Strengthening Teacher Effectiveness:Action Research as Professional Development

Using Formative Assessment to Meet Common Core StandardsCentral Square Central School District

A New Partnership

How can Oswego State meet their needs for student teaching and practicum placements?

How can we provide meaningful, differentiated professional development here at CSQ?

Participants

Collaboration

Number of Student Involved

Goals

Data Collection

Types of Data Collected (Evidence of Student Learning) Performance vs multiple choice assessment

DIBELS

Warm-up SMART response data

Teacher Observation of student participation

Progress monitoring tools

Accuracy with new vocabulary

Close observation of at-risk readers

Running records

Student progress in Listening and reading in target languages (Modern Languages)

Quizlet- mastery of concepts

Student reflections (oral and written) on their own learning, goals, beliefs, suggestions

Test scores, unit exams, parallel assessments, quizzes

Student questionnaires

Student participation in discussions: posing questions, asking for help

Star Math and Reading/ELA scores

Homework completion: quantity and quality

Information on best teaching strategies

Student self-assessments

Rubrics

Motivation

How has your teaching changed as a result of

taking this course? This is where our ten or so volunteers

will stand and read quotes. We can put them on index cards so it will be more like watching a performance than reading a slide or two.

Our Formative Assessment:

Planning for 2014-15

Q3: If you were to speak to a colleague who might be interested in taking a similar course next year, what would you say? Please give pros and cons.

Results: 100% of the teachers surveyed would recommend this graduate course to a colleague.

Cons/Suggestions for the Action Research Course

Added extra pressure to my already full schedule

Class length should be half a year rather than a full year

Need a better tutorial for the wiki

Expectations for the final project need to be clear from the start of the course

Can be difficult to manage

Be prepared to monitor and adjust during the process

Use what you already are doing in your classroom

Limit the number of things you want to change

You have to be self-motivated and organized

Somewhat trial and error-it takes awhile to figure out what to study

Scary to return to college after 20+ years!

Three Categories of Benefits of the

Action Research Course

I. Practical Benefits - immediately applicable to the classroom, location, convenience, pay increase, manageable workload (“totally worth it”), not overwhelming, laid back

II. Collaboration with instructor, outside school, with teachers from other schools

Three Categories of Benefits of the

Action Research Course

III. Professional Growth and Empowerment

Forces me to try new things Meets your individual needs as a teacherDecide for yourself what to work onHelped me explore strategies Leads to change and improvementYou take an in-depth look at one particular aspect of your

teachingFocuses your instruction; gives it purpose

I was in charge and vested in the results I learned a lot from my project, the

instructor and my fellow teachers I remembered how much I love learning! Teaches you to look at your data to see

what it is telling you “Opened my eyes to the fact that

students can be motivated” “Fun, interesting, just enough to kick

start your professional growth journey”

Q and A?