Professional Development Professional Development in Challenged in Challenged EnvironmentsEnvironments

A Model for Effective PDA Model for Effective PD

The DistrictsThe Districts

• District ADistrict A– 3 elementary schools3 elementary schools– 1 middle school1 middle school– 1 high school1 high school– 62% primary 62% primary

language not Englishlanguage not English

• District BDistrict B– 3 elementary schools3 elementary schools– 1 middle school 1 middle school

(closed)(closed)– 1 high school1 high school– 1 career/alternative 1 career/alternative

high schoolhigh school– 2 homeless shelters2 homeless shelters

90%+ socio-economically disadvantaged student body

90%+ socio-economically disadvantaged student body

Year 1 Math InstituteYear 1 Math Institute

•Closed middle schoolClosed middle school•November re-organization, November re-organization,

layoffslayoffs•4 New Principals4 New Principals•Substitutes in many Substitutes in many

classroomsclassrooms

Year 2 Math InstituteYear 2 Math Institute

•4 New principals4 New principals

•District starts school for 300 District starts school for 300 ELL studentsELL students

•January school closingJanuary school closing

•Superintendent leavesSuperintendent leaves

•Curriculum director leavesCurriculum director leaves

Year 3 Math InstituteYear 3 Math Institute

•2 New principals2 New principals

•Close school disperse ELL Close school disperse ELL studentsstudents

•Reorganize from 1-5, 6-8 to 1-6, Reorganize from 1-5, 6-8 to 1-6, 7-87-8

•Pink slip teachersPink slip teachers

Year 4 Math InstituteYear 4 Math Institute

•4 New principals4 New principals•Curriculum director leavesCurriculum director leaves•Superintendent leavesSuperintendent leaves•Take in 300 students from Take in 300 students from

alternative discipline charter alternative discipline charter high schoolhigh school

Results: ImplementationResults: Implementation

SAMPI Classroom Observations: Pre and Post Program Results

(n=28)

3.5

3.7

4

4.2

5.3

5.5

5.5

5.8

1 3 5 7

Overall Rating

Content

Implementation

Culture

Total Score (1=low; 7=high)Spring 2006

Fall 2004

Effect Size

Culture 0.80

Implementation 1.62

Content 1.95

Overall 1.79

Results: Math PedagogyResults: Math Pedagogy

PM3 Teacher Percent Improvement in Performance on the LMT:

Fall 2004 - Spring 2006

41.4

57.1

0

20

40

60

80

Fall 2004 Spring 2006

Pe

rce

nt

Co

rre

ct

Effect Size = 0.75

Results: Growth in Math Results: Growth in Math PedagogyPedagogy

LMT Pre-Post Test Performance with Comparison Group*

13.318.316.6 17.8

05

101520

Pretest Posttest

Nu

mb

er C

orr

ect

Institute Teachers

Comparison Group

* Number correct on 32-item test

Effect Size: Math Institute = 0.75

Comparison = 0.13

Results: Math Content Results: Math Content KnowledgeKnowledge

Michigan Teacher Certification Test Adapted Form:

Pre and Post Program Results

46.2

56.7

40.8

45.8

46.2

60

45.8

51.5

0 20 40 60 80 100

Statistics andProbability

Geometry

Algebra

Total

PercentSpring 2006

Fall 2004

Effect Size:

Total = 0.75

Algebra = 0.32

Geometry = 0.13

Stats/Prob = 0.0

Results: Math Content Results: Math Content KnowledgeKnowledge

NOTE: Comparison group did not grow in Stats/Prob and lost ground in Algebra

MTTC Mean Pre-Posttest Change PM3 and Comparison Group

0

0.344

-0.156

0.3130.06

0.23

0.74

1.5

-0.5

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

Statistics andProbability

Geometry Algebra Total

Nu

mb

er o

f It

ems

Comparison

PM3

Impact on StudentsImpact on Students

MEAP Math Trends District A

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Gr 5 Gr 6 Gr 7 Gr 8

Per

cent

Pro

fici

ent

Winter 2003

Winter 2004

Winter 2005

Fall 2006

Fall 2007

Impact on StudentsImpact on StudentsMEAP Math Trends

District B

0

5

1015

20

25

30

3540

45

50

Gr 5 Gr 6 Gr 7 Gr 8

Per

cen

t P

rofi

cie

nt

Winter 2003

Winter 2004

Winter 2005

Fall 2006

Fall 2007

ISD/RESACenter/UMD

MSP District B

MSP District A

SchoolDistrict

Teachers

SchoolDistrict

Teachers

The Model

Structure of the InstituteStructure of the Institute

•50-60 teachers grades 4-8 50-60 teachers grades 4-8

•28 not HQ in Fall 2004 28 not HQ in Fall 2004

•2 not HQ by Fall 20072 not HQ by Fall 2007

•Monthly Institute sessionsMonthly Institute sessions

•Monthly grade level meetingsMonthly grade level meetings

Courses for TeachersCourses for Teachers

• Number, Operations, & Proportional Number, Operations, & Proportional ReasoningReasoning

• Algebra Algebra • GeometryGeometry• Data Analysis, Statistics & ProbabilityData Analysis, Statistics & Probability• Concepts in CalculusConcepts in Calculus• Improving Instruction in Rational Numbers Improving Instruction in Rational Numbers

& Proportionality& Proportionality• Improving Instruction in AlgebraImproving Instruction in Algebra• Improving Instruction in Geometry & Improving Instruction in Geometry &

MeasurementMeasurement

Partnerships at All LevelsPartnerships at All Levels

•TeachersTeachers

•Project management team, Project management team, including STEMincluding STEM

•EvaluatorsEvaluators

Philosophy of PDPhilosophy of PD

• Systemic approach: Whole districtSystemic approach: Whole district

• CoachingCoaching

• Monitor and adjustMonitor and adjust

• Long term, sustained, collaborative, school-Long term, sustained, collaborative, school-based, linked to curricula, focused on based, linked to curricula, focused on student learningstudent learning

• Teachers developing deeper understanding Teachers developing deeper understanding of math they teach at grade band they of math they teach at grade band they teachteach

Importance of CoachingImportance of Coaching

• Work at Institute with teachers then Work at Institute with teachers then return with them to classroomsreturn with them to classrooms

• Nurture collaboration through grade Nurture collaboration through grade level meetingslevel meetings

• Establish district curriculum for Establish district curriculum for Institute grade levelsInstitute grade levels

Impact on STEMImpact on STEM

• Importance of STEM’s understanding Importance of STEM’s understanding teacher thinking about mathematicsteacher thinking about mathematics

• Enhancing STEM’s understanding of Enhancing STEM’s understanding of student learningstudent learning

• Active listening to teachers’ stated Active listening to teachers’ stated needsneeds

What We LearnedWhat We Learned

““It is generally easier to get people to act It is generally easier to get people to act their way into a new way of thinking their way into a new way of thinking than it is to get them to think their way than it is to get them to think their way into a new way of acting.”into a new way of acting.”

Millard FullerMillard FullerFounder, Habitat for HumanityFounder, Habitat for Humanity