California State University, Bakersfield

Institutional Review Board

Quarterly Progress Report

April 2nd, 2014

Edvention Partners: An Innovative University and K-12 Collaborative to

Improve Science and Math Education in Central California

Purpose

The purpose of this report is to describe our university/K-12 collaborative that brings together five partners over a five-year period with the goal of preparing and retaining highly effective teachers in math and science who can positively impact student achievement. Even though the grant emphasizes math and science, other areas of teacher preparation are also affected since the Department of Education requires reform to all programs. Funded through the U.S. Department of Education’s Teacher Quality Partnership Program, Edvention Partners is an innovative partnership that brings together three universities and two K-12 county offices of education to address the diverse needs of schools within a large, primarily rural, central region of California. To achieve this goal, the partnership includes California State University, Bakersfield, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, California State University, Monterey Bay, Tulare County Office of Education, and Kern County Superintendent of Schools working together with 18 schools in 12 high-need rural districts to develop and offer programs for prospective, new, and experienced teachers. The primary vehicle for this project is the development of professional learning communities (PLC) that are inclusive of all stakeholders engaged in student success.

Significance to the Field

We believe our university/K-12 partnership provides a model of practice by utilizing our individual and shared strengths. Our programs include both Common Core components shared across partners as well as unique contributions specific to each partner. For example, a common component includes curricula that focus on scientifically supported teaching and learning methodologies that are consistent across pre-service, induction, and in-service programs. Individual contributions include offering different pathways to teacher preparation, such as school-based and technology-delivered programs for student teachers, and district internship programs. By working together, we hope to impact the life cycle of a teacher, from recruitment through preparation and induction to seasoned professional, who in turn impacts the lives of K-12 students and their accomplishments.

Key Elements

We are closing in on the end of the fifth year of a five-year project (a sixth unfunded year is presumed to take place) with partners from higher education and K-12, our intent has been to draw upon theory, research, and our own multiple experiences and perspectives to determine best practices and to evaluate these practices under different school conditions.

Goals Our four major goals include: (1) to reform and enhance teacher preparation programs; (2) to improve and sustain a high-quality clinical educational program for pre-service and new teachers; (3) to develop and implement effective mechanisms to ensure that the eligible partner districts are able to recruit qualified individuals to become highly qualified teachers; and (4) to provide professional development for teacher leaders, site administrators, superintendents, university faculty and doctoral candidates in research based best practices in school improvement and educational leadership.

Common Reform Elements To reform teacher preparation programs, the U.S. Department of Education has emphasized certain elements critical to teacher preparation. These reform elements ground our work and will be integrated throughout our programs so that they are developmental and consistent across the teaching career continuum. The 15 elements include both candidate outcomes and program aspects:

Candidates:

  • Use research based teaching practices in classroom instruction
  • Use student achievement data to improve instruction
  • Use differentiated instruction to meet learning needs of all students
  • Use principles of universal design for learning (UDL) to enhance student success
  • Use positive behavioral interventions and support strategies to support all students
  • Use strategies to improve academic literacy and assist emergent readers
  • Have skills and knowledge to teach advanced placement (AP) and international baccalaureate (IB) courses
  • Participate in the individualized education program (IEP) process

Programs:

  • Develop programs in collaboration with the academic disciplines
  • Develop admission goals aligned with local education agency (LEA) needs
  • Develop early field experiences that prepare candidates for a year-long clinical experience
  • Implement year-long clinical experience focusing on ELD and rural students
  • Involve university faculty, teachers, school administrators, and induction leaders in the operation and supervision of the clinical experience
  • Develop teams of candidates, teachers, and university faculty who share instructional responsibilities in the classroom
  • Develop effective mentoring and induction programs to improve new teacher practice and reduce teacher attrition

Recruitment A critical component of preparing and retaining highly qualified teachers is recruitment that targets the region in which the teacher will work. In this project, we will focus on outreach to students in district high schools and community colleges, as well as to potential change of career individuals, in a “grow your own” model. In particular, we will attempt to recruit potential candidates from diverse groups who reflect the region’s population.

Year-long Integrated Curriculum and Clinical ExperiencesAll programs are in the process of being redesigned with curriculum and clinical practice integrated in a year-long experience. Candidates are admitted into a cohort whereby they engage in learning and practice teaching over the course of a school year, working with university and school educators on their development as teachers. This integrated cohort model,servesas a continuous core for the preparation program and is extended into their induction and on-going professional development experiences.

Mentoring and Induction Another critical component of teacher education is assisting new teachers in their first years of teaching to ensure their continued development in research-based teaching practices that positively impact student achievement. All new teachers will be provided with support providers who are specially trained in the critical reform elements on good teaching and who serve on support teams with school and university educators. These induction leaders will help new teachers meet the goals of our programs and induction expectations.

Professional Learning Communities We are creating professional learning communities with new and experienced teachers, P-12 site administrators, district teacher-leaders, and university faculty utilizing research-based strategies and practices. For example, to emphasize the reform elements, we have developed a “cycle of activity model” (CAM) that includes experts from the university and K-12 partners who jointly develop a knowledge base of research and best practices for effective teaching. To complement the CAMs, we are utilizing case-based approaches that incorporate the reform elements and reflect the teaching, learning, and school characteristics within our partnership. In addition, we are offering professional development for school leaders in such areas as student achievement, teacher support and retention, technology integration, and assessment and use of data.

**********IRB UPDATE********April, 2014********IRB UPDATE**********

IRB Protocol 10-157 – Edvention Fellows

The Edvention Fellowship is a fellowship program at California State University, Bakersfield that recruits the most talented and ambitious teacher education candidates, and is funded by the Federal grant project, Teacher Quality Partnership Programs Grant (TQP). The primary purpose of the Edvention Fellowship Program is to develop highly qualified credential candidates through enhancing their teacher preparation training, and by providing intensive professional development opportunities.In the Fellowship, Fellows are offered educational opportunities based on a set of core reform elements in the areas including but not limited to: technology, English learning strategies, differentiated instruction, Literacy/Emergent readers, and data driven instruction. All Fellows take and receive credit for a Graduate Level Curriculum and Instruction course applied toward the MA degree in Curriculum and Instruction at no additional cost. Other benefits to fellows include: personalized advising and concentrated mentoring support in chosen content areas; assistance with career and professional development; and opportunities to participate in a Professional Learning Community. This intensive program connects candidates with district leaders and teachers, creating real educational changes.

Baseline data for the 2010/2011 Edvention Fellowship program was gathered. From these results, the program was adjusted to address areas of concern and deficit. The baseline survey gathered valuable data for program improvement.

To assess program changes and knowledge of Edvention’s reform elements, a follow up survey was given to the 2010/2011 Edvention Fellows at the end of the year. This end of the year data provided valuable feedback. The baseline data and the follow up survey indicate individual growth and knowledge among the fellows. These data have informed the design of the 2011/2012 Edvention Fellowship Program.

Researchers have administered the survey to the 2011/2012 Edvention Fellows in the Fall Quarter and will use that information to continue to determine the impact of this cohort model. A survey, focus groups, and individual meetings will be used to continue gathering data on the Edvention Fellows. The key question under consideration is the benefit and sustainability of this cohort model after the grant funding ends and what parts of the model are worth keeping. Another question that has arisen from this work is, what portions of the model are generalizable to the rest of the student teaching population, and would it be as effective for the larger population?

Based on what we have learned from our surveys and working with the Edvention Fellows we expanded the fellowship in the winter quarter of 2013 to the entire credentialing program.

April 2, 2014

Using the data collected we will be making three presentations at the National Social Science Association’s Las Vegas national Technology & Social Science Conference. Presentation topics will include:Reforming the Clinical Experience through Co-Teaching, Research Results on Teacher Quality: A Report Using Interactive Logic Modeling Cycles, and Reforming Teacher Education through A Community of Practice.

Jan 21, 2014

We have one in press publication at this time: “Promoting Teacher Candidates’ Self-Efficacy Through Professional Learning Activities: Towards Equity and Quality Teacher Training” Suleiman & Schultz based on research from the Fellows. We will be the featured article in the first edition of the new Center for Leadership Equity and Research journal.

We are continuing to analyze the effect the TQP reforms have on teacher education.

Sept 26, 2013

We have completed the protocol and are beginning the analysis of the data. Our goal is to have our first piece of research completed by the end of December.

June 12, 2013

We have just submitted a new protocol for the expanded TED Fellowship. We have some additional questions from the panel and have just submitted the answers to these questions. We hope to do a large amount of work on this research piece this summer.

April 19, 2013 Update

Unfortunately because of time constraints we have yet to submit the new protocol for the TED Fellows expansion project. This is now a top priority for our office and the IRB will be submitted in the very near future.

January 17, 2013 Update

Based on what we have learned from the Edvention Fellows we are now offering similar training and professional development to all credential students. The Edvention Fellows expansion project is now underway and known as the TED Fellows. At this time we are using the same survey as we did with the original Edvention Fellows. However we will be submitting a new protocol for the TED expansion. In addition we are submitting a protocol for the professional development piece of the expansion project. The first official professional development for the TED Fellows is on February 2.

October 1, 2012 update:

We have started our last small cohort (15) of fellows for the 2012-2013 academic year. Starting in the winter quarter we will be offering professional development, mentoring support and additional technology instruction to all students in teacher education. Our goal is to allow credential students to participate in 40 additional hours of professional development and receive a n “Edvention Fellows” certificate. These certificates will allow our credential completers to show that they have added value to their regular credential and are committed to becoming life long learners in the teaching profession. Our goal is to enable each credential student to become more marketable through this added value.

June 21, 2012

Several of our Edvention Fellows are supporting and co-teaching in the Summer of Innovation project, a collaboration between NASA, Edvention Partners and the Lamont school district. 500 middle school students are participating in a summer science program that includes hands on science activities and culminates in a day long visit to the CSUB campus where they will be launching rockets among other activities.

The research responsibility for the Edvention Fellows is being conducted by Dr. Schultz, Dr. Swenson, Dr. Tucker, and Ms. Brooks-Ariola for the duration of the grant.

IRB Protocol 11-66 - Cycle of Activity Model (CAM)

A Cycle of Activity Model Professional Learning Community (PLC) has been established for all of the 15 reform initiatives of the Education Partnership to research and investigate research based best practices and future actions associated with the reform elements. The Core Leadership Team combined some of the Reform Elements creating a more manageable list of reforms to study and implement. Now there are 7 Reform elements that will be included in the research and reported to the Department of Education annually. The CAM PLCs are made up of a multi-disciplinary faculty and staff nominated by each of the partners to form the CAM PLC. Ideally, each of the five partners will have at least one representative in the group. The five to ten nominees include representatives from both higher education and PreK-12.

Group leadership and development of a calendar of activities

At the initial meeting the first order of business will be the identification of a group leader to be selected through consensus agreement or election. The group leader will then work with the other participants to describe a calendar of activity that will include:

  • Date, time, and location of the subsequent meeting
  • Arrangements for conducting work between meetings
  • Frequency of electronic or actual meetings
  • Deadline dates for the production of curriculum products and resources

All group members should have equal authority in the determination of workload allocation, duration of meeting, frequency and time of meetings, tasks to be performed, standards to be met, and scope of work to be performed.

Scope of work to be performed

The purpose of each curriculum reform group is to provide resources, templates, and model documents that will assist the faculty of each partner institution to incorporate the reform elements into the curriculum of the local credential programs in a manner to be determined by each partner.

A knowledge base of research and promising practices that describes preferred practice in the area of reform will be established. The knowledge base would describe the characteristics and quality indicators of preferred practice in the reform area. It would also identify leading researchers in the field and their works, including a guiding bibliography. The knowledge base will guide colleagues in local settings as they develop course syllabi, student assignments, select instructional resources, lesson plans, and assessments. Additionally, this knowledge base will be updated at least annually and the updated file made available to other CAMs.

Consistent with the theory base of our grant, we have agreed to embed the following elements into all work efforts where possible:

  • Technology integration;
  • Culturally responsive practice;
  • Data-enhanced decision making;
  • Capacity building through collaborative strategies such as communities of practice; and
  • Distributed leadership

An annotated set of resources will be used by the instructor as the reform area is taught within the curriculum. The resources may include texts, media, exercises, examples of student work products, assessments, rubrics, other formats for using evaluative criteria, and model syllabi.

A brief professional development program will be provided by select members of the CAM PLC to faculty and staff of the partners responsible for installing the reform component into the credential program. The goal of this professional development is to expand CAM capacity in breadth and depth across the partnership. Professional development should address how to build capacity of individuals as well as systemic capacity.

Sequence of activity in the cycle

  1. Convene the committee and select a leader
  2. Describe scope of work to be done
  3. Determine logistics for performing the work
  4. Delegate tasks, determine deadlines, monitor group process
  5. Develop curriculum resources pertaining to the reform
  6. Develop the professional development program for partner constituents
  7. Review the work performed from each partner’s installation effort
  8. Provide a resource compilation and report of events to the executive council

CAM Update through June 6, 2012

The key researchers of this work are Dr. Guaglianone and Dr. Schultz who made a presentation about the CAM findings as a poster session for the Annual District Meeting of the Edvention Partnership Grant at CSUB in April 2011. The proposal to the American Educational Research Association to present the findings from this research was not accepted. The comments from the reviewers have been used by Drs. Guaglianone and Schultz to rewrite the manuscript and prepare it for submission – a manuscript will be sent for publication by the end of this summer.

All CAM work and findings will be reported on the TQP Annual Performance Review 524b in July 2012 to the Department of Education.