Research-Practice Partnerships as a Strategy for Supporting Implementation of - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Research-Practice Partnerships as a Strategy for Supporting Implementation of the NRC Framework and Next Generation Science Standards

William R. PenuelUniversity of Colorado-BoulderSlide2

Meet the Teachers of DowntonSlide3

Meet the Teachers of DowntonNew standards were adopted in science just two years ago.

The district is shifting from teacher-assembled to adopted curriculum.The district’s own evaluations of the science program reported significant shortcomings in curriculum, assessment, implementation monitoring, and professional development.Slide4

A Framework Workshop

PurposeTo introduce teachers to the new Framework for K-12 Science EducationContextFunded by the National Science Foundation through a RAPID Grant

Collaborative effort: Michigan State University, University of Colorado Boulder, and SRI InternationalSlide5

Modeling as a PracticeBy Grade 12, students should be able to:

Construct drawings or diagrams as representations of events or systems

—for example, to draw a picture of an insect with labeled features, to represent what happens to the water in a puddle as it is warmed by the sun, or to represent a simple physical model of a real-world object and

use it as the basis of an explanation or to make predictions about how the system will behave in specified circumstances.Slide6

Teachers’ Ideas About ModelingModels as Demonstrations

“When students experience disequilibration

, they are able to change their understanding about big ideas through modeling and questioning by facilitator.”“The model gives students some background knowledge of how waves act, provides common experience.”

Models as Descriptive Drawings“The globe model

is

used to teach students the relative size, temperature, and composition of Earth

layers.”Slide7

Teachers’ Ideas About ResearchersToo confrontationalNot respectful enough about wisdom of practice and direct knowledge of students

The Framework is too “theoretical” and not grounded enough in problems of practice as experienced by teachersSlide8

D

éjà Vu All Over Again

Teachers, coaches, and principals’ interpretations of the standards shape classroom practice (Spillane, 2006; Spillane, Reiser

, & Gomez, 2006).Even when policymakers align elements of the system to cohere, it’s teachers’ perceptions of coherence that shape implementation (Penuel et al., 2009).Standards implementation benefits from content-focused professional development of an extended duration (Garet et al., 2001;

Supovitz

& Turner, 2000).Slide9

Alternate Pathways to Promoting Implementation

DisseminationWorkshops, articles in NSTA journals, presentations, Web sitesPurposeful diffusionBased on an analysis of existing networks of organizations devote to the improvement of practice

Takes advantage of existing capacityCollaborative Inquiry and AdaptationPresumes the need for extensive, collective sense-makingCan involve more enduring research-practice partnershipsSlide10

Purposeful Diffusion

School

District

StateSlide11

Purposeful Diffusion

School

District

State

Social network diagram from: Daly &

Finnigan

(2009)Slide12

Nodes and TiesOrganizational Nodes

State Departments of EducationSTEM networksSchools and Colleges of EducationDistrict curriculum offices

Independent PD providersTextbook and materials providersIndividual NodesState directorsDistrict curriculum supervisors

PrincipalsTeacher leaders/coachesTeachersSlide13

Nodes and TiesOrganizational Nodes

State Departments of EducationSTEM networksSchools and Colleges of EducationDistrict curriculum offices

Independent PD providersTextbook and materials providersIndividual NodesState directorsDistrict curriculum supervisors

PrincipalsTeacher leaders/coachesTeachers

Types of Ties

Dissemination of information

Teaching (e.g., professional development workshops)

Ongoing guidance (e.g., coaching)

Joint Work

Characteristics of Ties

Strength/Closeness

Differences in Knowledge

Slide14

Why Think About Networks?Overcome limits of dissemination.Slide15

Why Think About Networks?Makes use of existing mechanisms through which knowledge can flow.Slide16

Why Think About Networks?Helps establish norms for engagement with the new Framework.Slide17

Networks and InnovationSocial CohesionFrequent communication

Strong emotional connectionsNetwork RangeTies to different knowledge pools

Big Idea 1: Social cohesion and network range affects the willingness and motivation of individuals to invest time, energy, and effort in sharing knowledge with others

Ray Reagans

Bill

McEvilySlide18

The Strength of Strong TiesBig Idea 2: When knowledge is complex, strong ties are needed for knowledge transfer and innovation.

Big Idea 3: When gaps between target understandings and current understandings are wide, weak ties to different knowledge pools are less useful.Slide19

Networks and School ChangeBig Idea 4: Every node

(organization or person) needs access to an expert.Big Idea 5: Every node doesn’t need to be connected to every other node. Otherwise, there are too many cooks in the kitchen.Slide20

At Your TablesIn your state, what organizations are or include people who have expertise in:

the Framework?Helping people in districts and schools understand new policies and programs?Both?

In your state, what organizations or nodes are influential and well-connected to districts and schools?What kinds of ties between these two types of nodes:Currently exist?Should be formed, to enable implementation of the framework?

What work is feasible to be done to form new ties between nodes with expertise and nodes with influence?Slide21

Research-Practice PartnershipsA long-term collaboration between district leaders and researchers that is organized to investigate locally-defined problems of practice and to gather information about problems and solutions that can inform decision making. Slide22

Research-Practice PartnershipsFocus on jointly negotiated, persistent problems of practicePlace-based

Long-termResearchers develop original analysesSeek to build capacity for improvementSlide23

Consortium on Chicago School ResearchSlide24

MIST Project

Focused on improving the quality of mathematics instruction

at scale in four districtsAll districts using the same reform-based curriculum materials (CMP)Researchers’ role is to capture data on teaching, other aspects of the district’s theory of actionSlide25

DBIR NetworkDesign-based implementation research:An approach to research-practice partnerships in which the focus is on

design and study of supports for implementationOrganized a loose network of scholars and educational leaders engaged in this work in and outside of school settingsSlide26

Return to DowntonAddressing the learning needs of teachers

Safe, collegial place to learn about how core ideas are blended with practicesPlace to share ideas and solicit feedback on curriculum implementationAddressing the organizational and institutional needs for capacity building

Access to technologyAddressing increasing diversity of students of DowntonSlide27

Return to DowntonTargeted diffusion

Connect early successful adopters of curriculum to key teacher leaders with respect to influenceOrganize follow up professional development to maximize peer supportResearch-practice partnership approachStart where the teachers are (Caught in the middle) and jointly identify a problem of practice

Co-design and study solutions together.Make iterative refinements with them.Slide28

Learn More…Participate

Join the breakout session ReadingsPenuel, W. R., & Fishman, B. J. (2012). Large-scale intervention research we can use.

Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 49(3), 281-304.Penuel, W. R., Fishman, B. J., Cheng, B., & Sabelli

, N. (2011). Organizing research and development at the intersection of learning, implementation, and design. Educational Researcher, 40(7), 331-337.