This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices. Some of the authors featured on this page include Rongjin Huang, Angela Murphy Gardiner, Isil Isler, Merrill Vargo, Ruth Helen Yopp, Rob Henken, James Quinlan, Mark W. Ellis, Katie Hornung, and Jeff Schmidt.
(2014). Becoming a Leader: Finding My Voice, Teaching Children Mathematics. In this article, fourth-grade teacher Tabetha Finchum describes how a program called Arizona Master Teacher of Mathematics (AZ-MTM), a Noyce grant funded through the National Science Foundation, helped boost her confidence and broaden her understanding of the philosophies, curricula, and instructional decisions being implemented by other teachers. During the program, she gained valuable insight into how children effectively learn mathematics. Also AZ-MTM gave her the opportunity to learn new mathematics at an adult level and develop a new depth of understanding about mathematics content. This stronger mathematics understanding, paired with educational research on pedagogy and ample time breaking down the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM), boosted her confidence in understanding multiple strategies for solving mathematics problems and taught her the importance of children being able to do the same. AZ-MTM was also strongly teacher-driven, with participants being given the opportunity to suggest content and constantly evaluate their current needs as teachers. During her time in the program, Finchum began to realize that her goal was not for students to just be able to get the right answer to twenty mathematics problems. Instead, her goal was for them to learn mathematics through developing real understanding of ideas rather than just learning procedures to follow. Herein, she describes the changes she made in her teaching methods. She also discusses how she empowered her students, shared what she was learning in the AZ-MTM program with her peers, and opened her classroom to other teachers. Finally, she describes the impact the Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMP) in CCSSM (CCSSI 2010) had on professional development training at her school. [More] Descriptors: Mathematics Instruction, Mathematics Teachers, Teacher Competencies, Teacher Leadership
(2014). Public Schooling in Southeast Wisconsin: 2013-2014, Public Policy Forum. Over nearly three decades, the Public Policy Forum has collected and analyzed education data to report on the demographics, academic performance, and finances of public schools and districts in southeast Wisconsin. This 29th annual public schools report continues that tradition with updated analyses of new data and trends to shed light on the academic successes and challenges in the region. This report comes at a time of significant change and transition for public schools in the state. Recent years have seen the alignment of curricula to the Common Core State Standards adopted by Wisconsin in 2010. Additionally, state assessments have been aligned to National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) achievement levels. Continuing these efforts, the Smarter Balanced Assessment test in mathematics and reading will be administered to students in the 2014-15 school year. Taken together, these initiatives offer the possibility of a more thorough understanding of how effectively Wisconsin public school students are being educated and how their academic achievement could be improved. These analyses provide a detailed look at K-12 school enrollments and student demographics, including breakouts based on race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, Open Enrollment, and the Chapter 220 Student Transfer program. The report also includes a special look at English Language Learners (ELL) and their growing population in southeast Wisconsin districts. Overall, this 2014 examination of public schools in southeast Wisconsin shows that academic achievement for the region as a whole continues to lag that of the state, in large measure because of the challenges faced by the region's largest urban districts. Throughout the region, however, there are also plentiful examples of success and progress, which are highlighted in the detailed, district-by-district data tables. Appended are: (1) Glossary of Terms and (2) Union District Breakdown. [This research was made possible by: Alverno College, Southeastern Wisconsin Schools Alliance, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Multiple Listing Service, Waukesha County Technical College, Northwestern Mutual Foundation, and Greater Milwaukee Foundation. For the report summary, see ED566693.] [More] Descriptors: Public Schools, School Districts, Expenditure per Student, Taxes
(2014). Common Core Implementation: Units of Study in Sacramento City. Practice Brief, California Collaborative on District Reform. As district leaders search for the best ways to improve student learning with the Common Core State Standards, California districts are leading the way as early implementers of the new standards. The ideas and lessons emerging from their work can help other educators maximize the effectiveness of their own implementation efforts. This brief describes Sacramento City Unified School District's approach to developing units of study that guide teachers' classroom practice. The units provide a valuable tool for designing curriculum and instructional materials, but just as importantly, they have driven teacher capacity building and engagement in the implementation of the new standards. This brief examines the units of study strategy as it has unfolded in Sacramento, identifies some of the key points of evolution since the district began its work three years ago, and discusses some of the challenges and tensions facing districts that might employ a similar approach. Key findings in this brief include: (1) Achieving the appropriate level of specificity–Teachers must consider many specific elements of classroom instruction when implementing a unit of study; (2) Balancing teacher empowerment with quality control–Developing units of study can help teachers understand the standards in deeper and more meaningful ways than traditional approaches, but the model also calls on teachers to act as curriculum developers; (3) Leveraging teachers' experiences and perspectives–The units of study fundamentally rely on teachers' professional judgment to drive Common Core implementation efforts; (4) Building trust to facilitate teacher growth–For these efforts to be successful, district and site leaders need to create trusting environments where teachers feel comfortable taking risks; and (5) Providing enough time and support–Finding time for teachers to learn and engage in the unit development process is an ongoing struggle. [Contains notes. The development of this brief was also supported through contributions from the California Education Policy Fund, and the Silver Giving Foundation.] [More] Descriptors: State Standards, Academic Standards, Program Effectiveness, Program Implementation
(2014). The String Task: Not Just for High School, Teaching Children Mathematics. The study of functions has traditionally received the most attention at the secondary level, both in curricula and in standards documents–for example, the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSI 2010) and "Principles and Standards for School Mathematics" (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [NCTM] 2000). However, the growing acceptance of algebra as a K-grade 12 strand of thinking by math education researchers and in standards documents, along with the view that the study of functions is an important route into learning algebra (Carraher and Schliemann 2007), raises the importance of developing children's understanding of functions in the elementary grades. What might it look like to engage students in functional thinking in the elementary grades? Elementary school curricula often include a focus on simple patterning activities (e.g., recursive number sequences, such as 2, 4, 6, 8…) in which only one variable is observed. However, an exclusive focus on this type of activity might hinder the development of students' reasoning about how two or more quantities vary simultaneously (Blanton and Kaput 2004), a key component of functional thinking. Blanton and her colleagues argue that elementary school students are in fact capable of engaging in this type of thinking (Blanton et al. 2011, p. 47). Furthermore, they point out that focusing on functional thinking provides a context for students to understand the role of variable as varying quantity. This article supports Blanton and her colleagues' (2011) argument by sharing a classroom episode as well as pre-instruction and post-instruction data from a yearlong teaching experiment. The authors discuss some of the crucial elements they believe contributed to students' growing abilities to engage in functional thinking. They also discuss connections made among various representations, another important benefit of having students engage in functional thinking. [More] Descriptors: Mathematics Instruction, Algebra, Mathematical Concepts, Elementary School Mathematics
(2014). What Do Effective District Leaders Do? Strategies for Evaluating District Leadership. Policy Snapshot, Center on Great Teachers and Leaders. In the wake of the Common Core State Standards and teacher evaluation reform, school leaders increasingly look to district leaders for support, coaching, and leadership. District leaders–superintendents, assistant or area superintendents, specialists, principal supervisors, and school business administrators–can hold varying and multiple roles in the district. Reform of district leader evaluations has lagged behind that of teachers and principals, but creating evaluations that accurately reflect district leader responsibilities is of critical importance. Reform of district leader evaluations is an emerging issue, and the research and policy base needed to inform this effort is limited. That said, more organizations, including the National School Boards Association and the American Association of School Administrators, are increasingly investing resources to think more deeply about district evaluation, and new resources and research may be forthcoming. In addition, the strategies used and the lessons learned from states and districts that have already begun this work, as well as teacher and principal evaluation reform, can help inform states and districts that are just beginning to engage in this area of reform.This Policy Snapshot explores district leadership evaluation in the context of state policy and provide information that governors, state legislatures, state boards of education, and state education agencies may wish to consider when designing and implementing evaluation systems for superintendents and other district leaders. This brief is divided into two sections: (1) Defining effective district leadership: What do effective district leaders do?; and (2) Setting evaluation policies for district leaders: What strategies can states use? This brief highlights existing evaluation policies as examples to illustrate the strategies in practice. the authors offer these examples to inform state's policy and legislative deliberation, but they do not endorse any of the programs featured. [More] Descriptors: Leadership Effectiveness, Administrator Effectiveness, Instructional Leadership, Superintendents
(2014). Piloting a Co-Teaching Model for Mathematics Teacher Preparation: Learning to Teach Together, Issues in Teacher Education. This study offers insights from an initial pilot of a co-teaching model for mathematics teacher preparation developed both to support experienced teachers in shifting their practice toward the vision set forth by NCTM and the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (National Governors Association, 2010; NCTM, 2000, 2009) and to provide opportunities for preservice teachers of mathematics to gain experience with teaching practices better aligned with the new standards. Co-teaching is emerging as an alternative to the traditional student teaching experience, in which teacher candidates gradually assume full responsibility for instruction, assessment, and management in their field placement settings, a model that has not changed significantly in more than 50 years (Bullough et al., 2003). Based on effective practices in special education (Cook & Friend, 1995), co-teaching involves two teachers sharing the planning, teaching, and assessment of groups of students in the same physical space. In the context of special education, the two teachers are a general educator and special educator. Much has been written about these co-teaching partnerships and the benefits for students with special needs who are served in general education classrooms, and it is not uncommon to see a special educator working alongside a general educator in elementary and secondary classrooms, including mathematics classrooms. In the context of teacher preparation, the co-teachers are a teacher candidate and the cooperating teacher. In this model, the teacher candidate is involved in teaching from the first day in the classroom, and the cooperating teacher maintains a high level of involvement throughout the experience. In this article, the authors report on the use of a co-teaching model developed and implemented specifically in foundational level mathematics courses in high-need schools. [More] Descriptors: Team Teaching, Models, Pilot Projects, Mathematics Teachers
(2014). Carpe Diem: Seizing the Common Core with Visual Thinking Strategies in the Visual Arts Classroom, Art Education. This article demonstrates how Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) art discussions and subsequent, inspired artmaking can help reach the goals of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, & Technical Subjects (CCSS-ELA). The authors describe how this was achieved in a remedial writing club for 6- and 7-year-old boys. Their study of the boys in this club demonstrated that by developing the young learners' visual literacy via discussions of ancient through contemporary artworks representing a variety of mediums, the communicative literacy by which they critically "analyze, reflect upon, and respond to diverse communication situations" (Rowan University, 2011, p. 1) expanded as well. This finding fueled their contention that the CCSS-ELA (NGA Center, 2010), which emphasize integrated literacy, high-order thinking, and cross-disciplinary understandings, have provided visual art education with a carpe diem moment: the opportunity to demonstrate that the capacities upheld by the CCSS-ELA are authentically invited by the unique content of art and can be richly developed through comprehensive, high-quality art education programs. They assert that such programs should include not only reflective and meaningful artmaking, but also routinely conducted dialogic investigations of artworks and visual culture exemplars from the past and present. The authors further maintain that VTS offers a powerful means for enacting the kinds of evocative and substantive art encounters that will situate art education at the center of a standards-based education for all students. [More] Descriptors: Visual Literacy, Thinking Skills, Visual Arts, Classroom Techniques
(2014). Cultivating Deductive Thinking with Angle Chasing, Mathematics Teacher. Despite Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSI 2010) recommendations, too often students' introduction to proof consists of the study of formal axiomatic systems–for example, triangle congruence proofs–typically in an introductory geometry course with no connection back to previous work in earlier algebra courses. Van Hiele notes that students must pass through lower levels of geometric thought before meaningful study of formal proof is possible (Crowley 1987). Premature study of formal proof leads students to memorize theorems with little understanding of their purpose (Battista and Clements 1995). Before their formal study of axiomatic systems, students need opportunities to formulate deductive arguments in developmentally appropriate ways. Research suggests that increased emphasis on informal deduction fosters stronger understanding of formal proof in subsequent instruction (Bell 1976; NCTM 1938). Recreational puzzles (Wanko 2010), dynamic geometry software (Sinclair and Crespo 2006; Furner and Marinas 2007), and image analysis (Maher and Martino 1996) have been put forth as possible methods for promoting deductive thought before study of formal proof in introductory geometry courses. In this article, the authors present angle chasing as another such vehicle. Angle chasing, a process of determining measures of angles using deductive logic, provides students with an engaging way to explore fundamental properties of angles. It requires students to "use facts about supplementary, complementary, vertical, and adjacent angles in a multi-step problem to write and solve simple equations for an unknown angle in a figure" (CCSSI 2010, p. 50). Instructional assumptions, a three-step approach (deductive-inductive-deductive) to teaching angle chasing, and fostering student reflection are discussed. [More] Descriptors: Mathematics Instruction, Logical Thinking, Validity, Secondary School Mathematics
(2014). Getting to the Core: How Early Implementers Are Approaching the Common Core in California, Pivot Learning Partners. California has embarked on a major new wave of curriculum reform with the adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), the new English Language Development (ELD) standards, and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The adoption of the CCSS builds a legacy of standards-based education reform in California that began with the development of curriculum frameworks in the 1980s and continued with the adoption of the California State Standards and the approval of the Public School Accountability Act. The environment for implementation of the CCSS has improved dramatically since the new standards were adopted in 2010. The state education budget is growing rather than shrinking. The state has reiterated its commitment to CCSS and expanded the scope of the statewide pilot of the new Smarter Balanced (SBAC) assessments, and provided earmarked funding to support CCSS implementation. Work on new curriculum frameworks is nearing completion, which means that districts will soon have a list of state endorsed instructional materials to choose from. Each of these changes present new opportunities and challenges for districts as they design and implement a plan for CCSS. The report is intended to inform both practitioners and policy makers about the wide variety of CCSS implementation strategies that California school districts are choosing. The report does not aim to evaluate these strategies, or paint a picture of how the average school district in California is responding to the challenge of CCSS implementation. Instead it offers an in-depth look at a small group of early implementers of CCSS, with the goal of chronicling the choices these pathfinders have made, identifying lessons they believe they have learned, and mapping potential pitfalls that other districts may seek to avoid. The following are appended: (1) District Profiles; and (2) Interview Guide. [More] Descriptors: State Standards, Program Implementation, Educational Practices, Educational Strategies
(2014). Influencing Social Capital in Times of Change: A Three Pronged Approach to Instructional Coaching at the Middle School Level, ProQuest LLC. This mixed methods participatory action research study explored how an instructional coach influenced a state mandated curriculum adoption at a Title 1 urban middle school. The purpose of this study was to identify ways in which an instructional coach supported a veteran staff during the adoption of new curriculum standards. The instructional coach/action researcher employed a three pronged coaching approach that incorporated individual and team coaching sessions and increased networking to encourage and support the development of social capital. This study was informed using Vygotsky's Social Learning Theory, Wenger's Communities of Practice, Coleman's Social Capital Theory, and Hall and Horde's Concerns-Based Adoption Model. The study is heavily weighted in favor of qualitative data which includes participant reflections, coach individual session and team session reflections, field-notes, team meeting videos, and exit interviews. Several themes emerged supporting the use of a differentiated coaching approach, the promotion of social capital, and the identification of initiative overload as a barrier to curriculum adoption. The quantitative data analysis, pre and post study Stages of Concern Questionnaires, produced evidence that participants experienced minor shifts in their concerns relating to the adoption of Common Core State Standards. Results were used to inform coaching decisions based on individual participant needs as well as to augment the qualitative findings. Ideas for further research are discussed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: www.proquest.com/en-US/products/disserta… [More] Descriptors: Social Capital, Mixed Methods Research, Coaching (Performance), Learning Theories
(2014). Successfully Transitioning to Linear Equations, Mathematics Teacher. The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSI 2010) asks students in as early as fourth grade to solve word problems using equations with variables. Equations studied at this level generate a single solution, such as the equation x + 10 = 25. For students in fifth grade, the Common Core standard for algebraic thinking expects them to generate and compare the relationship between two patterns, such as those formed by x + 3 and x + 6. The standard goes on to ask students to graph ordered pairs on a coordinate plane to support their investigation. Students in sixth grade are asked to evaluate expressions as well as write and solve equations derived from real-world contexts. These early expectations lay the foundation for meeting multiple standards outlined in the Common Core standard for high school algebra. However, for many students, progressing from modeling situations with equations such as 3x + 10 = 25 to equations such as 3x + 10 = y creates a seemingly insurmountable problem. The transition from one-variable equations with a single solution to linear equations with two variables and infinitely many solutions presents many challenges. One specific obstacle to making this transition lies in students' misunderstanding of the equals sign. For many students, the equals sign indicates an operation rather than a relationship (Ronda 2009). Once the concept of relational equality is sufficiently developed, students can begin the task of making sense of two-variable equations. Knowledge construction for understanding linear equations occurs in various stages. Ronda (2009) suggests four clearly defined stages of conceptual development, which range from the most elementary level–being able to evaluate variables for specific values–to the most complex level–being able to view the function holistically. This article describes a series of activities that comprises a single, multiphase lesson which incorporates Rhonda's stages and guides students students from single-variable equations to linear relationships. [More] Descriptors: Equations (Mathematics), Mathematics Instruction, Algebra, Word Problems (Mathematics)
(2014). Modeling Water Filtration, Science and Children. Model-eliciting activities (MEAs) are not new to those in engineering or mathematics, but they were new to Melissa Parks. Model-eliciting activities are simulated real-world problems that integrate engineering, mathematical, and scientific thinking as students find solutions for specific scenarios. During this process, students generate solutions by hypothesizing, testing, refining, and extending their thinking while creating models (Lesh et al. 2000). Through the hands-on, performance-based tasks, students manipulate, discuss, and defend their ideas in small groups. As MEAs are integrated into the curriculum, the learning experiences may increase the depth of students' understanding and lead them to apply that knowledge to new situations (Garfield, delMas, and Zieffler 2012). MEAs integrate scientific, engineering, and the "Common Core State Standards" as students discuss and write their findings in a manner that clearly communicates the results of their work. In this article, Parks describes how she used model-eliciting activities to review content following the completion of a unit on ecosystems and climate (5-LS-2 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics; LS2.A Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems). She created an MEA that would challenge students to build a cost-effective water filter to clean a (teacher-made) water sample of pollutants. Students' curiosity was piqued, and they actively engaged in the real-world problem solving that required multiple steps to take the project from brainstorm to building to testing and revising, all while discussing options with peers, which are practices outlined in the "Next Generation Science Standards" (Asking Questions and Defining Problems and Constructing Explanations and Defining Solutions). This collaborative process may be beneficial to English language learners as they integrate both social and academic language throughout the MEA. [More] Descriptors: Elementary School Students, Elementary School Teachers, Elementary School Science, State Standards
(2014). Implementing the Common Core: Applying Shifts to Instruction, Mathematics Teacher. With such publications as "Curriculum and Evaluation Standards" (1989) and "Principles and Standards for School Mathematic" (2000), NCTM has played a significant role in defining a vision for school mathematics. In particular, the Curriculum Principle (NCTM 2000, pp. 14-16) described the need for students to learn important mathematics (focus) that is interconnected within and across grade levels (coherence). In addition, the Learning Principle (NCTM 2000, pp. 20-21) described the need for students not only to develop conceptual understanding and procedural fluency but also to apply this knowledge (rigor). Building on this foundation, the creators of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) used focus, coherence, and rigor as design principles to frame these standards (CCSSI 2010). That is, they sought to create a curriculum that included important interconnected mathematics and represented a balance of conceptual understanding, procedural skill, and application. Understanding the need to support teachers in implementing CCSSM, educators and researchers have presented these design principles as shifts, or "key changes required by the Standards" (Student Achievement Partners 2012b, paragraph 2). Because many math teachers are unsure of what these standards entail in regard to instruction (Gewertz 2013), these shifts–focus, coherence, and rigor–provide a means for understanding the instructional changes needed for implementing the Common Core. To understand the shifts, the authors first offer a description of the terms focus, coherence, and rigor. Next, they look at how to apply these shifts in a classroom setting. Finally, they solidify this understanding through a vignette that illustrates this application of the shifts. [More] Descriptors: Mathematics Instruction, Academic Standards, State Standards, Alignment (Education)
(2014). Opportunity Knocks! Inquiry, the New National Social Studies and Science Standards, and You, Knowledge Quest. To be recognized and adopted, the promise and potential of national standards must validate the instructional role of the school librarian and build formative knowledge through authentic process and products. Inquiry is a direct link to those dimensions. Standards that are rigorous and relevant optimize the developing brain's affinity for building relationships among ideas, attending to what is compelling, and making sense out of information. Strategic school librarians heed the news flash. Opportunity is knocking. The school librarian who recognizes the potential of the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards opens a doorway to rigorous collaborative practice aligned with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). To the benefit of school library programs, CCSS ELA literacy standards are a part of these 2013 inquiry-driven packages of social studies and science standards. Exploring these road maps for teaching social studies and science puts the school librarian on the entrance ramp to relevant and meaningful practice in a curricular domain. Assimilating these frameworks engages teachers and school librarians in curriculum transformed for critical thinking, research, and life-long learning. Developing a deep understanding of these frameworks pulls the school librarian into the high-occupancy vehicle lane on the learning highway. Partnering with grade-level teachers and subject specialists, the school librarian is not stuck alone in a reactive gridlock. Leading for learning, the school librarian is in a vehicle geared to college- and career-readiness, and learners who think, create, share, and grow–learners for life. [More] [More] Descriptors: State Standards, School Libraries, Library Role, Social Studies
(2014). How Color Coding Formulaic Writing Enhances Organization: A Qualitative Approach for Measuring Student Affect, Online Submission. The aim of this thesis is to investigate and present the status of student synthesis with color coded formula writing for grade level six through twelve, and to make recommendations for educators to teach writing structure through a color coded formula system in order to increase classroom engagement and lower students' affect. The thesis first examines the struggles American secondary students face with literacy and writing pedagogy. The evidence displays there is a growing demand for a writing system that can groom students to meet the expectations and rigor that the federal Common Core State Standards demand, but at the present time many educators are not successful when giving students guidance in writing proficiently. The thesis then identifies the history of color coded writing, further outlining the symbolism of colors in cultures and society. In a detailed central section of the thesis, it provides evidence and reasoning with the effects of how a color coded formulaic writing system will build the confidence of students writing in the classroom, while creating engagement in the writing process. Here, the thesis draws on a number of sources from other celebrated researchers to expand on theory of color coding. On the basis of the results of this research, it can be concluded a student's affect does decrease when provided a color coded writing formula, while revealing some colors negatively affect a student's confidence when writing. In conclusion, color coding writing allows for success in the classroom, which is the first step towards progressing towards mastery in writing. The author recommends further research opportunities to explore the phenomena of color affect among adolescent writers. The following are appended: (1) Qualitative Interview Questions–Student Focus Group; (2) Qualitative Interview Questions–Educator Focus Group; (3) Informed Consent for Student Interviews; and (4) Informed Consent for Student Interviews. [More] Descriptors: Color, Coding, Writing (Composition), Grade 6