Capturing Your Classroom: a Learning Experience

Opt-In Information

Project CYCLE: Overview

City Schools’ Office of Teacher Support & Development is offering schools the opportunity to participate in Project CYCLE; a project focused on the engagement of teachers and mentors in the cycle of development through the use of innovative technology and research-based mentoring/coaching methods. This project is sponsored by the Office of Teacher Support & Development and is being implemented with the support of thereNow, PD360, and the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education (See the Appendix for details on each partner).

City Schools has procured a small numberof thereNow’sLiveView camera and IRIS Connectonline platform. These items are being used as tools through which participating teachers and mentors can more fully engage in the cycle of development through video capture, review, reflection, and feedback on classroom instruction.

In concert with thethereNow’sLiveView camera and IRIS Connectonline platform, participating teachers will engage in the University Of Virginia Curry School Of Education’s My Teaching Partner(MTP) coaching cycle. This component of the project will guide mentors in the use of prompts, protocols, and action plans as they provide meaningful feedback to teachers.

Finally, teachers will also have the opportunity to share their video through PD360, an online platform for sharing video with other teachers in the district.

Together these supports are designed to improve teaching and learning in the district; including, but not limited to, improved instruction, classroom management, teacher retention, mentoring, and student outcomes.

Project CYCLE: SchoolEligibility

Selecting the Participating Schools and Teachers:

The number of cameras purchased by the district is limited and thus we are only able to offer this opportunity to 10-15 schools. Therefore, participation in this project will be determined on an opt-in basis followed by a random lottery to select both the schools and the teachers in those schools to participate. Additional narrowing of the opt-in pool will occur based on the technology infrastructure needed for the LiveViewcamera and IRIS Connectonline platform.

Opt-in Eligibility:

This opportunity is being offered to schools thatoffer grades 3 through 8. Any school with these grades can opt-in to the project regardless of school configuration (i.e.,PreK-5, PreK-8, K-5, K-8, 6-8, 6-12, etc.). Those teaching Math and English Language Arts will be eligible to participate in the project.

Opting-in to the project it is a signal to the Office of Teacher Support & Development that:

  • The administration of that school supports the project
  • The administration has garnered support for the project within the school
  • The schools and its participating staff commit to follow through with all responsibilities and requirements[1] through the 2012-2013 school year per the project timeline detailed below.

Project CYCLE: Participant Roles & Responsibilities

Personnel Requirements:

Administrator/School Leadership:

  • Garner support and buy-in from teachers in tested grades to implement the project
  • Select 1 site-based mentor/coach/support personnel to participate in the project for every 3-5 teachers that are selected to participate.
  • Select 1 site-based technology contact person to support the set up of the cameras and online platform
  • Protect the time for teachers and coaches to meet during collaborative planning time each week
  • Optional participation in training on the LiveViewcamera and IRIS Connectplatform
  • Optional participation in training on the My Teaching Partner coaching cycle
  • Participate in evaluation strategy

School-Based Mentor/ Teacher Support Person (See Appendix for details):

  • Engage in the cycle of development (learn, implement, reflect, share, feedback) with the participating teachers bi-weekly using the IRIS Connect online platform associated with the LiveView camera
  • View teacher video and write prompts for teachers aligned to City Schools’ Instructional Framework
  • Meet with teacher bi-weekly to reflect on instruction and develop action plans
  • Participate in training on the LiveView camera, IRIS Connectplatform, My Teaching Partner, and the Instructional Framework
  • Participate in evaluation strategy

Teachers (See Appendix for details):

  • Record classroom instruction bi-weekly
  • Engage in the cycle of development (learn, implement, reflect, share, feedback) with the mentor/coach/support personnel bi-weekly through the IRIS Connect online platform associated with the LiveViewcamera
  • Meet with mentor/coach/support personnel bi-weekly to reflect on instruction and develop action plans
  • Participate in training on the LiveViewcamera, IRIS Connect platform, My Teaching Partner, and the Instructional Framework
  • Participate in evaluation strategy

Technology Set-up and Support:

  • Regular set-up and storage of LiveViewcamera in classrooms
  • Contact for troubleshooting with the LiveView camera and IRIS Connectonline platform

Project CYCLE: Evaluation of the Project

The University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education, in concert with the Office of Teacher Support & Development, will be evaluating this project. The project will be implemented for the 2012-2013 school year and will include a post-intervention follow-up evaluation. The evaluation employs a mixed methods design, intending to understand the effect of CYCLE on the long-term outcomes of student achievement, teacher effectiveness ratings and teacher retention. CYCLE's effect on these outcomes may be importantly influenced by a number of short-term and intermediate outcomes, including teacher perception of teaching practice, teacher effectiveness ratings, mentor perception of mentoring practice, mentor effectiveness ratings[2], project implementation and community development. The short and intermediate term outcomes will provide important information as to why CYCLE succeeded or failed to influence the long term outcomes of student achievement, teacher effectiveness ratings and teacher retention.

Regardless of assignment as a treatment or control group,the evaluation will be collecting the following data from your school:

  • Teacher, mentor, and administration survey data
  • Teacher and mentor focus groups
  • Student test score data
  • Teacher effectiveness ratings

The goals of the evaluation are as follows:

  • Understand the implementation of the LiveViewcamera, IRIS Connect online platform, and My Teaching Partner (mentor/coach cycle).
  • Understand teacher and mentor perceptions of the use of the camera and mentor/coach cycle.
  • Determine the impact of the camera and mentor/coach cycle on key teacher and student outcomes, such as:
  • Teacher retention;
  • Teacher evaluation ratings;
  • Mentor engagement;
  • Mentor goal achievement; and
  • Student outcomes on standardized tests.

Project CYCLE: Training & Evaluation Timeline

The timeline below outlines the approximate month in which training and evaluation obligations are to occur.

July-Sept. 2012 / Jan.
2013 / June 2013 / Aug. 2013
Training: Instructional Framework (2 days) / x
Training: MTP Cycle of Development (2 days) / x / x
Training: LiveViewCamera & IRIS Connect platform (1 day) / x
Focus Groups: Teachers, Administrators and Mentors/Coaches / x
Surveys: Teachers, Administrators and Mentors/Coaches / x / x / x
Follow-up Survey: Teachers and Mentors/Coaches / x
Data Collection: Student Outcomes and Teacher Effectiveness / x / x

Project CYCLE: Opt-In Instructions

If you are interested in this opportunity for your school, pleaseclick to complete the online opt-in form:

Click Here >Project CYCLEOPT-IN FORM

Completion and submission of this form indicates that you are opting-in to the project. Thus, your submission signals that you understand the goal of the project and are aware of all eligibility requirements, roles and responsibilities, evaluation participation, and project timeline requirements as noted above.

  • Upon review of all submissions
  • City Schools’ Information technology Department (ITD) will confirm that opt-in schools have the IT infrastructure necessary to participate in the project
  • If a school does not have the IT infrastructure needed for the project that school will not be able to participate and will be notified.
  • After review of opt-in schools, those that meet the opt-in criteria and have the IT infrastructure necessary for the projectwill be randomly assigned to participate as a member of either the treatment or control group.
  • City Schools’ Office of Teacher Support & Development will contact you to notify you of your project participation and group assignment
  • City Schools will provide all treatment group schools with additional information around implementation. Specifically,
  • The LiveViewcamera and My Teaching Partner cycle details
  • Teacher opt-in/selection processes
  • Mentor/Coach opt-in/selection processes
  • Training logistics
  • Evaluation logistics

All Opt-In Forms must be submitted online to the Office of Teacher Support & Development by June 1st.

MORE INFORMATION?

If you would like more information about the project or have questions about the opt-in process, please contact the Office of Teacher Support & Development or indicate on the opt-in form that you would like to attend the webinar being offered to discuss the project.

APPENDIX

Figure 1: City Schools’ My Teaching Partner Implementation Cycle

CYCLE Project Calendar Example

This calendar is an example of the cycle of development to be engaged in between teachers and mentors.

September 2012
Mon / Tue / Wed / Thu / Fri
3
Teacher records video / 4 / 5
Coach reviews video, selects clip, and writes prompts / 6 / 7
10
Teacher reviews the video, specific clip, and responds to the prompts / 11 / 12
Coach reviews teacher’s responses to prompts / 13
Coach and teacher participate in a conference to discuss next steps and write an action plan / 14
17
CYCLE REPEATS / 18 / 19 / 20 / 21
24
/ 25 / 26 / 27 / 28

Partners of the Project:

thereNow: Provides the camera and software platform to capture live classroom video and execute the feedback and coaching process. We have purchased 40 cameras and the associated software with Year 1 RTTT funds for use in schools beginning in the 2012-2013 school year.

Iris Connect LiveViewCamera

School Improvement Network: Provides a video library (PD360) of over 250 viewable hours of research-based strategies, proven methods, expert opinion, and real classroom examples. It will also provide a platform for sharing video with the other 190+ schools and programs that are not part of the group of 10 schools who have cameras and are using the feedback process.

Bob Pianta – Teachstone, University of Virginia Curry School of Education: The My Teaching Partner process will be used as a foundation for the cycle of development that will be used in conjunction with the Iris Connect LiveViewCamera and sharing of video to the PD360 platform. We have been working with this partner embed the process in the camera software and use the City Schools instructional Framework and Rubrics as the basis for feedback and mentoring/coaching. The University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education will also be leading the evaluation of the LiveViewCycle of Development Project

[1]Failure to comply with the expectations above may result in the removal of the technology and support from the school.

[2] Mentor effectiveness ratings are currently in development and will be available for 2012-2013 school year.