Establishing a Strong Foundation: District and School-Level Supports for Classroom Implementation of the LDC and MDC Frameworks. Executive Summary
Author: Reumann-Moore, Rebecca
Date: 2011-09-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Learner Engagement,State Standards,Technical Assistance,Expertise,Formative Evaluation,Academic Standards,Student Evaluation,Writing Skills,Mathematics Skills,Core Curriculum,Grants,School Districts,Teacher Attitudes,Pilot Projects,Interviews,Administrator Attitudes,Surveys,Literacy Education,Program Effectiveness,Leadership,Program Implementation,Teacher Competencies

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has invested in the development and dissemination of high-quality instructional and formative assessment tools to support teachers' incorporation of the Core Common State Standards (CCSS) into their classroom instruction. Literacy experts have developed a framework and a set of templates that teachers can use to develop content area modules focused on high quality writing tasks closely tied to subject area texts. Math experts have developed formative assessment lessons (FALs) that teachers can incorporate throughout the year's curriculum. Across both content areas, the tools target the "instructional core" by raising the level of content; enhancing teachers' skill and knowledge about instruction, content and formative assessment; and catalyzing student engagement in their learning so that they will achieve at high levels. These tools were piloted in multiple settings during the 2010-11 school year. In some cases, school districts applied for and received grants to implement the Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) or the Mathematics Design Collaborative (MDC). In others, regional intermediaries served as the grantee and as primary organizer of the work; and, in still others, national networks were the grantee and the organizer. The Foundation has asked Research for Action (RFA) to study the early adoption of these tools, focusing particularly on teachers' response to and use of the tools. The authors' research during the first year of implementation consisted of site visits to eight (four literacy and four math) pilot sites, interviews with a range of teachers, administrators, technical assistance providers and other foundation partners, as well as surveys to teachers in all participating sites in spring 2011. Ninety-six LDC participants took the survey for a response rate of 71%. Eighty-three MDC participants took the survey for a response rate of 53%. It's important to note that survey findings about early outcomes are based on teacher perceptions and self-report. This executive summary provides an overview of the authors' analysis of the school and district-level conditions and contexts that lead to successful adoption of the tools, and a status report of the degree to which such conditions are present in pilot sites after one year of implementation. It examines the actions that school and district leaders can take to support teachers' adoption and effective implementation of the tools. (Contains 8 tables, 1 figure and 1 footnote.) [For the full reports, "Establishing a Strong Foundation: District and School Supports for Classroom Implementation of the LDC Framework" and "Establishing a Strong Foundation: District and School Supports for Classroom Implementation of the MDC Framework," see ED539596 and ED539600, respectively.]