Turning Around Ourselves: Teacher Teamwork for Deep Teacher and Student Learning

• In Event: Roundtable Session 19
  In Roundtable Session: Examples From the Field: Applied Data Uses

Abstract

Schools in the United States serving large percentages of high needs students from diverse backgrounds often are designated as “underperforming”, and are placed in “corrective action”. This placement based on performance on standardized tests, has narrowed the curriculum and student learning opportunities, undermining teachers’ professionalism and knowledge they bring to their practice. However, some outlier schools are beating the odds. It is important to understand the knowledge construction processes being used to shift the focus from effect data (test results) to causal data (student work and teacher practices). The purpose of this paper is to explore how one Turnaround school challenged their belief system through implementing a Data Learning Loop process—reflectively looking at student work and changing instructional practices.

Authors

• Vanessa Ann Karwan, TIDES (Transformative Inquiry Design for Effective Schools and Systems)

• Janet A. Chrispeels, University of California - San Diego