Conference Material

What Have We Learned? Local Systemic Change Initiatives Share Lessons From the Field

B. The Dimensions of Professional Development

     Balance attention to content, pedagogy, and instructional materials.

The most effective professional development design achieves a balanced integration of content, pedagogy, and instructional materials. LSCs agreed, however, that this is no easy task. In the best case scenario, teacher leaders model pedagogy and provide explicit clarification of approaches, while content experts address the conceptual underpinnings, both module- specific and beyond. Said one PI: "It's not like Monday is content day, and Tuesday is pedagogy. You tell teachers what you're doing, and you're intentional, and you use curriculum materials to convey the content."

The challenge of integrating content and pedagogy In one LSC, the professional development model initially focused one third of the professional development hours on content, one third on pedagogy, and one third on leadership development. In the original design, these three dimensions were completely separate, and there was a "huge tension between content and pedagogy." By the end of the project, content and pedagogy were well- integrated, with content experts and teacher leaders working collaboratively.

LSCs suggested that professional development providers bridge content, pedagogy, and instructional materials with standards, student work, and assessment. The latter two provided effective, non- threatening ways for getting at teachers' weaker content areas, for making professional development relevant to teachers' concerns about classroom instruction, and for developing a deeper understanding of both content and pedagogy.

Still, challenges abound as LSCs try to achieve a balance. One PI echoed the sentiments of others in working with teachers from the elementary and middle grades, commenting that "it's a constant struggle to get teachers excited by the content, and sometimes the pedagogy just overwhelms the content." Those working at the high school level encountered different challenges, noting the need for greater emphasis on pedagogy and in making connections between concepts and across disciplines.

     Expect to shift the focus of professional development, depending on the needs and concerns of targeted teachers.

The relative balance on content versus practice will likely vary with the needs of a particular group of teachers. While the initial professional development experience should be rich with content and pedagogy, PIs noted that "coming to know the teachers," and understanding their needs and what they care about is a "critical first step." Teachers who consider themselves content experts may resist the idea that they need to deepen their understanding of mathematics/ science and those who recognize their needs in this area may nonetheless consider it more important to get assistance in using new instructional materials in their classroom "tomorrow."

For some LSCs, focusing on the instructional materials was a "safe" and a "real" place to start - a strategy for making the content "appealing" to teachers and a first step in moving them through a series of "readiness" stages. Introductory "core" courses for all participating teachers on the use of student modules can help generate interest; as teachers become more comfortable using the materials and as specific needs become evident, LSCs must provide a range of opportunities to meet pedagogical needs (e. g., inquiry, questioning strategies, and assessment), and to shore up teachers' conceptual knowledge (e. g., by revisiting the modules a second time with a heavier focus on content). In short, LSCs can expect the three dimensions of content, pedagogy, and instructional materials to take background and foreground roles at various points in the professional development, depending on teacher needs. Within this shifting focus, LSCs must also keep in mind building district reform capacity, as well as classroom capacity, injecting leadership skills into the mix of content, pedagogy, and instructional materials when appropriate.

The evolving focus of professional development "It makes sense then that the relative emphasis on instructional materials, content, and pedagogy will change significantly as teachers move through the process and adapt, implement, and refine their use of the materials. Concerns with management and logistical issues will precede concerns about the more substantive matters of content and pedagogy. This requires that professional development activities be a balancing act, coordinating components that deal with management/ logistics and content and pedagogy.... In our experience, basically all of the teachers have a very similar lack of knowledge of pedagogy and the content in the instructional materials initially. Teachers who have had a year of work with the kids have different levels of concern than those who are new to kit use. So as the project proceeds, the variety of professional development expands." - Conference Participant

     Take content beyond the materials.

LSCs concurred that teachers' content needs are huge. There was far less agreement on how best to meet these needs. LSCs typically maintained that projects are hard- pressed to get teachers to enroll in specific content courses - that content has to be embedded in the instructional materials. Said one PI: "You have to be as efficient as possible to couple the content and the curriculum. There are not enough hours to do content training beyond the curriculum." Still, LSCs agreed that adult learners require broader applications. To meet these needs, LSC professional development must "take it deeper" and go beyond the content in the student materials. Some projects, particularly multi- district LSCs that are using different instructional materials, found it useful to focus on standards, benchmarks, or state proficiency outcomes to keep the content applicable across modules. Others asked teachers to bring their own instructional materials to workshops, and used professional development to address concepts across units.

Making content meaningful One conference participant described LSC efforts to encourage teachers to ask contentrelated questions in both initial and subsequent professional development sessions. The project then brought in content experts to address those questions. The result was that teachers got "more than a canned course" they got their own questions answered. The strategy helped teachers "want" to learn content beyond the module.

     Modeling pedagogy is necessary but not sufficient.

PIs noted that modeling by professional development providers is critical for communicating a vision of effective classroom instruction. Seeing exemplary teaching helped teachers use the materials "richly" rather than "rotely," and moved them beyond just "walking through an activity." Said one PI: "Principals and teachers don't see enough examples of good teaching." The more important message, however, was that modeling alone is not enough. Professional development providers must be explicit in their modeling - identifying particular strategies they are using, clarifying why they are asking specific questions, suggesting classroom applications of content and pedagogy, illustrating how and why these strategies work, and exploring these issues further with individual teachers or in small groups.

Providing the proof through modeling "Teachers have to see that the pedagogy works, that it's research- based, but also there has to be in- person modeling so they can see how kids react. That's had the biggest impact. When we first started, we showed videos, and the teachers gave excuses about why it wouldn't work in their class, and we knew right away that we had to get in there and show them that these kids could do this." - PI Interview

C. Reaching the Targeted Teachers

     Keep the door open to resistors, but focus on those who are willing and ready for change.

Conference participants advised that LSCs concentrate early efforts on those who are receptive to change, and not expend energy on resistant teachers. Using this approach, projects can "work out the kinks," use existence proofs to gain credibility, develop a base of support among faculty and administrators, and build a source of reform- minded teachers to serve as advocates, role models, and mentors to resistors.

The first wave as advocates "It would be nice if everyone could be involved immediately but that's not the way the change process works. You get your top ten percent motivated people getting involved, and you get it off the ground, while the others remain skeptical, and then they realize that the materials are good and it's here to stay. There was peer pressure to participate. They began to realize they were odd person out. The first wave became the advocates." - PI Interview

But ignoring resistors also poses dilemmas for LSCs. By concentrating on those eager to participate, LSCs may shortchange others who are most in need of professional development; coming later into the project, resistors may receive neither the breadth nor the depth in their professional growth experience. Further, LSCs that target the high school grades may encounter large numbers of resistors, making it impossible for them to ignore these teachers.

Keeping the door open to resistors Conduct interviews with a sample of teachers to determine reasons for resistance. Listen to and respond to resistors' concerns. Prepare professional development providers for resistors' questions and charges. Provide resistors with opportunities to visit successful classrooms. Assign mentors to work one- on- one with resistors. Keep inviting the resistors.

But even with teachers who are ready and willing to change, how do LSCs ensure participation? In short, they must expect to do whatever it takes. Wide dissemination of information about professional development opportunities requires a solid communication structure - through meetings, mailings, phone trees, and e- mail. Coordinating professional development with school and district calendars to avoid conflicts is also key. Beyond these logistical issues, LSCs recommended using well- respected teachers to recruit others for professional development, and providing incentives and support (e. g., stipends, college credit, credentialing, materials). One PI noted that stipend checks were put in the mail within the week after professional development sessions: "It was a little thing, but incredibly important to the teachers."

     Make it real.

Getting the buy- in of "typical" teachers requires that LSCs make professional development relevant to their world. Conference participants suggested using program activities to address issues that matter to teachers, and relating professional development explicitly to what teachers do in the classroom. Focusing on assessment- related issues was a particularly useful strategy for making professional development relevant. LSCs recommended working with teachers on increasing expectations for student achievement, giving teachers formative assessment tools for gauging student understanding, demonstrating how the instructional materials support what is tested, and clarifying how project work can help improve other tested subjects.

Using assessment to move teachers in new directions In one LSC, project staff developed pre- assessment instruments which teachers administered to students before the units - both to help them assess current levels of understanding and to think about appropriate content for the grade level. Teachers then brought the results of these pre- assessments to an in- school meeting. The instruments gave teachers a useful analytical tool for teaching, and for examining student work. In addition to the pre- assessments, core staff developed embedded and post- assessment instruments, and worked with teachers on ways for students to demonstrate understanding. LSC staff felt that teachers needed much more time on this aspect, but the instruments were a valuable way to focus teachers' thinking in new ways.

Using student work as a focal point for discussions also helped relate reform ideas to classroom practice. One project took this a step further by involving students in summer workshops to give teachers a chance to use the instructional materials under classroom- like conditions; with "team work and solid staff support," the strategy helped "break down classroom walls. Teachers were willing to take risks and try new things."

Linking professional development to classroom practice "Focus professional development around school priorities. The closer you get to the classroom with the professional development, the better." - PI Interview "To create the most teacher change and student growth, you have to integrate professional development into classroom practice." - PI Interview

     Make it easy for teachers to participate.

In addition to making professional development relevant, LSCs have to make it easy for teachers to participate - both substantively and logistically. Reform leaders must deliver on promises, providing the tools, resources, and support that teachers need to implement the instructional materials. Effective strategies for materials management are critical: where the system worked well, there was solid district commitment, adequate and well- trained staff to deal with logistics, responsiveness to teachers' needs, and an efficient communication structure.

Logistically, LSCs must provide a range of options "so that teachers have no excuses for not participating." Giving teachers a choice of formats (e. g., summer institutes, study groups, miniseries) for fulfilling LSC professional development requirements helped to promote participation. LSCs must also encourage schools to look for creative ways to make time available for site- based professional development. Said one PI: "You have to do [professional development] during the school day. I didn't believe that when I started this project. It's the only way to get full participation." Finally, LSCs must ensure that professional development supports school and district goals so that teachers do not feel pulled in conflicting directions.