A Framework for Scaling Deeper Learning: Concepts and Cases

• In Event: Fostering Deeper Learning in Research-Practice Partnerships: Theoretical and Practical Perspectives

Abstract

Objectives
American K-12 education has many examples of ambitious, powerful instruction, but it has been very difficult to scale up these pockets of success systemwide. Decades of school reform efforts have attempted to bring deeper learning to all students, but we have few examples of entire districts or regions achieving this aim (Mehta & Fine, 2019). This article presents a conceptual framework designed to assist educators in their efforts to bring ambitious instruction to scale within educational systems. It illustrates the framework with case studies of ten research practice partnerships (RPPs), all funded by the Hewlett Foundation, working to bring deeper learning to students furthest from opportunity. The RPP’s contrasting theories of change provide rich fodder for developing theory about scaling up instructional change.

Theoretical framework
Our framework draws from seminal work conceptualizing scale by Coburn (2003) and Morel and colleagues (2019). Building from these writings, we define scale as a “polysemic” phenomenon that has multiple, legitimate meanings. In addition to these conceptual pieces, our framework draws inspiration from the quality improvement field from healthcare and industry in that it is meant to be a practical framework that can help practitioners make better decisions on-the-ground (see, for example, the Model for Scale from Langley et al. (2009)).

Methods + Data sources
In order to generate the framework, we draw on existing literature on scaling up education al reforms (Coburn and Morel) and original qualitative case studies completed of the ten RPPs by researchers from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. By identifying and categorizing the scaling strategies that each RPP engaged in, and comparing these strategies with the scholarly literature, we were able to arrive at a grounded, evidence-based framework that is informed by practice. We also engaged in four active sense-making sessions in which members of the RPPs reflected on our initial framework with us and provided feedback and advice.

Preliminary results
Our framework includes three primary components. First, it asks educators to define their scaling intentions, setting out clear and measurable scaling goals for themselves that pay explicit attention to how they define equity and will attempt to achieve it. Second, it asks educators to choose a set of scaling strategies that are designed to achieve these goals, providing a “starter list” of scaling strategies for educators to choose from. Finally, it describes the scaling course, identifying the phenomenon that educational practitioners should pay attention to along the way as they engage in their scaling efforts and revise and improve their strategies over time. In this paper, these three components of the scaling framework are illustrated with rich case examples generated from the ten RPPs.

Scholarly significance
Decades of educational reform have attempted to scale up ambitious instruction, but educators in the field have had little practical guidance about how to achieve these aims. With this framework, we use scholarly literature and case examples to generate a practical guide to scaling up deeper learning. Future work should assess the usefulness of the framework in practice

Authors

• Lora A. Cohen-Vogel, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

• Jeanne Century, University of Chicago

• David Gilbert Sherer, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching