Collaborative learning teams are improving teacher practice and student learning results in the Dallas Center-Grimes Community School Districts near Des Moines, Iowa.
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On Saturday I attended an apple grafting workshop. Though I have no particular inclination to learn how to graft apples, I do have a passion for small-scale sustainable farming and orchards are almost always included as part of the design of sustainable homesteads. So, I went to the workshop and came home with six tiny trees, which if I learned well and the grafts grow, will kick-start my someday orchard. Continue reading “What Teachers Really Do for All Those Apples”
Written by Circe Stumbo and Mandi Bozarth
The design of the online components of a community of practice determines its potential and limitations even before any member has joined. Decisions must be made very early in the design stage that will impact the community’s usefulness, longevity, implementation, and success. This document outlines those decisions. We pose many questions you will want to ask yourself, but we do not offer answers to those questions, as each community of practice will have different answers. We have advice and experience to offer as you begin answering those questions and would be pleased to hear from you if you are interested in further conversation.
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In December 2011 the Iowa Department of Education asked West Wind Education Policy Inc. to develop an accessible format to share information about competency-based education with stakeholders across the state in real-time. The format was meant to promote community engagement begun at a conference of Iowa educators, higher education faculty, Iowa Workforce Development staff, national experts, policy makers, and state education agency staff. West Wind decided that the charge could best be met with the development of an online community of practice or collaboration site. The following is a case study of the deliberations that led West Wind to the design, creation, and implementation of the Iowa Forum on Competency-based Education.
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Mandi: Today I saw another one of the big differences between a Kindergartener and a 2nd Grader: the Kindergartener kisses Mom profusely, yells bye, and gives Mom and Dad a high five; the 2nd Grader blushes profusely when Mom tries for a kiss, waves bye shyly, and rolls his eyes when Mom puts up her hand for a high five – but he does it anyway! And I learned that this mom is just as teary and nervous when the second child goes off to Kindergarten as the first. My little girl looked so tiny, walking through that door. I am grateful for the wonderful teachers who welcomed both of them into their classes this morning and whose rooms were already filled with lesson plans, books, great displays, and all the markings of people who love their jobs and are dedicated to helping their students. I’m ready for this next family adventure and glad to have the support of such amazing teachers, staff, and a great principal on the journey with us! Finn 2nd, Jocie Kindergarten Continue reading “Back to School”
Hosted by SCEE. Co-sponsored and facilitated by West Wind Education Policy Inc.
SCEE hosted a special follow-up webinar showcasing a framework of key decision points and offering a set of questions states should address in designing evaluation systems that reflect measures of growth for all teachers.
The pre-reading for this webinar was an updated paper, “Considerations for Analyzing Educators’ Contributions to Student Learning in Non-Tested Subjects and Grades with a Focus on Student Learning Objectives. Continue reading “Student Learning Objectives and Educator Evaluation”
Presented by Circe Stumbo and Deanna Hill at the 2012 AERA Annual Meeting in Vancouver, BC. Written by Circe, Deanna, and Bonnie Riggan
Library image (cc) Amanda Tipton
[box class=”grey_box”]Written by Deanna Hill[/box]
As AACTE and Stanford University’s Teacher Performance Assessment Consortium prepares for next spring’s field test of the new Teacher Performance Assessment (TPA), more states are joining the initiative and developing TPAfriendly policy.
Some 80 institutions in 21 states participated in the assessment’s pilot test in
spring 2011. Of the more than 140 institutions and 26 states involved in the consortium
(see map below), approximately 100 institutions from at least 21 states are expected to take part in the field test in spring 2012—with an estimated 10,000 candidates participating.
Meanwhile, states are developing policies that support implementation and scale-up of the TPA. Some states are responding to or operating under legislation requiring a performance assessment in preservice. Others are crafting policy to support programs’ use of the TPA during and following the field test. Still other states are waiting for data from the field test to make determinations about how best to use TPA within a system of assessments. The table on page 13 describes state policy development in the six accelerated states.
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