goals, highlighting the concepts being addressed, how they are developed over time, difficulties students may encounter, and how to monitor student understanding.

49. The Challenge for PD Professional development should support teachers as adult learners through engaging activities that are challenging and appropriately scaffolded.

50. Best Practices in Professional Development: Implications for State MSPs

51. Priority Needs of Professional Development PD should address priority needs as part of coherent, on-going programs.

52. The ultimate goal of professional development is to improve teaching and learning Professional development is not to “fix teachers,” but to help them provide the kinds of learning opportunities students need to achieve mathematics and science standards.

53. PD designers need to recognize that teachers' concerns may differ from their needs, and plan PD to address both their real and perceived needs.

54. Professional Development Goals Projects should identify realistic goals for the professional development.

55. Professional development goals Should be: –aligned to state standards. –consistent with the needs of the participating teachers.

56. Professional development goals Should be –intensive enough to achieve the targeted goals. –feasible to address well within the time and resources available.

57. Deepening teachers’ content knowledge for teaching is variously interpreted as meaning that teachers will learn:

58. –The content at the level expected of their students –The content at a more advanced level –About mathematics/science as ways of knowing –How students think about the content

59. Some argue that disciplinary content knowledge needs to be addressed first; teachers cannot apply what they do not know, and it makes little sense to consider student learning of the content before the teachers themselves understand it.

60. Others argue that disciplinary content and classroom applications need to be addressed in an integrated fashion—to motivate teachers to engage in the work, to enable them to apply what they are learning to their instruction, and on efficiency grounds.

61. Deepening Teacher Content Knowledge for Teaching Projects need to plan for the likelihood that teachers with different course backgrounds in mathematics/science will have very different content-related needs.

62. Disciplinary Content Knowledge Teachers can deepen their understanding of mathematics/science content by working on challenging problems at an advanced level.

63. Disciplinary Content Knowledge Teachers need to see the connection between how they are encountering the content at an advanced level, and how the topic appears in the grade-level content.

64. Disciplinary Content Knowledge Teachers can also deepen their understanding of mathematics/science content by experiencing the student materials as learners.

65. Ways of Knowing Teachers need opportunities to experience what it means to “do” mathematics/science. It is important to go beyond modeling to an explicit focus on disciplinary habits of mind.

66. Pedagogical Content Knowledge Conducting a structured examination of the mathematics/science ideas in student instructional materials can be helpful for deepening teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge.

67. Pedagogical Content Knowledge So can examining student work to understand student thinking. Either approach can also provide opportunities for teachers to deepen their disciplinary content knowledge.

68. PD Strategies Projects need to select the appropriate professional development strategies for their goals and audience. –Not all strategies work for all purposes. –Need to be clear about what knowledge and skills teachers will gain from each activity, and make sure they are consistent with the goals.

69. PD designers need to be deliberate about the sequence of the planned activities. –Coherence doesn’t happen by accident –Think of the PD program (and each session within it) as having a “storyline”

70. Professional development experiences should meet teachers where they are and provide them with opportunities to: –move forward in their thinking –apply what they are learning to their practice.

71. It’s not enough to model effective pedagogy; sessions should allow time for facilitators to explicitly discuss the pedagogy that was modeled.

72. PD strategies are not inherently good or bad, although some may be better suited than others for a particular purpose. PD strategies vary in cost, and in the knowledge and skills needed to implement them well.

73. PD Strategy: Immersion in content Provides an opportunity for teachers to deepen both content knowledge and understanding of the discipline. Requires PD providers with strong content background and skill in working with adult learners, not necessarily expertise in K-12 mathematics/science education.

74. PD Strategy: Exploring student instructional materials Teachers are likely to see the PD as relevant. Requires PD providers with, collectively, both strong content background and expertise in K-12 mathematics/science education, as well as skill in working with adult learners.

75. PD Strategy: Exploring student instructional materials Projects need to be careful that the content doesn’t get lost. Teachers need to learn the content AND learn how the activities are intended to help students develop their understanding.

76. Consider issues of scale Projects need plans to involve a critical mass of teachers, not just “volunteers.”

77. Consider issues of scale Projects should be encouraged to make use of existing high quality PD materials when available. These kinds of materials save time and effort in designing PD, and provide scaffolding for novice PD providers.

78. Consider issues of scale Many more such materials are available in mathematics than in science.

79. Consider issues of scale Some potentially very effective PD strategies are difficult to use effectively at scale: –Instructional coaching –School-based study groups/lesson study/professional learning communities.

80. PD Strategy: Instructional coaching Potentially very powerful; But requires someone with strong content background, expertise in K-12 mathematics/science education, and skill in working with adult learners for each teacher, making a very difficult strategy to use at scale.

81. PD Strategy: School-based study groups Potentially very powerful; But each study group requires a facilitator with strong content background, expertise in K-12 mathematics/science education, and skill in working with adult learners, making this a very difficult strategy to use well at scale.

82. Caution is in order for other strategies as well Teachers are sometimes asked to develop instructional materials or student assessments as part of PD.

83. PD Strategy: Teacher development of instructional materials/assessments Teachers are likely to see the PD as relevant; Can be conducted in workshop or study group setting;

84. PD Strategy: Teacher development of instructional materials/assessments The process may be effective in deepening the knowledge of participating teachers; But the resulting products are unlikely to be of high quality without extensive review and revision.

85. Professional Development Providers Projects should consider teaming professional development providers of varying backgrounds to get the best match of skills and expertise.

86. Professional Development Providers Projects need to ensure that all professional development providers have a common vision of both project goals, and how the proposed activities are intended to help achieve those goals.

87. Professional Development Providers Projects need to ensure that the professional development team has adequate mathematics and science content knowledge. They also need to provide time for teacher leaders to gain skills and confidence.

88. Principal Involvement Lesson learned in prior efforts: Involve principals early and often

89. Principal Involvement Professional development projects should work with principals to help them understand their role in supporting effective instruction.

90. Principal Involvement It is helpful for principals to participate with their teachers in part of the professional development, but it’s not realistic to expect them to participate in all of it.

91. Principal Involvement Instead, it is helpful to provide some PD opportunities focused specifically on principals.

92. Sample RFP Rubric Task Individually, consider whether/how you would revise the sample rubric based on the information presented and your experience with professional development programs aimed at deepening teacher content knowledge for teaching. You can assume any scale you wish for the scoring, e.g., poor, fair, good, excellent, not applicable.

93. Sample RFP Rubric Task At your table, discuss your decisions. Each table should choose one indicator to share with the group, either one you think should be omitted, or revised substantially, or added, and be prepared to share your thinking with the group.