Addressing Educational Inequality Through School-Based Learning Designs

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

Despite significant educational reforms focused on improving teaching quality, particularly in ‘hard to staff’ schools, the gap in learning attainment continues to widen between schools in high and low poverty areas. This symposium describes three intervention partnership models designed in collaboration with school leaders and teachers to make a difference in learning outcomes in low socio-economic communities in New Zealand, Australia and California, USA. The evidence-based models proposed in the symposium depend on education partners (researchers, teachers, school leaders) moving flexibly from data analysis to innovative design, classroom implementation, and critical review. Developing teachers’ inquiry skills and supporting them in becoming critical interrogators of assessment data and co-constructors of new pedagogic designs is essential to improving student learning.

Sub Unit

• Division K - Teaching and Teacher Education / Division K - Section 8: Teacher Professional Development: Impact on Teacher Practices and Student Learning

Chair

• Kathryn Glasswell, California State University - Fullerton

Papers

• Collaborative Inquiry as Pedagogic Intervention: Improving Literacy Learning in Disadvantaged Communities in Australia - Kathryn Glasswell, California State University - Fullerton; Parlo Singh, Griffith University

• An Iterative Refinement Approach to Collaborative Professional Development - Kimberley Gomez, University of California - Los Angeles; Louis M. Gomez, University of California - Los Angeles

• The Role, Requisite Knowledge and Skills, and Impact of Expert Literacy Facilitators in School Improvement - Judy M. Parr, University of Auckland; Helen S. Timperley, University of Auckland; Kane Meissel, The University of Auckland

Discussant

• Kay Livingston, University of Glasgow