Teacher Quality Enhancement Partnership (TQE-P)What is TQE-P?

The Columbus, Ohio Higher Education Partnership received a Teacher Quality Enhancement grant from the U.S. Office of Education to deliver specialized urban teacher preparation.

Our 5 higher education partners are;

1. Columbus State Community College

2. The Ohio State University3. Otterbein College4. Capital University5. Ohio Dominican University

What is the primary goal of TQE-P?

The overarching goal of TQE-P is to create and implement specialized, improved teacher preparation and targeted professional development, with a focus on math and science at the middle school level, in order to increase student achievement.

Bottom Line:Increase Urban Student Achievement

Three Objectives of the GrantObjective 1:Pre-service Education:Identify, recruit, and train novices for middle school math and science.

Objective 2: Urban Teacher Education Mentoring:Provide ongoing and meaningful mentoring in years 2 – 5 of teaching.

Objective 3:Urban In-service Teacher Education Content and Pedagogy:Improve current teachers’ capacity to deliver a standards-based curriculum in math/science to all students.

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy

“Culturally relevant teaching that empowers students intellectually, socially, emotionally, and politically by using cultural referents to impart knowledge, skills, and attitudes.” ----Gloria Ladson-Billings, The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children, pp. 17-18.

People from different cultures learn in different ways. To maximize learning opportunities, teachers should gain knowledge of the cultures represented in their classrooms and adapt lessons to reflect ways of communicating and learning that are familiar to the students.

Teachers must help students recognize, understand, and critique current social inequities, a practice through which people are incited to acquire a particular “moral character” and affect change.

Students should receive the consistent message that they are expected to attain high standards in their school work. This message must be delivered by parents, teachers, guidance counselors, administrators, and other school personnel.

Critical Consciousn

ess

Academic

Success

Content Cultural Competen

ce

February 27, 2006

Content, or curriculum, is established by state education departments and local school districts and often includes: academic content standards for a given discipline, performance measures, and learning and assessment materials.

Self-Study: A Model for Pre-service and In-service Teachers

This presentation describes a self-study model that is serving as the conceptual foundation for both peer coaching and field experiences.

What is Self-Study ?

“Study of the self and study by the self.”

(Samaras & Freese, 2006)

Roots of Self-StudyPsychology

Study of the self

Individualized Learning Independent, self-paced

instruction

Institutional/Program Evaluation Alignment between mission

and program/policies

Difference between Action Research and Self-Study Action research focuses

on what a teacher does. Self-study focuses on

who the teacher is.

Self-Study Researchers Focus on personal as well as professional growth Use personal history to understand current actions

(biography, autobiography, narrative) Examine their beliefs and actions in order to

determine whether there is a “disconnect” between the two

Are willing to be open about their weaknesses, fears, prejudices, etc.

Collaborate with others throughout the self-study process

Self-Study: Resolving “Living Contradictions” (Whitehead, 1989)

You may want to close the gap between your teaching philosophy and your teaching practices.

Example:

I believe that all children can learn, yet I seem to have given up on Joe because of his inattentiveness and lack of motivation.

Levels of Reflection(Hatton and Smith,1994) Description: Summarize what happened Descriptive Reflection: Describe and provide

some reason or justification Dialogic Reflection: Step back and come up

with alternative explanations Critical Reflection: Demonstrate an

awareness of how actions and events are embedded in broader historical, political, social contexts

The Urban Field Experience:Preparation

The Role of the Field Director Knowledge of urban education environments

Experience as an urban teacher Experience supervising in urban settings

Knowledge of local urban districts Part of the TQE-P team

Understanding of goals, roles and responsibilities Direct connection to mentor teachers

The Urban Field Experience:Frustrations District placement issues

Inability to contact schools directly Heavy competition Mentor preparation Time lag from request to placement Communication problems

Field issues Problems with mentor teachers Problems with field placement students

The Urban Field Experience:Wish List Direct communication between field directors

and mentor teachers Enough lead time for orientation

Mentor Teachers University Students Classroom Students

Regular feedback from mentor teachers, university supervisors and university students

TQE-P Mentor Program

The objective of the mentoring program is to provide ongoing and meaningful mentoring to apprentice math and science middle school teachers (in years 2-5). These mentors also work with pre-service candidates.

Image source: www.seton.net

TQE-P MentorsTQE-P Mentors are individuals who have demonstrated excellence in teaching math and science in urban middle school classrooms

TQEP Mentor Training Timeline

TQEP Mentor Training Timeline

SEPTEMBER3rd Week Review Applications of Prospective Teachers4th Week Notify the teachers who have been selected 5th Week “The Role of a Mentor Teacher”

Mentors Only

OCTOBER2nd Week Developmental Stages in Teaching

Mentors Only4th Week Coaching (observation, conferencing, and feedback)

Personal Effectiveness, and Leadership Mentors Only

NOVEMBER4th Week Happy Thanksgiving!5th Week Personality Profile, Working Styles, and Communication Styles

Mentors and Mentees

TQE-P Mentor Training Timeline

TQE-P Mentor Training Timeline

DECEMBER2nd Week Effective Classroom Instruction and Practices

Mentor Teachers to Present to the MenteesJANUARY2nd Week Framework for Understanding Poverty and Culturally

Responsive TeachingMentors and Mentees

4th Week Adolescent DevelopmentMentors and Mentees

FEBRUARY2nd Week Brain Based Learning and Differentiated Instruction

Mentors and MenteesMARCH2ND Week Classroom Management

Mentors and MenteesMAY2nd Week Stress Management for Teachers

Mentors and Mentees

Mentoring Commitments

Discuss teaching with mentee once a week and complete log sheet.

Plan with mentee once a month. Observe mentee once every nine weeks, via

videotape or in-class visit. Be observed by your mentee once every nine

weeks, via videotape or in-class visit.

TQE-P Weekly Mentee Log

+

Plus

What are some positive things that happened this week?

∆DeltaWhat are some areas of concern?

Rx

Solution

What are some possible solutions?

TQE-P Weekly Mentee Log

Focus Teaching Area:

Plan of Action:

Evidence that supports that the “Plan of Action” is effective:

Evidence that supports that the “Plan of Action” isn’t effective:

Next Steps:

TQE-P Weekly Mentee LogStrategies Used: Number of times used throughout the week:

Bloom’s Taxonomy(analysis, evaluation, synthesis)

Marzano’s Strategies

Identifying Similarities and Differences

Summarizing and Note-taking

Reinforcing effort and providing recognition

Homework and practice

Graphic Organizers (nonlinguistic representations)

Formula Writing & Writing across the Curriculum

Culturally Relevant Connections (academic achievement, cultural competence, socio-political awareness)

Differentiated Instruction (Layered Curriculum)

Assessment (formal or informal)

TQE-P Pre-Service Candidates

Understanding the Young Adolescent

Note physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and moral developmental characteristics (and individual as well as group variations)

Test knowledge of adolescent culture (what is “cool” in one era is either “uncool” or simply nonexistent in another)

Developing Cultural Competence

Learn about cultural, ethnic, socioeconomic, and religious orientations

Participate in cultural immersion experiences that are outside of familiar territory (community-based field setting)

Developing Cultural Competence

Develop a deeper understanding of context through community mapping Develop a deeper understanding of context through community mapping exercise

exerciseDevelop a deeper understanding of context through community mapping

Understanding the Profession

Observe classroom routines Assist a TQE mentor teacher by

taking over some non-teaching duties, tutoring individual students or working with small groups

Look for specific examples of STAR teacher characteristics

Next Steps:Moving into Teacher Ed Programs

Program entry requirements at HEPs Funding

Grant $$ Additional sources of funding

Continuation of TQE-P focus Urban preparation Trained mentors Field placements

Next Steps: Challenges Traditional program formats

Non-traditional student population pool Daytime only =mostly traditional students

Delivery options Web-based/hybrid courses Off-campus classes

Field experience options Sites Scheduling