district of columbia public schools: communities of practice readiness assessment
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CCTP - 675 Communities of PracticeFall 2009
Practicing Education:A Communities of Practice Readiness Assessment
of the District of Columbia Public School System
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Objectives
Assessment - what is missing?A peer-to-peer CoP
Baseline current state of DCPS.We have a problem
Recommendations laying a COP framework for teachers.
GEORGETOWN CoP growing and maintaining a DCPS CoP.
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Problem: student performance levels within DCPS are farbelow the national average. On a 2007 National Assessmentof Educational Practice, DCPS ranked last compared to statesand comparable urban districts.Solution: "bad" teachers targeted as #1 obstacle hinderingsystem improvement. "Bad" teachers to be replaced with with"good" ones.
Chancellor Rhee's
"battle against badteachers."
Baseline
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For the most part, reform has been a top-down affair
* from DCPS.dc.govWhere are teacher voices?This approach is problematic ...
BASELINE
Baseline
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One teacher writes,
"While the [Professional Development] course was a waste oftime and money by DCPS, it served as a cautionary tale abouthow NOT to teach as a new teacher.
adding,
I was happy meet quite a few veteran teachers who gave greatadvice about "real life" in DCPS versus the PR version."
* Fromhttp://dcteachingfellow2009.blogspot.com/
Another problem: few resources for the practice of teaching
Baseline
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Current approach has led to negative outcomesRhee is the face of "other" chronic trust issues
Teachers are galvanized againstthe systemTeachers fear for their jobs #1 concernPractice of teaching negligible within current discourse
anti-union ad from TheCenter for Union Facts.
Baseline
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* from Daniel Andriessen's Making Profit from Intellectual Capital, Intellectual Capital Conference, Jakarta, March 8,2005
Teachers are often taught more about subject matter than the practice of teaching.Question how can the practice of teaching itselfbe improved?Answersituational learning in which knowledge is transferred within contextand
occurs through immersion in the activities of a discipline of study.
Assessment
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DC TeachingFellows Intention Execution
Although new DCPS programs are still works in progress, the execution so far hascreated and exacerbated existing issues that impact the potential success ofCommunities of Practice. Good intentions cannot mask a culture lacking in trust and
respect.
Lack of trust Poor relationship
building Lack established
forums/tools forcollaborationBETWEEN teachers
Lack ofprofessionalism
Impact
The teaching fellows program was established in 2001. Comments in Execution section from anonymous teaching fellows bloggerMore at http://dcteachingfellow2009.blogspot.com/. For more information go here:http://teachers.net/states/dc/topic4/11.07.05.13.53.16.html
Other groups wed like information about: Teachers Central to Leadership, Urban Education Leaders Internship Program
Assessment
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Communities of Practice: A Solution for DCPS?
In our analysis of DCPS, we propose a CoP model as a space for the situational
learning to occur.
From Professor Bedfords CCTP 675 Course Material
Value of CoPs
Short Term Value
Arena for problem solving Quick answers Reduced time & costs Improved decision quality More perspectives Improved quality assurance Risk taking with backing
Long Term Value Strategic plan implementation
Authority with clients Increased talent retention Benchmarking foundation Knowledge-based alliances Unplanned capabilities surface Capacity building for new options
Value of CoPs toDCPS
Teachers can share tacit insightsabout teaching and the culturaland social climate within a school
Teachers can potentially conveyexpectations and best practicesmore effectively than a contractedtraining course
Teachers of different demographicprofiles with different skill-sets canengage in mutual mentorship
Assessment
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Using Etienne Wenger's visualization of a CoP tomodel a DCPS CoP
* from Wenger
Visualizing CoPs
Domain
*Passion for teaching*Image from the outside basedon Michelle Rhee, layoffs, andperformance reviews*Negotiating boundaries ofcommunity*Lack of cohesive identity
Practice
*Classroom resources*Lack of shared resources*Professional development*Digital divide*Top-down approach of DCPS
Community*Support (or lack thereof) from
other teachers, administration,parents*Lack of private space andtime*Balancing needs of the Union,Teach for America, DCTeaching Fellows
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Are you a member of acommunity of teachers?I do not mind lettingteachers who teach mysubject copy my lesson plan.
How often do you
collaborate with non-DCPSteachers?If time was set aside duringthe school day to usecollaborative online toolsresources, how likely is itthat you would use theseresources?
Searching for existing CoPs: Establishing a CoP Baseline
Initial plan present a questionnaire to small portion of teaching community in order to get asense for how much teachers collaborate with one another on a regular basis.
We targeted three schools Shepherd Elementary School HD Woodson High School Johnson Middle School
Objectives1. Assessing teacher willingness to collaborate with one another2. Whether teachers collaborate already3. How often collaboration occurs4. Membership levels in teaching (or other) communities5. Internet use & accessibility6. Willingness to use collaborative online resources
* While we would have liked to measure the need for collaborative technology in all schoolsthroughout the city, we had limited resources and time.
Assessment
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Assessment
we need to work together to createpositive and conducive teaching andlearning environments.... poor planning that has continued to
make teaching and learning
difficult for teachersboth TFA andveteran. There's way too much atstake for those of us in the trenchesnot to speak out and demand anactive role in DCPS reform. Thestudents of DCPS can't wait another 5years to get things right.
Teachers who Blog
http://realeducationreformdc.blogspot.com/2009/10/rhee-fires-229-teac...
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Teach for America*Facilitate teacher mentoring relationships*Bridge gaps between administration and teachers
*Build trust between teachers
"There is the hidden racism thatsome bring up. Thats because theTeach for America crowd is seventy
percent white. That makes forproblems that people who are notminorities dont discern, but mostdont voice the thoughts. We allknow that change has to come."-Blog post by former DCPS teacher
Could existing infrastructure and relationshipsbetween teachers in Teach for Americasupport CoPs in DCPS?
TFA's ongoing teacher development andLearning Teams form CoPs
TFA teachers participate in a differentdomain than other DCPS teachers
Boundaries between TFA teachers andDCPS teachers prevent CoP connections
from forming
Assessment
From Teach for America's Matriculation Guide, teachfor.us (TFA blog platform),amandadavenport.com
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Setbacks and an Important Preliminary Finding
Assessment
Constraints:
Time
Institutional SupportRespect
TrustBureaucracyAwareness
The tenor of the feedback we received from the DCPS forced us to reevaluate
the realities of applying Wenger's CoP framework to the DCPS context.
These preliminary findings made us realize that research and recommendationsbased on Community of Practice concepts and principles - particularly from"outsiders" - are sensitive and need to be approached with diplomacy.
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Further Setbacks: Divisions within DCPS that need to be transcended
There are a number of divisions that contribute to the lack of trust within the DCPScommunity. Overcoming the divides that contribute to this mistrust is a fundamentalstep to enabling the formation of Communities of Practice.
Us VERSUS Themmentality
General Divisions Older versus younger (challenges mentor
and reverse-mentor relationships) Race (Rhee vs teachers; within teaching
community) Digital divide Philosophies about teaching (classical
education versus all the new tools) Knowledge about how to teach over
knowledge about subject area Teachers and mid-tier administration like
principals
Critical divisions within DCPS Old pay system versus new Teachers and district administration Teachers and principals Union membership
Assessment
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Changing the focus from estrangement to improving practice of teachingThe "us versus them" mentality has created an environment in which the DCPSstakeholders are focused more on the divisions within the community than on finding
commonalities and building knowledge to improving the practice of teaching.
The potential for sharing and learning exists, but the Chancellors approach to teachers,the top-down focus of programs and guidelines, and the recent RIFFs reinforce the idea
that DCPS teachers are victims. This makes it difficult for them to recognize theirpotential and the potential of Communities of Practice.
Recommendations
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General Challenges & Areas of Opportunity
Recommendations
Management Challenges
* find well-respected community members to coordinate community.* make sure people have time and encouragement.* build on core values of the organization.
* focus on topics important to the community members.Technical Challenges* make it easy to contribute and access the community's knowledge and practices.
Community Challenges* get key thought leaders involved.* build personal relationships among community members.* develop an active passionate core group.* create forums for thinking together as well as systems for sharing information.
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District Administration
LocalAdministration
LocalAdministration
LocalAdministration
LocalAdministration
LocalAdministration
To build that trust, we propose introducing a number of voluntary roles which can helpempower teachers and introduce a more horizontal, inclusive approach to improvingthe practice of teaching. These roles provide the foundation for a number ofinterconnected CoPs.
Recommendations
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Social Network Mapping
Hierarchy does not reflectCole's central role in thenetwork
Leaders in the hierarchy arentnecessarily the mostconnected in a the network
Hierarchy does not reflectKellys central role in thenetwork
Recommendations
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Roles and Functions Within a Network Practice...
Recommendations
Role Primary Function Description
Central Connector Weaving helping people meet eachother, ensuring access to toinformation
Information Broker Coordinating Helping people plan andimplement collaborative
actions
Boundary Spanner Facilitating Helping others explorepotential shared identity andvalue propositions
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Case Study: Highland Elementary School
Recommendations
Common planning period each day for common Grade-level teachers:
formal and informal grade-team meetings at least two of these class perids ESOL and special education teachers often attended to help prepare accommodations for students they
pushed-in to work with. Math and literacy coaches often attended to review data, introduce new techniques, and help brainstorm
the most effective ways of presenting difficult material.Developed Systems of Communication for students needing Intervetion: Data Dialogues: Quartelry Sessions where eachers met formally with the intervention teachers who
worked with students in their class to reviewe students specific progress
Communication Logs: Biwweekly updates from intervention teachers regarding the to the progress ofeach student
Documentation from both data dialogues and communication logs were used when the literacy teammade recommendations about whether a student would benefit from entry into or exit from interventionservices.
Support for First- and second-year teachers Frequent formal meetings and informal interactions with other teachers and administrators to build their
skills and better understand the schools instructional approach and culture
Culture of Compliance: Teachers were expected to follow the new systems their colleagues developed Community looked down on those "Doing their own thing"
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Case Study: Development Staff Community of PracticeMontgomery County Public Schools
Recommendations
Voluntary cultural and diversitytraining sessions led by districtteacher development staff forother teacher development staffwho would then train teacherswho would voluntarily attend thesessions
Knowledge sharing website withmonthly email tips, latest researchon teaching strategies in multi-cultural class rooms, technologyawareness
Training has been more effectivewhen teachers and staff electedto participate on their own.
Building Commitment NotCompliance has become ahallmark of our work
Shortcomings
Only open to development staff.Teachers were not invited tosessions.
One white staff member commented:While the sessions are great I wishthere was a more efficient way to get
the trainings to all our staff
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Relationship builder
What is the practice?Identifying, organizing, and workingwith other teachers to build trust andfacilitate learning environment
How does it help the DCPS?Breaks down barriers which preventteachers from collaboratingeffectively
Relationship builders are critical enablers within a community who can helpovercome the divisions that may inhibit teachers from learning and sharing with
each other. These "additional duties" are voluntary, but the Community Managersshould put effort into identifying individuals who would be most helpful in developingan organizational culture that is more amenable to a CoP.
Recommendations
Community EngagementStrategies*Plan in-person activities thatengage teachers within schools*Identify most detrimental divsionsand work with Communitymanager to develop activities tohelp overcome those difficulties
*Facilitate teacher mentoringrelationships*Bridge gaps betweenadministration and teachers*Build trust between teachers
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Long Term Plans - Community ManagerAssign multiple managers per area to be the liaison for the area schools.
Characteristics Well-respectedcommunity membero Voted on by local
teacherso Approved by
administration Knows how to bridgeracial/age, educationgaps
Practice: improving state ofrelationships between teachers,
school, and district administration
Healing Relationships - theCommunity Manager
Outcomes:help administration, esp. districtlevel, regain some credibility
Recommendations
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Knowledge Managers
A knowledge manager would be critical to ensuring that the wiki educatorsite isorganized and linked in ways to enhance discoverability. They would also be critical to
facilitating the use of the site and helping new teachers understand what types ofcontributions would most help build the resource.
Job Description, duties, andexecution
* modeling desired behaviors* developing "culture"* providing feedback to
contributors* identifying strong contributorsand adding them to theknowledge managementgroup
* volunteer to participate on theside
Recommendations
Characteristics of knowledge managers
What is the practice?
* organizing knowledge* enhancing discoverability
How does it help the DCPS?* "making it easy for teachers to*contribute and access the community'sknowledge and practice"
Sustainment needs* administrative support* technical support
Community Engagement Strategies* new teachers* experienced teachers
R d ti
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A simple, existing collaborative space
New teachers spend a disproportionate amount of their time developing new lessonplans. Because those efforts are not captured, teaching standards continue to
evolve, and the DCPS turnover rate is high, the teaching community is oftenreinventing lesson plans from scratch.
Teachers throughout the US should be urged to use wiki-educator.org to help build arepository of sample lesson plans and the talk sections as a forum to discuss different
approaches. The sites usability could be improved significantly if a knowledgemanager would organize information to improve discoverability.
Recommendations
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Real- time Online Collaboration
Generate ideas spontaneously in real time Immediate support Network Connect across multiple practices Sense of vibrant community Identify Commonalities, Background etc Easy reference point for skill and personality
Recommendations
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Wenger's theories and to the practice of
establishing/assessing CoP's overall.
Recommendations
Where is Wenger's theory
lacking? not a lot about intentionally developing CoPs discussion of different roles of individual CoP
members is lacking in detail solution: using SNA to flesh out the different
types of members within CoP Raising consciousness - Paolo Friere and
Charles Taylor
Recommendations for further research
PotentialDisciplines/Methodologies
* Social Network Analysis* Philosophy* Communications (online tools)
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Recommendations
DCPS CoP
Realization
Recommendations
Proposed alternative to Wenger's current CoP stages ofdevelopment
Building trust andrelationships;identifying andsolidifying domain
Active CoP Improvement of practice;ongoing participation inonline community
Time
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How do we introduce CoPs to the teaching community?Outreach efforts, intended to establishing trust.
finding individuals whose interests are grounded in the teaching profession as well asgrowing CoP.
Anthropological approach 'participant observation' & interaction though establishment ofrelationship with community members.
Argument that top-down approach. Official recognition must come at some point, difficult tosay when (certainly after the CoP is at coalescing phase of CoP cycle).
Exploring other communities that have a personal and social involvement, with legitimate tiesto the African-American communities. Including: academics, public school students, extra-curricular activities.
6 week education programs at Georgetown for all teachers, especially those less familiar withonline environment.
expanding ownership and accountability throughout the African American.Reorientation of focus toward harnessing and growing teacher potential.
Town Hall meetings - who are the community leaders at the local level?
Recommendations
F t Obj ti G i G t C P
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Building a DCPS CoP In Person
Future Objectives: Growing Georgetown CoP
Continuing to nurture emerging Georgetown CoP.
Searching for
Funding for Georgetown CoP.Bill and Melinda Gates foundation.National Science Foundation.Continued research to add to Georgetown CoP learning.
Development of online and offline tools for collaboration and knowledge management.
In the long run, we want to expand the CoP to include wider communities within the DCPS. Includingparents and middle level administrators.
Incentives for teachers - what are they? We need further research6 week education programs at Georgetown for all teachers, especially those less familiar with onlineenvironment.