Testing, Teaching, and Learning A Guide for States and School Districts (1999) / Chapter Skim
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5 Monitoring the Conditions of Instruction
5 Monitoring the Conditions of Instruction
Pages 74-84
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From page 74... ...
On one hand, advocates argued for the need for common standards for all students and common assessments that would gauge student learning against the standards. But on the other hand, the architects of standards-based reform also wanted to honor teachers' professional knowledge and judgment.
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From page 75... ...
However, a number of studies had found gaps between the curriculum taught in schools with large numbers of low-income students and that taught in schools with more affluent students: the more affluent students were more likely to receive challenging assignments than their lower-income peers (Puma et al., 1997; Smith et al., 1998~. Newmann and Associates labeled the kind of instruction reformers advocated for all students "authentic pedagogy," and found that such practices were associated with higher levels of achievement.
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From page 76... ...
The research base on such efforts is slim, in large part because there are so few examples to study. The examples begin to suggest, however, that examining instructional practices, along with data on performance, and using that information to develop a professional development strategy, can help teachers improve their instruction and help improve student performance.
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From page 77... ...
The network staffs visit schools and work with teachers to develop professional development strategies based on performance and instructional needs (Wang et al., 1999~. · Schools and districts should monitor the conditions of instruction the curriculum and instructional practices of teachers to determine if students are exposed to teaching that would enable them to achieve the standards they are expected to meet.
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From page 78... ...
"Especially troublesome," the researchers write, "is the finding that students attending schools in Chicago's most disadvantaged neighborhoods are much more likely to encounter instruction that is poorly coordinated and that conveys weak expectations for student learning" (p.
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From page 79... ...
The researchers analyzed the assignments and student work against standards for intellectual quality. These standards emphasize the construction of knowledge, or the ability to apply or extend knowledge to new situations; the use of disciplined inquiry, or the ability to build on prior knowledge, strive for in-depth understanding, and communicate their understanding; and the value beyond school, or the extent to which student learning has an impact on others besides the demonstration of competence.
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From page 80... ...
Not all professional development opportunities are equally valuable. A common format, workshops or conferences, are not considered effective in producing change in teaching practices or student learning (Fullan with Stiegelbauer, 1991~.
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From page 81... ...
In one major study of teachers in California, teachers who participated in learning opportunities focused on the curriculum lessons they were teaching were more likely to change their practice than those who participated in sessions dealing with special topics, like cooperative learning or diversity, that are more abstract and less directly related to the content the teachers teach (Cohen and Hill, 1998~. Moreover, the curriculum-based professional development also appeared to affect student learning: students whose teachers participated in curriculum sessions outperformed others on the state test.
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From page 82... ...
Professional development that examines student work in relation to standards such as training for scoring performance assessments or portfolios provides a clear picture of the kind of work students who attain standards should perform and the classroom activities that can enable students to produce such work regularly. Such opportunities make the oftenabstract language of standards more concrete.
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From page 83... ...
They received scoring guides, benchmarks, and training portfolios, and the state and districts provided training in standards and scoring procedures. According to one survey, two-thirds of 5th- and 8th-grade teachers said they had received training in preparing students for the mathematics portfolios, and 85 percent of 4th- and 7th-grade teachers said they had received training related to the writing portfolios (Stecher et al., 1998)
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From page 84... ...
14~. As a result, monitoring instructional improvement efforts is part of the regular oversight function of the district.
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