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Striving to Link Teacher and Student Outcomes: Results From an Analysis of Whole-School Literacy Interventions
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| Presenter(s):
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| Kelly Feighan, Research for Better Schools, feighan@rbs.org
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| Elena Kirtcheva, Research for Better Schools, kirtcheva@rbs.org
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| Eric Kucharik, Research for Better Schools, kucharik@rbs.org
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| Abstract:
Researchers examined the effects of a federal Striving Readers initiative on teachers' pedagogy and student performance on a state assessment and Iowa Test of Basic Skills. The study was conducted in eight middle schools situated in a large, urban district. Half of the schools participated in the two-year intervention and half served as randomly-selected comparison schools. Designed to foster greater classroom literacy integration, the intervention comprised weekly classes for content teachers, in-school coaching assistance, and a principal seminar. Analysts used hierarchical linear modeling to account for contextual factors at the school-, teacher-, and student-level and to determine any relationship between teachers' reported literacy strategy use and their students' academic outcomes. Results showed modest gains in the treatment teachers' (N = 66) implementation of specific strategies; however, the association between teacher and student outcomes was weak. Evidence culled from observations and interviews is mined for insight into the findings.
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Rice Model for Teacher Professional Development
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| Presenter(s):
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| Wallace Dominey, Rice University, wdominey@rice.edu
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| Dana Diaconu, Rice University, ddiaconu@rice.edu
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| Abstract:
The Rice Model for Teacher Professional Development started in 2006 as an innovative professional development program designed to create systemic change in elementary science instruction in large urban school districts. Using the Rice Model, 80 elementary grade level science teachers are trained each year from more than a dozen districts in the greater Houston area. These districts represent more than a million students, the majority of which are high needs students from historically underrepresented minority groups. The Rice Model is applicable for any STEM education discipline and any K-12 grade level.
Preliminary results show increased student achievement. For 2008-09, we have adopted a Clustered Randomized Design with Treatment and Control groups randomized at the school level. We evaluate program outcomes using quantitative and qualitative methods and a variety of assessment instruments, including the RTOP classroom observation instrument and newly created valid and reliable measures of student achievement in science.
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Evaluating Teachers' Professional Development Experiences: Data From a Two-Year Randomized Controlled Trial Study
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| Presenter(s):
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| Andrew Newman, Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning, anewman@mcrel.org
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| Abstract:
Teachers' participation in professional development (PD) activities was examined across both years of a just concluded large-scale randomized control trial (RCT). The intent of this two-year RCT was to investigate the use of a specific PD program focused on classroom assessment in participating elementary schools. For this paper, baseline, Year 1 and Year 2 data from over 300 teachers were analyzed regarding professional development activities other than the RCT intervention. Teachers' participation in PD was examined including frequency, type of activity, and the perceived impact of the PD on classroom practice. Additionally, demographic and geographic characteristics of the sample were looked at contextually to see how they relate to various types of PD in which teachers engage. Evaluators will learn about data findings, PD trends over the two years of the study and the implications for future analyses.
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