Quality Teaching and Quality Teaching and Learning: Teachers and Learning: Teachers and

their professiontheir profession

Elizabeth B. KozleskiUniversity of Colorado -

Denver

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

Quality Teaching and Quality Teaching and Learning: Teachers and Learning: Teachers and their professiontheir profession

Teacher practice and its link to student outcomes

Professional Learning and its link to student outcomes

Retaining the best and brightest in teaching

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

87,000 Public Schools

5.75 Million Students identified for Special Education Services

3 out of 4 children identified for special

education services are served in general

education classrooms

350 languages & dialects spoken in the New York City Schools

57 million students

40% of all students are from non-anglo ethnicities

7 out of 10 teachers are female9 out of 10 teachers are anglo

or white

Teaching all the Teaching all the ChildrenChildren

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National Policy ContextNational Policy ContextNo Child Left Behind (NCLB): P-12 National Board for Professional

Teaching (NBPTS): P-12 and IHEInterstate New Teacher Assessment

and Support Consortium (INTASC)IDEA ’03: The Presidential

Commission on Special Education, Disproportionality

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

California Colorado Florida

Highly Qualified Teachers Definition

P

Draft Definition 

N

Has eliminated tests of basic skills. 

Y

DOE issued memo that details state's compliance with "highly qualified" definition in NCLB.

Subject Matter

Competence

P

Subject competencies in place for initial certification.

Y

Provisionally licensed teachers hold a bachelor's degree or higher and demonstrate thorough knowledge of the subject matter to be taught and the competencies required for teaching. 

Y

State tests subject matter competence for initial certification and renewal of certification (every five years). 

No Child Left BehindNo Child Left Behind

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Test for New

Elementary

TeachersY

 

Y

Limits the Colorado educator assessment program to content tests only.

Y

State requires passing score on skills and subject matter exam sections. 

Highly Qualified Teacher in Every Classroo

m

P

Districts have been notified of requirement, and measurable objective is being developed. 

N

No an annual measurable objective to ensure all teachers are highly qualified by 2005-2006. 

N

Florida is in planning stage. 

High Quality

PD

N

Not evident in policy or practice. 

N

ECS could not identify an annual measurable objective to ensure all teachers are receiving high quality professional development. 

N

Florida is in planning stage. 

No Child Left BehindNo Child Left Behind

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No Dream Denied: A Pledge No Dream Denied: A Pledge totoAmerica’s children (NCTAF)America’s children (NCTAF)Teachers

Possess a deep understanding of the subjects they teach;

Evidence a firm understanding of how students learn;

Demonstrate the teaching skills necessary to help all students achieve high standards;

Create a positive learning environment; Use a variety of assessment strategies

to diagnose and respond to individual learning needs;

http://www.nctaf.org/dream/summary_report.pdf

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

No Dream Denied: A Pledge No Dream Denied: A Pledge totoAmerica’s children (NCTAF)America’s children (NCTAF) Demonstrate and integrate modern

technology into the school curriculum to support student learning

Collaborate with colleagues, parents and community members, and other educators to improve student learning;

Reflect on their practice to improve future teaching and student achievement;

Pursue professional growth in both content and pedagogy; and

Instill a passion for learning in their students.

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

INTASCINTASCWhat do they mean about the work of

general and special education teachers?

Understands discipline Student Development Learning Characteristics Uses variety of instructional strategies Motivation and student effort Communication technologies Plans for Instruction Assessment Reflective practitioner Fosters relationships

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Presidential Presidential CommissionCommission Current system places process over results Failure rather than prevention and intervention Unification of general and special education No recourse for families when special education

fails their children Culture of Compliance rather than academic and

social achievement Identification procedures lack validity Children with disabilities need highly qualified

teachers Rigor of special education research questioned Under funded mandate

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DisproportionalityDisproportionality Special Education Eligibility

Based on failure models No guarantee that students have received

state of the art instruction before being referred

School Context & Student Performance School resources, class size and teacher

quality linked to student success Biological & Social Risk Factors in EC

Access to high quality early intervention Improved Data Collection and Research

Scale up promising practices from research

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

SES and Poverty InteractSES and Poverty Interact At every SES level

AA students more likely to be labeled ED, MR and placed in self-contained, SPED classrooms

AA students less likely to be labeled learning disabled or communication disordered and placed in general ed classrooms

As wealth and better schooling increase, AA males are at greater risk of being labeled MR

As the non-minority pop % increases, AA are also at increased risk for MR and ED identification

Oswald, Coutinho & Best (2002). Community and School Predictors of minority children in special education. In Racial Inequity in special education.

Oswald, Coutinho & Best (2002). Community and School Predictors of minority children in special education. In Racial Inequity in special education.

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

IntersectionsIntersections

•Learning

•Culture•Disability

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

NRC: The Influence of NRC: The Influence of SchoolingSchooling

Differential resources Fewer well prepared teachers Poorer facilities

Teaching differences Lower expectations Cultural differences in behavioral

expectationsDifferential opportunity for parental

participation in SE assessment may increase risk

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

Ideal Relationships

Teacher Candidates

Universities Schools

It is one thing to know It is one thing to know the events and the events and

situations which situations which cause or prevent cause or prevent

change from change from happening.happening.

It is an entirely different question to

know what to do about it. (Fullan, 1998)

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Elements of Teacher Elements of Teacher PracticePractice

Student Learning

Professional Identity

Professional Knowledge

Cultural Capital of the Practice Environment

ProfessionalPractice

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Linking Practice to Student Linking Practice to Student OutcomesOutcomes Teachers reach their peak impact

around the 10th year of their teaching and sustain that performance through their 16th to 20th year in the profession.

Teachers become accomplished practitioners around their 5th year of teaching.

Great teachers inoculate their student against poor teaching at least one year beyond.

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

The effects of poor teaching are seen at least one year out …

Great teachers are successful with a wide variety of teachers.

Competent teachers teach to the middle well but leave out the margins.

Poor teachers affect all students but most particularly the students at the margins.

Linking Practice to Student Linking Practice to Student OutcomesOutcomes

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Credentialing Teachers: Credentialing Teachers: Teaching AND PracticeTeaching AND Practice

Critical

ContextualTechnical

Subject Matter Competence AND Teaching Skills

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Teacher LeadershipTeacher Leadership

What we know about learning works for teachers too –

AssessPlanActReflectScaffolded practice Independent practiceData Based Curriculum measures – are the

kids getting more proficient?

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

Incomplete Relationships

SI

schoolsTC

Universities

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

Teacher Preparation and Teacher Preparation and Professional Development Professional Development (NCES, 2001)(NCES, 2001) 80% of all public school teachers were most likely to

have participated in professional development that focused on state or district curriculum and performance standards

74% participated in professional development programs focused on the integration of educational technology into the grade or subject taught

72% participated in in-depth study in the subject area of the main teaching assignment

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

Teacher Preparation and Teacher Preparation and Professional Development (NCES, Professional Development (NCES, 2001)2001) 49% of all teachers did not participate in PD focused on

the needs of students with disabilities 46% of all teachers reported encouraging parent and

community involvement 45 % of all teachers reported strengths in classroom

management, including student discipline 41% of teachers reported addressing the needs of

students from diverse cultural backgrounds Correlation with teachers’ belief in PD and their

participation in such activities

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Least likely PDLeast likely PD 26% participated in PD that addressed the

needs of students with limited English proficiency

For all but one content area of professional development, teachers typically reported that they had spent 1 to 8 hours or the equivalent of 1 day or less on the activity during the 12 months preceding the survey;

In-depth study in the subject area of the main teaching assignment was the only area of professional development in which participation typically lasted more than 8 hours.

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

Frequent Collaborative Frequent Collaborative ActivityActivity 69% reported collaboration with other teachers 62% reported networking with teachers outside

their school 53% reported having a common planning

period 52% reported individual or collaborative

research on a topic of professional interest 26% reported mentoring another teacher in a

formal relationship 23% reported being mentored by another

teacher

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

About their preparationAbout their preparation

61% felt very well prepared to meet the overall demands of their teaching assignments

35% felt moderately well prepared4% felt somewhat well prepared.

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

CompetenciesCompetencies 71% reported feeling very well prepared to

maintain order and discipline in the classroom. 45 percent reported feeling very well prepared to

implement new methods of teaching 44% prepared to implement state or district

curriculum, 37% prepared to use student performance

assessment, 32 % prepared to address the needs of students

from diverse cultural backgrounds and 27% felt prepared to integrate educational

technology into the grade or subject taught

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

Students with non-Students with non-mainstreammainstreamneedsneeds A little more than a quarter (27%) of

teachers indicated that they felt very well prepared to address the needs of students with limited English proficiency, and

Less than a third of all teachers (32%) of the teachers who taught students with disabilities felt very well prepared to address those students’ needs.

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

PD helps to prepare PD helps to prepare teachersteachersWith two exceptions (classroom

management and state or district curriculum and performance standards), teachers who spent over 8 hours in professional development on the activity were more likely than those who spent 1 to 8 hours or those who did not participate at all to indicate that they felt very well prepared for that activity.

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

The Benefits of The Benefits of Collaboration, Networking & Collaboration, Networking & MentoringMentoringFeeling well prepared for the classroom is

associated with Regularly scheduled collaboration with other

teachers Networking with teachers outside the

school, and Mentoring another teacher in a formal

relationship

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

Forgotten Relationships

TC

universities

SI

schools

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

Teacher Preparation & Teacher Preparation & University Programs University Programs (Kozleski, Pugach & Yinger, 2002)(Kozleski, Pugach & Yinger, 2002)

Shared Responsibility Curriculum Renewal

Create a shared language around practices that affect students with disabilities

Reconcile teacher-directed and student-centered approaches to learning

Renew Clinical Experiences for TCs Experience wide range of student variability Extend field experiences Embed reflection and mentoring thru out Connect to career-long professional learning

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

Teacher Preparation & Teacher Preparation & University Programs University Programs (Kozleski, (Kozleski, Pugach & Yinger, 2002)Pugach & Yinger, 2002)Challenges in Field Experiences

Collaborative mentoring and coaching Expand conceptions of C&I Insist on inclusive settings for UDL Collaboration experiences

TC competence required Multidisciplinary, performance based

assessment of candidates

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

Teacher Preparation & Teacher Preparation & University Programs University Programs (Kozleski, Pugach & Yinger, (Kozleski, Pugach & Yinger, 2002)2002)

The first 3 years of TeachingPair experienced teachers with

novices Regional InstitutesMentor Education

Shared Governance

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Alternative RoutesAlternative Routes

Teachers in ResidenceFast Tracks70% of all alternative programs are

led by IHEs

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

Imbalanced Relationships

U S

TC

SIU S

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

Balancing Change Balancing Change DynamicsDynamics

Practice

Point of View

Justice

Flexibility

Context

Research

Equity

Capacity

Coherence

Generalizability

Systemic Systemic Change Change FrameworkFramework

Systemic Systemic Change Change FrameworkFramework

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Looking at Change over Looking at Change over TimeTime70’s: Family advocacy, Uncharted

Territories and Great Opportunities80’s: Growth of professional

knowledge & the focus on Inclusion90’s: Educational Reform: What

constituted best practice?00’s: Increasing regulation and

science as the means to understand

““Successful education Successful education reformers develop reformers develop

practical strategies to practical strategies to manage change in a manage change in a

systemic way.” systemic way.” ((Fitting Fitting

the Piecesthe Pieces, US. Dept. of , US. Dept. of Education, p.iiii)Education, p.iiii)

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

Results of the Results of the PressuresPressures

New standards for student learning Accountability/accreditation: pressures

on buildings for continuous improvement cycles.

New standards for Higher Education New teacher prep. standards / State

control of Personnel Prep funding Partnerships for teacher education For-profit teacher preparation programs. Research indicators of what teachers

need to succeed - indicate ideal world

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

The Economic FactsThe Economic Facts

480,000 new jobs in CO since 1993 Average salary for a B.A. professional =

$41,138 Average salary for B.A. starting teacher =

$24,475 (a gap of $16,663) Gap between starting M.A. teacher and

other M.A. professionals = $22,316 Range of highest possible teacher salaries

from sample of districts = $32,45 - $62,000 (after 39 years experience)

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

Ideal Relationships

School Improvement

Universities Schools

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

Research FactsResearch Facts A variety of research identifies factors

that enhance and impede quantity and quality of our education task force.

Factors that enhance student achievement; Lowering Pupil/ teacher Ratio -.04 Increasing salaries - .16 Increasing the amount of teacher experience

- .18

Increasing teacher education - .22

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

Research shows these Research shows these factors support teacher factors support teacher retention:retention:

Working conditions (reasonable workload)

Administrative Support Personnel development Effective communication Opportunities for shared decision making Collegiality Career options Formal mentoring programs

(Spense ’02; Kozleski, Mainzer, Deshler et al., 00)

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Research Also Indicates Research Also Indicates Why Special Educators Why Special Educators Leave:Leave: Overwhelming class size

Too much paperwork Lack of adequate support staff Too many non-teaching responsibilities Lack of administrative support Other teachers’ attitudes to special

education No input into policies

(Spense, ’02)

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

The single, biggest factor The single, biggest factor that Special Educators that Special Educators leave -leave -Lack of administrative support - more

often from central office administration than building level administrators (Kozleski, Mainzer, Deshler,… 02)

Teachers felt “unsupported, unprepared, overwhelmed by student needs or job responsibilities, disempowered, or all of these.” (Brownnell, ‘97)

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

Research that points to a need Research that points to a need for more supportfor more supportSPED complain they need help with:

No time to develop curriculum Overwhelming student concerns and

negative attitudes about school Perceived lack of student progress,

student behaviors Emotional and physical exhaustion Administrative obstacles,/ paperwork Increased liability and legal issues

(Kozleski, et al., 02)

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

Effects and Responses: Effects and Responses: Special Education Special Education Recruitment/retentionRecruitment/retention

SPED continues to decline as attractive career

More on TTES/emergency licenses - those working with the most challenging students, the least qualified

Students in teacher preparation programs less qualified, busier, already working in the field

Lower degree requirements for SPED Generalist special educator license

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

Thinking about How we Thinking about How we changechange

Organizational Sustainability

Networking

Systemic Self-Monitoring

Implementation Review & Correction

Personal InterdependenceFaculty Buy-In

Commitment to School ImprovementTechnical DevelopmentInitial Training

Contextual Developme

nt

Follow-Up

Coaching

Critical Development

Public reflection about self and others

Focus on improvement & social justice for each

student

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The ‘00’s -Teacher The ‘00’s -Teacher PerformancePerformance

Pressures Reports of student achievement by

classroom CSAP scores disaggregated by disability Alternate assessments More students, more diversity 106 proposed education bills in legislature

Supports Regional training and supports State and regional CSPD plans

Inclusive Schools: Good for Urban Kids, Families and Communities

Margaret Mead

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, that is the only thing that ever has.