Project ExCEL

• In Event: Federally Funded Projects in Gifted and Talented Education: Findings, Challenges, and Lessons Learned

Abstract

Project ExCEL is a federally funded Jacob K. Javits project designed to find and serve high-ability low-income middle school students using PBL as a curricular platform for a universal screening. Implementation of Project ExCEL PBL curriculum took place in multiple classrooms, in three suburban school districts in two states over the course of five years.
The percentage of ExCEL Model PBL-identified students out-performed the percentages of students found using traditional identification. For students on free- or reduced-price meals (FRM) and English Learners, the percentage of Project ExCEL PBL-identified students narrowed the gap on Ford's (2014) Equity Index and outperformed the traditional identification process by a large margin.
Results from Project ExCEL show an increase in achievement for all students. Pre- and Post- content measures (n=1135) demonstrated a statistically significant difference in the pre-test (M=8.82, SD=3.66) and post-test (M=11.80, SD=3.31); (t[1134]=25.72, p<.001, d=1.080). The effect size (d=1.080) suggests large practical significance. Analysis of student interviews indicates that students found PBL more engaging. One student noted “It’s not just looking at the board. We got to be in the story…it was better than just taking notes.”
To support teachers, we developed a tool for reflection called the Cognitive Apprenticeship Rubric (CAR) (Authors, 2018). When teachers consistently used the CAR, the learning trajectory for developing as an effective PBL facilitator was approximately three years, or about three or four units. One teacher put it this way, "I was feeling some trepidation…And obviously it takes time to become [expert] level." Another teacher said, “Oh! I thought I was good at asking open ended questions, but it turns out I am good at asking questions.”
Like any initiative, Project ExCEL competed with individual school priorities and contexts. State standards, teacher and administrative turnover, and scale were the most prominent. Despite this, interview data showed teacher participants enjoyed the varied curricular options and the way it engaged students. Analysis revealed one of the obstacles to implementation was pushback from administrators who misunderstood the alignment of instructional method of inquiry and standards.
Our experience shows many teachers come to the table with constructivist beliefs necessary to implement PBL yet fall back on traditional practices. Teachers either fear or don’t believe that middle school students have the maturity to be successful in self-directed learning. As Windschitl (2002) argues, knowledge of the foundational ideas of constructivism is necessary, but not sufficient for practice. What remains to be seen is the transformation of thinking about the relationship between teaching middle school students, learning and instructional practice. The greatest hurdle, and a direction for future research, is addressing curriculum aligned professional development that moves the needle on teachers’ total transformation of thinking about self-directed learning.

Authors

• Anne Horak, George Mason University

• Kimberley Beth Daly, George Mason University