The Role of the Institutional Setting in Teachers’ Development

of Ambitious Instructional Practices in Middle-Grades

Mathematics

Paul Cobb Kara Jackson Kristin McGraner

Vanderbilt University

Designing Schools and Districts to Support Teachers’

Ongoing Learning

Paul Cobb Tom Smith, Kara Jackson, Erin Henrick, et al.

Vanderbilt University

Instructional Improvement at Scale

• Supporting students’ learning of central mathematical ideas• Instructional materials • Instructional practices

• Supporting teachers’ development of high-quality instructional practice

• Organizational learning -- schools and districts

Investigating What it Takes to Improve Mathematics Instruction

at Scale • Series of conjectures about school

and district structures, resources, and social relationships that might support teachers’ (and instructional leaders’) ongoing learning

• Instruments to document extent to which those structures, resources, and social relationships have been established

Investigating What it Takes to Improve Mathematics Instruction

at Scale • Investigate relationships between:• Conjectured structures, resources,

and social relationships• Quality of teachers’ instructional

practices• Students’ mathematics achievement

Investigating What it Takes to Improve Mathematics Instruction

at Scale• Four urban districts

• High proportion of students from traditionally underserved groups

• High teacher turn over

• 6-10 middle-grades schools - 30 teachers

• Most schools and districts clueless about how to respond productively to high-stakes accountability• A small minority have reasonably worked out

strategies

Investigating What it Takes to Improve Mathematics Instruction

at Scale• Four annual rounds of yearly data

collection• Document district strategies for

improving middle-school mathematics• Document how those strategies are

actually playing out in schools and classrooms• First year: Baseline data• Document change over a three-year

period in each district

Data Collection• School and district support structures, resources,

and social relationships• Audio-recorded interviews• On-line surveys

• Quality of teacher professional development• Video-recordings• Audio-recordings

• Quality of instructional materials• Artifact collection

• Quality of teachers’ instructional practices• Video-recordings of two consecutive classroom

lessons

• Teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching• Student mathematics achievement data

Add Value to Districts’ Improvement Efforts

• Feed back results of analyses to districts• Gap analysis -- how district’s plan is

actually playing out

• Recommend actionable adjustments that might make each district’s improvement design more effective• Design experiment at the level of the

district

Instructional Quality Assessment Year 1

Primary Conjecture: Teacher Networks

• Social support from colleagues in developing demanding instructional practices• Focus of teacher interactions

• Classroom instructional practice

• Depth of teacher interactions• How to use instructional materials• Aligning curriculum with state standards• Mathematical intent of instructional tasks• Student reasoning strategies

Facilitating Conjecture: Key Resources for Teacher Networks

• Time built into the school schedule for collaboration among mathematics teachers

• Access to colleagues who have already developed accomplished instructional practices• Rationale for mathematics coaches

Initial (Rough) Analysis of Teacher Networks

• Online Network Survey• All mathematics teachers in

participating schools

• Measure of potential learning opportunities for a teacher• Sum of depth of interaction scores

across all of the teacher’s interactions

Initial (Rough) Analysis of Teacher Networks

Initial (Rough) Analysis of Teacher Networks

• Controlling for size of math department: Math teachers in Districts B and C participate in interactions of greater depth than those in District A

• Scheduled time for teacher collaboration• Will compare by department and by grade

level• Types of activities in which teachers engage

• Math coaches• Ties with coach influences depth of

interactions

More Accomplished Others: Math Coaches

• District B: School-based math coaches

• District policy: Support learning of all math teachers• The extent to which the coach is

central in teacher networks

More Accomplished Others: Math Coaches

• Teachers perceived the coach: • to be a good mathematics teacher• able to support them

• Described interactions as useful in improving their classroom classroom practice

More Accomplished Others: Math Coaches

• Principal able to describe how coach should support teachers in some detail• Support all teachers versus weak teachers

• Scheduled time for coach to meet with math teachers as a group – emphasized the importance of the meetings• Co-participated on improving instructional

practice – more likely to seek advice from coach outside meetings

More Accomplished Others: Math Coaches

• Principal shared responsibility for supporting teachers’ learning with the coach• Attended mathematics department

meetings• Observed classroom instruction

frequently

• Ongoing discussions about quality of mathematics instruction and teachers needs

Primary Conjecture: Shared Vision of High Quality Mathematics

Instruction• Instructional goals -- what

students should know and be able to do mathematically

• How teachers can support students' development of these forms of mathematical reasoning

Principal’s Visions of High-Quality Mathematics Instruction

• PD for principal instructional leadership in all four districts

• Overall improvement from Year 1 to Year 2• Generally not in conflict with districts’

goals for instructional improvement• Form view rather than function view

• Bad news: Communicate expectations for and press for high-quality instruction

Principal’s Visions of High-Quality Mathematics Instruction

• Principal PD in District D• Distinguishing between high- and low-

cognitive demand tasks• Distinguishing between high- and low-

level enactment of tasks based on:• Classroom observations• Student work

• Giving feedback to teachers• Developing school improvement plans

for mathematics instruction

Primary Conjecture: Shared Vision of High Quality Mathematics

Instruction• Coordination between district

administrative units• Curriculum and Instruction• Leadership• Research and Evaluation• English Language Learners• Special Education

Coordination Between District Administrative Units

• District leaders’ view instructional improvement as a process of:• Supporting others’ learning• Disseminating information about

desired practices and pressing for compliance

• Extent to which mathematics specialists viewed as a valued resource

Coordination Between District Administrative Units

• Relationship between “the line” and technical assistance departments

• Discourse of:• High-stakes accountability• Instructional improvement• Supporting others’ learning• Disseminating information and pressing

for compliance

Research Team

Paul Cobb Tom SmithErin Henrick Kara JacksonGlenn Colby Annie Garrison Lynsey Gibbons Sarah GreenKarin Katterfeld Chuck MunterRebecca Schmidt Jonee Wilson