This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices. Some of the authors featured on this page include Mark Duffy, David N. Plank, Felicia Sanders, Jolley Bruce Christman, Julie A. Marsh, Charity Sue-Adams Cayton, Marjorie Chinen, Rebecca Reumann-Moore, Hyekyung Jung, and Dante D. Dixson.
(2011). Establishing a Strong Foundation: District and School Supports for Classroom Implementation of the MDC Framework, Research for Action. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has invested in the development and dissemination of high-quality formative assessment tools to support teachers' incorporation of the Core Common State Standards (CCSS) into their classroom instruction. Lessons from the first generation of standards-based reforms suggest that intense attention to high quality instructional tasks, use of formative assessments embedded in those tasks, and professional development (PD) that attends to both content knowledge and instruction are essential considerations if teachers are to meet the demands of the CCSS. Experts from the Shell Centre have developed a set of formative assessment lessons (FALs) for high school mathematics teachers to facilitate CCSS-based student mathematics learning and provide teachers with feedback about student understanding and mastery. The tools are designed to target the "instructional core" by: (1) Raising the level of content; (2) Enhancing teachers' skill and knowledge about instruction, content and formative assessment; and (3) Catalyzing student engagement in their learning so that they will achieve at high levels. In 2010-2011, the Mathematics Design Collaborative (MDC) was piloted in four districts and two networks of schools. In most cases, school districts applied for and received grants to implement MDC; in others, national networks were the grantee and the organizer. It is important to note that during the MDC pilot year, the use of FALs was limited in most sites. Many districts received the beta versions of the FALs towards the end of the school year and teachers did not have the opportunity to use them, as they were preparing students for state tests and end-of-course exams. Most teachers have only used the FALs as part of PD sessions. In this report, which draws largely on data from three school districts and one school network, Research for Action (RFA) identifies the conditions and contexts for successful use of the tools, and examines the actions that district and school-based leaders can take to support teachers' adoption and effective implementation of the math tools. It provides specific recommendations to guide local leaders as they gear up to help year one teachers deepen their use of the MDC tools and teachers who are just joining the initiative to efficiently gain the expertise and skills they need to successfully implement the tools. Appended are: (1) Survey Measures; (2) Methodology for MDC; and (3) References. [More] Descriptors: Case Studies, School Districts, Leadership, Alignment (Education)
(2016). Student Test Scores: How the Sausage Is Made and Why You Should Care. Evidence Speaks Reports, Vol 1, #25, Center on Children and Families at Brookings. Contrary to popular belief, modern cognitive assessments–including the new Common Core tests–produce test scores based on sophisticated statistical models rather than the simple percent of items a student answers correctly. While there are good reasons for this, it means that reported test scores depend on many decisions made by test designers, some of which have important implications for education policy. For example, all else equal, the shorter the length of the test, the greater the fraction of students placed in the top and bottom proficiency categories–an important metric for state accountability. On the other hand, some tests report "shrunken" measures of student ability, which pull particularly high- and low-scoring students closer to the average, leading one to understate the proportion of students in top and bottom proficiency categories. Shrunken test scores will also understate important policy metrics such as the black-white achievement gap–if black children score lower on average than white children, then scores of black students will be adjusted up while the opposite is true for white students. The scaling of test scores is equally important. Despite common perceptions, a 5-point gain at the bottom of the test score distribution may not mean the same thing in terms of additional knowledge as a 5-point gain at the top of the distribution. This fact has important implications for the value-added based comparisons of teacher effectiveness as well as accountability rankings of schools. There are no easy solutions to these issues. Instead there must be greater transparency of the test creation process, and more robust discussion about the inherent tradeoffs about the creation of test scores, and more robust discussion about how different types of test scores are used for policymaking as well as research. Endnotes are included. [More] Descriptors: Scores, Common Core State Standards, Test Length, Test Content
(2012). National Evaluation of Title III Implementation Supplemental Report: Exploring Approaches to Setting English Language Proficiency Performance Criteria and Monitoring English Learner Progress. Draft, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development, US Department of Education. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 inaugurated important changes in assessment and accountability for English Learner (EL) students. Specifically, Title III of the law required states to develop or adopt English-language proficiency (ELP) standards aligned with language demands of academic content standards. An annually administered ELP assessment based on those standards was also required by the ESEA (NCLB 2002). Title III also instituted new accountability requirements for districts and states. These new EL accountability provisions required states to define criteria for progress in learning English, establish a performance standard for English proficiency, and set annually increasing performance targets for the number and percentage of ELs meeting these criteria. As has been well documented, the new law's requirements exceeded the technical capacity of many states and districts to comply with it (Abedi 2004; Government Accountability Office 2006). Over the past several years, empirical research with more rigorous ELP assessments, systematic technical assistance efforts, and federal guidance have helped to reduce confusion and increase coherence in state Title III accountability systems (Abedi 2007; Linquanti and George 2007; Cook et al. 2008; Federal Register 2008). Nevertheless, a significant need remains to develop the capacity of state and technical assistance providers to utilize empirical data for performance standard setting and accountability policy development in these areas. Even as ESEA reauthorization draws closer, prevailing civil rights laws and sustained focus on improving EL education suggest these policy-making needs will grow in importance, particularly given broad adoption of Common Core State Standards and establishment of related multistate academic and ELP assessment consortia. This document is intended to contribute to that capacity development by describing and illustrating several empirical methods and conceptual/theoretical rationales to help state policy-makers, standard-setting panels, and the technical advisory panels and assistance providers to (1) determine a meaningful ELP performance standard; (2) establish a realistic, empirically anchored time frame for attaining a given ELP performance standard; and (3) take into account an EL's ELP level when setting academic progress and proficiency expectations. This is "by design" a technical document intended to assist those charged with providing empirical information germane to developing or revising EL accountability models, using ELP and academic assessments. Chapter I positions data-analysis methods illustrated in the report within a larger deliberative process of setting meaningful, ambitious, and realistic performance standards and accountability criteria for EL students. The chapter offers guidelines for enacting best practices in standard setting, and highlights limitations in using empirical data. Chapter II illustrates three methods (decision consistency, logistic regression, and descriptive box plots) for analyzing empirical data to assist policy-makers in determining an ELP performance standard for English Learners. Chapter III illustrates methods for conducting empirical analyses to inform setting expected time frames for EL students to attain the ELP performance standard. Finally, Chapter IV discusses two methods for taking into account an EL's ELP level when setting academic progress and proficiency expectations, and one method that explicitly ignores it. First, progressive benchmarking methods are illustrated that adjust either EL students' content achievement scale scores or their weight (individual "count"), based on each student's ELP level relative to their initial ELP level and time in the state school system. Second, an indexed progress method utilizes ELs' ELP growth as a proxy for English language arts performance on a weighted, time-sensitive basis for more newly-arrived ELs who enter the state's school system at lower initial ELP levels. Third, a status and growth accountability matrix method credits both a predetermined level of student academic growth as well as attainment of academic proficiency, without considering an English Learner's ELP level. Each method is carefully described and applied using the same education agency's sample data set. All the approaches presented in this document–many of which have been employed by the principal authors in working with states on their EL accountability systems–are intended to stimulate discussion and further exploration of additional methods among state data analysts, technical assistance providers, and researchers. The ultimate goal is to support the development and regular use of empirical methods that inform ambitious, realistic, and meaningful performance standards and accountability policies, which will foster EL students' linguistic and academic progress and attainment. Appended are: (1) Decision Consistency Method; (2) Education Agency 1; (3) Education Agency 2; (4) Education Agency 3; (5) Event History Analysis; and (6) Education Agency 1. Individual chapters contain footnotes. [More] Descriptors: Civil Rights, Elementary Secondary Education, Federal Legislation, Civil Rights Legislation
(2016). Hannah Arendt, Education, and the Question of Totalitarianism, Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education. The aim of this paper is to consider the ways in which Arendt's writings on totalitarianism act as a warning sign for political and miseducational circumstances in the USA. Because the term totalitarianism has been used imprudently (largely in the mass media) to express repressive conditions in so-called models of democracy, this paper seeks to both clarify and raise questions concerning its meaning as a form of nation-state-sanctioned power and/or economic-technological force. This analysis draws largely from Arendt's definition of totalitarianism expressed as an antipolitical phenomenon characterized by terror-ruled ideological indoctrination which destroys both the public realm and the private identities. I contend that analyses of twentieth-century totalitarianism are significant to today's unprecedented questions and circumstances germinating in and having significance beyond the USA. I also describe the difficulty of action under extreme conditions. In the last analysis, I deliberate on the site of education as a totalitarian coercion. [More] Descriptors: Authoritarianism, Politics of Education, Social Theories, Academic Freedom
(2017). Letters to a Young Education Reformer, Harvard Education Press. In "Letters to a Young Education Reformer," Frederick M. Hess distills knowledge from twenty-five years of working in and around school reform. Inspired by his conversations with young, would-be reformers who are passionate about transforming education, the book offers a window into Hess's thinking about what education reform is and should be. Hess writes that "reform is more a matter of how one thinks about school improvement than a recital of programs and policy proposals." Through his essays, he explores a range of topics, including: (1) Talkers and Doers; (2) The Temptations of Bureaucracy; (3) The Value in Talking with Those Who Disagree; (4) Why You Shouldn't Put Too Much Faith in Experts; (5) Philanthropy and Its Discontents; and (6) The Problem with Passion. Hess offers personal impressions as well as lessons from notable mistakes he has observed with the hope that readers will benefit from his frustrations and realizations. As the policy landscape continues to shift, "Letters to a Young Education Reformer" offers valuable, timely insights to any young person passionate about transforming education–and to not-so-young reformers who are inclined to reflect on their successes and failures. [More] Descriptors: Educational Change, Educational Improvement, Educational Development, Parent School Relationship
(2013). K-8 Teachers' Self-Efficacy Beliefs for Teaching Mathematics, ProQuest LLC. Mathematics knowledge and skills serve as the "gatekeeper" to students' choice of college majors, success obtaining college degrees, and entry into the workforce. However, on the mathematics portion of standardized tests, U.S. fourth and eighth graders performed below their peers in countries such as Singapore, Hong Kong, China, and Japan and, nationally, 61% of fourth-grade African American students performed below the basic achievement level compared with 20% of fourth-grade White students (Braswell, Dion, Daane, & Jin, 2005). Many instructional strategies have been suggested to improve students' mathematics performance, but the role teachers play cannot be overlooked. Teachers' self-efficacy beliefs, or their confidence for teaching mathematics, have been suggested as being instrumental as well. The three research questions in this mixed-method study examined (a) the effects of K-8 teachers' self-efficacy beliefs for teaching mathematics, (b) factors that influence those beliefs, and (c) how and why those beliefs might influence teachers' mathematics instruction. Differences were explored by participants' gender, school level, school type, and years of teaching mathematics. This study used the Modified Teacher Self-Efficacy Beliefs Scale-Mathematics (MTSEBS-M) survey instrument, a modification of the Teachers' Efficacy Beliefs System-Self Form (TEBS-Self) originally developed by Dellinger, Bobbett, Olivier, and Ellett (2008, p.764). The quantitative analysis consisted of descriptive statistics and inferential statistics using a t-test of independence samples on total scores, a one-way ANOVA on total scores, and a chi-square test of independence on 35 survey items using median splits on each survey item scores. The MTSEBS-M also included two open-ended questions that, along with four follow-up interview questions, were analyzed for themes to form the qualitative portion of the study. Of the 66 participants who completed the survey, 35 (53.0%) of them fully completed it, whereas 31 (47.0%) partially (meaning participant completed at least 50.05%) completed it. Quantitative study findings show that teachers believe that the higher their self-efficacy belief, the more they tend to use the following classroom instructional approaches in mathematics: planning mathematics evaluations to accommodate student differences, utilizing teaching aids and teaching materials, engaging students in developing higher-order thinking skills in mathematics, providing students with mathematics concepts that are accurate and comprehensible, detecting and correcting students' misunderstandings or mathematics errors, and providing students with suggestions that improve mathematics learning. Quantitative analyses show significant differences by gender, school level, school type, and years of teaching mathematics for several survey items (e.g., tendency for more male than female teachers to provide students with suggestions for improving mathematics learning). In addition, participants feel more confident in teaching number and operations than other mathematics content areas, and no significant differences appear in this finding by gender or school-level variables. Further, the quantitative findings reveal factors that teachers believe influence their self-efficacy beliefs for teaching mathematics, including: available/required curriculum materials; local, state and/or national policy; colleague dispositions and practices; administrator dispositions and practices; teaching experience; student mathematics performance; teacher teamwork; collaborative teaching; availability of teaching aids such as manipulatives; and mathematics education program. Qualitative findings show that the following factors influence participants' level of self-efficacy belief, positively or negatively: length of time teaching mathematics, student mathematics performance, teacher mathematics enjoyment and ability, state mathematics standards, and instructional insight and decision-making. In particular, participants call for clearer definitions of the requirements put forward in the Common Core State Standards-Mathematics. Finally, participants believe that their level of self-efficacy beliefs influences their mathematics instruction positively or negatively. In particular, they believe that their high level of confidence creates positive attitudes among students. The following themes emerge from the interview responses: mathematics content knowledge, teaching experience, influential role of teacher confidence/creating positive attitudes among students, collaborative learning among students, professional development, and government policies. Study findings suggest that (a) teacher self-efficacy beliefs about their capabilities for teaching mathematics affect student attitudes for learning mathematics, (b) teachers should identify factors that influence their beliefs so they can capitalize on positive factors and minimize negative factors in their environment, and (c) the dispositions and practices of school administrators, such as principals, could increase or decrease teacher confidence for teaching mathematics. [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: Mathematics, Mathematics Instruction, Self Efficacy, Beliefs
(2013). The International Society for the Social Studies Annual Conference Proceedings (Orlando, Florida, February 28 & March 1, 2013). Volume 2013, Issue 1, International Society for the Social Studies. The "ISSS Annual Conference Proceedings" is a peer-reviewed professional publication published once a year following the annual conference. The following papers are included in the 2013 proceedings: (1) Teaching About Asia in a Social Science Education Program (Cyndi Mottola Poole and Joshua L. Kenna); (2) Teaching Students about Contemporary Germany (Janie Hubbard and Karen Larsen Maloley); (3) Evaluating Pedagogical Techniques in Education Courses: Does Assignment Resubmission for Higher Grades Increase Student Achievement? (Joseph Asklar and Russell Owens); (4) Incorporating Global Citizenship into Social Studies Classroom (Anatoli Rapoport); (5) Internal Culture: The Heart of Global Education (Cyndi Mottola Poole); (6) The Treatment of Monotheistic Religions in World History Textbooks (Jason Allen); (7) College Readiness: Preparing Rural Youth for the Future (Jason Hedrick, Mark Light, and Jeff Dick); (8) The University Core Curriculum Program: Factors of Success and Opportunities for Potential Improvement (Mohamed Elgeddawy); (9) Communication processes of Online Education: The Need for a Sociological Reflection (Beatriz Fainholc); (10) Cinema and History of Brazil: A Debate in the Classroom (Paulo Roberto de Azevedo Maia); (11) Practitioner Inquiry in the K-12 Social Studies Classroom (Heather Leaman); (12) Role-Playing Parent-Teacher Conferences Defending a Social Justice Curriculum (Christopher Andrew Brkich and April Cribbs Newkirk); (13) "Steve Obamney": Political Scumbaggery, the Internet, and the Collective Memetic American Consciousness (Christopher Andrew Brkich and Tim Barko); (14) Democratic Twittering: Using Social Media in the Social Studies (Daniel G. Krutka); (15) An Electorate Equality: Are we Seeing a New Age or Era in American History? (Sean M. Lennon); (16) Instances of Reification in Contemporary Society: Work, Consumption, Cyberculture, and Body (Julio Cesar Lemes de Castro); (17) The Ent's Will Rise Again: The Representation of Nature in the Film "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" (Iclal Alev Degim); (18) "We need to conserve the beautiful places of the world, and protect them from being destroyed:" Using Papers about Place in an Environmental History Class (Russell Olwell); (19) Lesson Study in Elementary Social Studies Methods (Lara Willox); (20) Visualization of Teacher's Thinking Process While Observing Students: An Educational Neuroscientific Approach (Naoko Okamoto and Yasufumi Kuroda); (21) Perceptions of Teacher Candidates on Quality Standards of Education Faculty (Aysun Dogutas); (22) Laptops and iPads and Smartphones, Oh My! (Brian D. Furgione, Jason Dumont, Alexandra Razgha, and Joe Sanchez); (23) Academic Transition from High School to College (Barbara Houser and Cheryl Avila); (24) QR Codes: Let's Get Them in (and out of) Your Classroom! (Brian D. Furgione, Jason Dumont, Alexandra Razgha, and Joe Sanchez); (25) Creating a New Space: Partners in Global Education (Denise Dallmer); (26) Letting Go of the Textbook: Applying Multimodal Intertextuality in the Secondary Social Studies Classroom (Terrell Brown); (27) Preservice Elementary Teachers' Economic Literacy: Are They Ready to Teach Economics Concepts? (Kenneth V. Anthony, Nicole Miller, and Becky Smith); (28) The Effect of Family Disintegration on Children and Its Negative Impact on Society (Nourah Mohammad Altwaijri); (29) Historical Examination of the Segregated School Experience (Anthony Pellegrino, Linda Mann, and William B. Russell, III); (30) The Effects of Transnational Prejudice on Incorporation and Identity Formation of Oaxacans in the U.S. (Monica Valencia); (31) Neo-Liberalism and the Deconstruction of the Humanistic Pedagogic Tradition (Chris Sparks); (32) The Great Depression as a Generational Lens on Contemporary Social Studies Reform Movements (Doug Feldmann); (33) Digital Collaboration to Promote Learning in the Social Studies Classroom (Raymond W. Francis and Mary Jo Davis); (34) Disrupting Patriarchy: Challenging Gender Violence In Post-Apartheid South Africa and Post-Conflict Northern Ireland (Erin Tunney); (35) The Relationship between Teachers' Conceptions of Democracy and The Practice of Teaching Social Studies: A Collective Case Study of Three Beginning Teachers (Andrew L. Hostetler); (36) Facilitating the Reduction of Recidivism: A Political Philosophical Approach to Community Justice (Philip Waggoner); (37) Teaching Social Studies Through Photography: World Travels of a Pre-Service Teacher (Rebecca Stump); (38) Young Children's Descriptions about the History of Their Given Names (Lois M. Christensen, Szymanski Sunal, Melissa G. Whetstone, Amanda Daniel Pendergrass, and Ebtesam Q. Rababah); (39) Apoyo: How Does This Culturally Learned Practice from México Characterize Hispanic Households in America? (Gilbert Duenas); and (40) Implications of Common Core State Standards on Social Studies Education (Joshua L. Kenna). (Individual papers contain references.) [For the 2012 proceedings, see ED531864.] [More] Descriptors: Social Studies, Preservice Teacher Education, Teaching Methods, Education Courses
(2016). Teaching through Trade Books: Humans and the Earth, Science and Children. This column includes activities inspired by children's literature. Elementary students are beginning to understand the Earth's natural processes and humans' impact on the Earth. Humans need the natural resources that the Earth produces, use these resources to develop civilizations, and make decisions to offset the damage they cause, as well as destruction that can occur through natural disasters. This month's issue includes trade books that investigate these topics. [More] Descriptors: Science Instruction, Childrens Literature, Teaching Methods, Elementary School Students
(2011). Establishing a Strong Foundation: District and School-Level Supports for Classroom Implementation of the LDC and MDC Frameworks. Executive Summary, Research for Action. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has invested in the development and dissemination of high-quality instructional and formative assessment tools to support teachers' incorporation of the Core Common State Standards (CCSS) into their classroom instruction. Literacy experts have developed a framework and a set of templates that teachers can use to develop content area modules focused on high quality writing tasks closely tied to subject area texts. Math experts have developed formative assessment lessons (FALs) that teachers can incorporate throughout the year's curriculum. Across both content areas, the tools target the "instructional core" by raising the level of content; enhancing teachers' skill and knowledge about instruction, content and formative assessment; and catalyzing student engagement in their learning so that they will achieve at high levels. These tools were piloted in multiple settings during the 2010-11 school year. In some cases, school districts applied for and received grants to implement the Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) or the Mathematics Design Collaborative (MDC). In others, regional intermediaries served as the grantee and as primary organizer of the work; and, in still others, national networks were the grantee and the organizer. The Foundation has asked Research for Action (RFA) to study the early adoption of these tools, focusing particularly on teachers' response to and use of the tools. The authors' research during the first year of implementation consisted of site visits to eight (four literacy and four math) pilot sites, interviews with a range of teachers, administrators, technical assistance providers and other foundation partners, as well as surveys to teachers in all participating sites in spring 2011. Ninety-six LDC participants took the survey for a response rate of 71%. Eighty-three MDC participants took the survey for a response rate of 53%. It's important to note that survey findings about early outcomes are based on teacher perceptions and self-report. This executive summary provides an overview of the authors' analysis of the school and district-level conditions and contexts that lead to successful adoption of the tools, and a status report of the degree to which such conditions are present in pilot sites after one year of implementation. It examines the actions that school and district leaders can take to support teachers' adoption and effective implementation of the tools. (Contains 8 tables, 1 figure and 1 footnote.) [For the full reports, "Establishing a Strong Foundation: District and School Supports for Classroom Implementation of the LDC Framework" and "Establishing a Strong Foundation: District and School Supports for Classroom Implementation of the MDC Framework," see ED539596 and ED539600, respectively.] [More] Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Learner Engagement, State Standards, Technical Assistance
(2016). What Is the PE Password? Incorporating Vocabulary in Your Elementary PE Program, Strategies: A Journal for Physical and Sport Educators. This article describes a novel program for third through fifth grade called "What is the PE Password?" that teaches vocabulary words and concepts without sacrificing activity time in order to support Common Core learning. [More] Descriptors: Physical Education, Elementary Education, Intermediate Grades, Grade 3
(2013). Guidance on the New York State Districtwide Growth Goal-Setting Process for Teachers: Student Learning Objectives. Revised. The New York State Board of Regents has committed to the transformation of the preparation, support and evaluation of all teachers and school leaders in New York State, and the New York State Legislature has enacted historic legislation (Education Law ¬ß3012-c) that fundamentally changes the way teachers and principals are evaluated. Under the new law, New York State will differentiate teacher and principal effectiveness using four rating categories–Highly Effective, Effective, Developing, and Ineffective. Education Law ¬ß3012-c(2)(a) requires annual professional performance reviews (APPRs) to result in a single composite teacher or principal effectiveness score that incorporates multiple measures of effectiveness. The results of the evaluations shall be a significant factor in employment decisions, including but not limited to promotion, retention, tenure determination, termination, and supplemental compensation, as well as teacher and principal professional development (including coaching, induction support, and differentiated professional development). The law specifies that student performance will comprise 40% of teacher and principal evaluations. For teachers where there is no State-provided measure of student growth, "comparable measures" are the State-determined District-wide growth goal-setting process. Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) are the State-determined process. A Student Learning Objective is an academic goal for a teacher's students that is set at the start of a course. It represents the most important learning for the year (or, semester, where applicable). It must be specific and measurable, based on available prior student learning data, and aligned to Common Core, State, or national standards, as well as any other school and District priorities. Teachers' scores are based upon the degree to which their goals were attained. This report provides background information about SLOs, describes SLO rules and considerations for comparable growth measures, discusses scoring SLOs and determining final ratings for comparable growth measures, outlines major district steps to plan and implement SLOs as comparable growth measures, discusses SLOs as an option for locally-selected measures of student achievement, and includes sample SLO scoring models for comparable growth measures. Definitions of key terms are appended. [More] Descriptors: Guidance, Strategic Planning, Teacher Evaluation, Administrator Evaluation
(2016). Formative and Summative Assessment in the Classroom, Theory Into Practice. In this article, we provide brief overviews of the definitions of formative and summative assessment and a few examples of types of formative and summative assessments that can be used in classroom contexts. We highlight the points that these two types of assessment are complementary and the differences between them are often in the way these assessments are used. We also list several resources that may be useful for teachers who wish to know more about using formative and summative assessments in their classrooms. [More] Descriptors: Formative Evaluation, Summative Evaluation, Definitions, Student Evaluation
(2012). Teachers' Implementation of Pre-Constructed Dynamic Geometry Tasks in Technology-Intensive Algebra 1 Classrooms, ProQuest LLC. Technology use and a focus on 21st century skills, coupled with recent adoption of Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, marks a new challenge for mathematics teachers. Communication, discourse, and tools for enhancing discourse (NCTM, 1991, 2000) play an integral role in successful implementation of technology and mathematics standards. Dynamic geometry environments represent a tool that has the potential to enhance the discourse within mathematical discussions. Also, Stein, Engle, Smith and Hughes (2008) described five practices for orchestrating productive mathematical discussions intended to help teachers incorporate student thinking into classroom discussions. The 1:1 laptop learning environment provides a context that has the potential to examine the intersection of classroom discourse, pedagogical practices, and technology use. This study examined the nature of mathematical discourse, extent to which teachers used the five practices, examined design and technology features of pre-constructed dynamic geometry tasks and how teachers use them, and explored the combined influence of discourse, the five practices, and technology use on level of cognitive demand when teachers implement pre-constructed dynamic geometry tasks. The study followed a qualitative, multicase observational research design, where a purposeful sample of three teachers represented individual cases. All participants taught Algebra 1 in two high schools within the same 1:1 computing, high needs school district during the study. The conceptual framework combined the Mathematical Task Framework (Smith & Stein, 1998) and the five practices for orchestrating productive mathematical discussions into a dynamic model characterizing task implementation and use of the five practices in 1:1 computing classrooms. The Task Analysis Guide (Smith & Stein, 1998), Sinclair's (2003) design principles for pre-constructed dynamic geometry sketches, and the IQA for Academic Rigor: Mathematical Rubric for Potential of the Task were used to evaluate the potential level of cognitive demand of pre-constructed dynamic geometry tasks. Participants were observed for three teaching sets (Simon, Tzur, Heinz, Kinzel, and Smith, 2000), and excerpts of the video that included use of pre-constructed dynamic geometry tasks served as episodes for analysis. Discourse was analyzed using a modified version of the Oregon Mathematics Leadership Institute Classroom Observation Protocol and Boaler and Brodie's (2004) question types. Drijvers, Doorman, Reed, & Gravemeijer (2010) teacher technology orchestration types were utilized to describe how teachers used pre-constructed dynamic geometry tasks during implementation. The five practices served as codes for interview, group planning, and classroom observation data to characterize the extent of teachers' use of the five practices. The triangulation of discourse, technology use, and use of five practices was compared to the IQA for Academic Rigor: Mathematical Rubric for Implementation of the Task to evaluate the implemented level of cognitive demand of the pre-constructed dynamic geometry tasks. Findings indicated that teachers relied on teacher to whole class as the predominant mode of mathematical discourse. Questions and statements were the most common type of mathematical discourse, and questions were used slightly more often than statements. Higher level questions were posed more often than lower level questions, but teachers' incorporation of the five practices varied greatly. In terms of technology use, teachers most often orchestrated the pre-constructed dynamic tasks by discussing the screen or explaining the screen. Teachers used sliders and hide/show buttons to focus student attention and facilitate development of mathematical concepts. Given that pre-constructed dynamic geometry tasks adhered to design principles, two themes emerged for level of cognitive demand; 1) when teachers employed higher level questions/statements in conjunction with a discuss the screen technology orchestration type the implemented level of cognitive demand remained high and 2) when teachers employed lower level questions/statements in conjunction with an explain the screen technology orchestration type the implemented level of cognitive demand decreased. [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: Algebra, Mathematics Teachers, Geometry, Secondary School Teachers
(2015). Creating and Sharing Annotated Bibliographies: One Way to Become Familiar with Exemplary Multicultural Literature, Reading Improvement. Teachers who meet Common Core recommendations about teaching with multicultural literature need to recognize the traditions, values, and customs of various cultures so they can make sound decisions about the authenticity of the books they select for their students. Furthermore, teachers who support students' literacy achievements with exemplary multicultural literature need time to secure a good selection of quality multicultural literature for their classrooms. But, how can busy language arts teachers take the time to conduct extensive research to learn about various cultures and ethnicities and also ferret out and select quality multicultural literature that fits their students' grade and reading levels? Moreover, in what ways can teachers find time to determine what books portray authentic multicultural story characters, interest their students, or connect to a required themed unit of study? One way is to create and share Annotated Bibliographies that depict quality multicultural literature. [More] Descriptors: Annotated Bibliographies, Literature, Common Core State Standards, Books
(2016). Who Is Opposed to Common Core and Why?, Educational Researcher. Rising opposition to the Common Core Standards (CCS) has undermined implementation throughout the country. Yet there has been no scholarly analysis of the predictors of CCS opposition in the populace. This analysis uses poll data from a statewide poll of California voters to explore the demographic and policy predictors of CCS opposition. We find opposition strongly associated with views about President Obama, several education policy issues (especially testing), and two mis/negative conceptions about the standards. We advocate future work using poll data to understand public opinion on education issues. [More] Descriptors: Common Core State Standards, Resistance to Change, Predictor Variables, Educational Policy