District of Columbia Public Schools: Communities of Practice Readiness Assessment

8/14/2019 District of Columbia Public Schools: Communities of Practice Readiness Assessment

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CCTP - 675 Communities of PracticeFall 2009

Practicing Education:A Communities of Practice Readiness Assessment

of the District of Columbia Public School System


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Objectives

Assessment - what is missing?A peer-to-peer CoP

Baseline current state of DCPS.We have a problem

Recommendations laying a COP framework for teachers.

GEORGETOWN CoP growing and maintaining a DCPS CoP.


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Problem: student performance levels within DCPS are farbelow the national average. On a 2007 National Assessmentof Educational Practice, DCPS ranked last compared to statesand comparable urban districts.Solution: "bad" teachers targeted as #1 obstacle hinderingsystem improvement. "Bad" teachers to be replaced with with"good" ones.

Chancellor Rhee's

"battle against badteachers."

Baseline


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For the most part, reform has been a top-down affair

* from DCPS.dc.govWhere are teacher voices?This approach is problematic ...

BASELINE

Baseline


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One teacher writes,

"While the [Professional Development] course was a waste oftime and money by DCPS, it served as a cautionary tale abouthow NOT to teach as a new teacher.

adding,

I was happy meet quite a few veteran teachers who gave greatadvice about "real life" in DCPS versus the PR version."

* Fromhttp://dcteachingfellow2009.blogspot.com/

Another problem: few resources for the practice of teaching

Baseline


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Current approach has led to negative outcomesRhee is the face of "other" chronic trust issues

Teachers are galvanized againstthe systemTeachers fear for their jobs #1 concernPractice of teaching negligible within current discourse

anti-union ad from TheCenter for Union Facts.

Baseline


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* from Daniel Andriessen's Making Profit from Intellectual Capital, Intellectual Capital Conference, Jakarta, March 8,2005

Teachers are often taught more about subject matter than the practice of teaching.Question how can the practice of teaching itselfbe improved?Answersituational learning in which knowledge is transferred within contextand

occurs through immersion in the activities of a discipline of study.

Assessment


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DC TeachingFellows Intention Execution

Although new DCPS programs are still works in progress, the execution so far hascreated and exacerbated existing issues that impact the potential success ofCommunities of Practice. Good intentions cannot mask a culture lacking in trust and

respect.

Lack of trust Poor relationship

building Lack established

forums/tools forcollaborationBETWEEN teachers

Lack ofprofessionalism

Impact

The teaching fellows program was established in 2001. Comments in Execution section from anonymous teaching fellows bloggerMore at http://dcteachingfellow2009.blogspot.com/. For more information go here:http://teachers.net/states/dc/topic4/11.07.05.13.53.16.html

Other groups wed like information about: Teachers Central to Leadership, Urban Education Leaders Internship Program

Assessment


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Communities of Practice: A Solution for DCPS?

In our analysis of DCPS, we propose a CoP model as a space for the situational

learning to occur.

From Professor Bedfords CCTP 675 Course Material

Value of CoPs

Short Term Value

Arena for problem solving Quick answers Reduced time & costs Improved decision quality More perspectives Improved quality assurance Risk taking with backing

Long Term Value Strategic plan implementation

Authority with clients Increased talent retention Benchmarking foundation Knowledge-based alliances Unplanned capabilities surface Capacity building for new options

Value of CoPs toDCPS

Teachers can share tacit insightsabout teaching and the culturaland social climate within a school

Teachers can potentially conveyexpectations and best practicesmore effectively than a contractedtraining course

Teachers of different demographicprofiles with different skill-sets canengage in mutual mentorship

Assessment


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Using Etienne Wenger's visualization of a CoP tomodel a DCPS CoP

* from Wenger

Visualizing CoPs

Domain

*Passion for teaching*Image from the outside basedon Michelle Rhee, layoffs, andperformance reviews*Negotiating boundaries ofcommunity*Lack of cohesive identity

Practice

*Classroom resources*Lack of shared resources*Professional development*Digital divide*Top-down approach of DCPS

Community*Support (or lack thereof) from

other teachers, administration,parents*Lack of private space andtime*Balancing needs of the Union,Teach for America, DCTeaching Fellows


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Are you a member of acommunity of teachers?I do not mind lettingteachers who teach mysubject copy my lesson plan.

How often do you

collaborate with non-DCPSteachers?If time was set aside duringthe school day to usecollaborative online toolsresources, how likely is itthat you would use theseresources?

Searching for existing CoPs: Establishing a CoP Baseline

Initial plan present a questionnaire to small portion of teaching community in order to get asense for how much teachers collaborate with one another on a regular basis.

We targeted three schools Shepherd Elementary School HD Woodson High School Johnson Middle School

Objectives1. Assessing teacher willingness to collaborate with one another2. Whether teachers collaborate already3. How often collaboration occurs4. Membership levels in teaching (or other) communities5. Internet use & accessibility6. Willingness to use collaborative online resources

* While we would have liked to measure the need for collaborative technology in all schoolsthroughout the city, we had limited resources and time.

Assessment


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Assessment

we need to work together to createpositive and conducive teaching andlearning environments.... poor planning that has continued to

make teaching and learning

difficult for teachersboth TFA andveteran. There's way too much atstake for those of us in the trenchesnot to speak out and demand anactive role in DCPS reform. Thestudents of DCPS can't wait another 5years to get things right.

Teachers who Blog

http://realeducationreformdc.blogspot.com/2009/10/rhee-fires-229-teac...


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Teach for America*Facilitate teacher mentoring relationships*Bridge gaps between administration and teachers

*Build trust between teachers

"There is the hidden racism thatsome bring up. Thats because theTeach for America crowd is seventy

percent white. That makes forproblems that people who are notminorities dont discern, but mostdont voice the thoughts. We allknow that change has to come."-Blog post by former DCPS teacher

Could existing infrastructure and relationshipsbetween teachers in Teach for Americasupport CoPs in DCPS?

TFA's ongoing teacher development andLearning Teams form CoPs

TFA teachers participate in a differentdomain than other DCPS teachers

Boundaries between TFA teachers andDCPS teachers prevent CoP connections

from forming

Assessment

From Teach for America's Matriculation Guide, teachfor.us (TFA blog platform),amandadavenport.com


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Setbacks and an Important Preliminary Finding

Assessment

Constraints:

Time

Institutional SupportRespect

TrustBureaucracyAwareness

The tenor of the feedback we received from the DCPS forced us to reevaluate

the realities of applying Wenger's CoP framework to the DCPS context.

These preliminary findings made us realize that research and recommendationsbased on Community of Practice concepts and principles - particularly from"outsiders" - are sensitive and need to be approached with diplomacy.


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Further Setbacks: Divisions within DCPS that need to be transcended

There are a number of divisions that contribute to the lack of trust within the DCPScommunity. Overcoming the divides that contribute to this mistrust is a fundamentalstep to enabling the formation of Communities of Practice.

Us VERSUS Themmentality

General Divisions Older versus younger (challenges mentor

and reverse-mentor relationships) Race (Rhee vs teachers; within teaching

community) Digital divide Philosophies about teaching (classical

education versus all the new tools) Knowledge about how to teach over

knowledge about subject area Teachers and mid-tier administration like

principals

Critical divisions within DCPS Old pay system versus new Teachers and district administration Teachers and principals Union membership

Assessment


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Changing the focus from estrangement to improving practice of teachingThe "us versus them" mentality has created an environment in which the DCPSstakeholders are focused more on the divisions within the community than on finding

commonalities and building knowledge to improving the practice of teaching.

The potential for sharing and learning exists, but the Chancellors approach to teachers,the top-down focus of programs and guidelines, and the recent RIFFs reinforce the idea

that DCPS teachers are victims. This makes it difficult for them to recognize theirpotential and the potential of Communities of Practice.

Recommendations


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General Challenges & Areas of Opportunity

Recommendations

Management Challenges

* find well-respected community members to coordinate community.* make sure people have time and encouragement.* build on core values of the organization.

* focus on topics important to the community members.Technical Challenges* make it easy to contribute and access the community's knowledge and practices.

Community Challenges* get key thought leaders involved.* build personal relationships among community members.* develop an active passionate core group.* create forums for thinking together as well as systems for sharing information.


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District Administration

LocalAdministration

LocalAdministration

LocalAdministration

LocalAdministration

LocalAdministration

To build that trust, we propose introducing a number of voluntary roles which can helpempower teachers and introduce a more horizontal, inclusive approach to improvingthe practice of teaching. These roles provide the foundation for a number ofinterconnected CoPs.

Recommendations


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Social Network Mapping

Hierarchy does not reflectCole's central role in thenetwork

Leaders in the hierarchy arentnecessarily the mostconnected in a the network

Hierarchy does not reflectKellys central role in thenetwork

Recommendations


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Roles and Functions Within a Network Practice...

Recommendations

Role Primary Function Description

Central Connector Weaving helping people meet eachother, ensuring access to toinformation

Information Broker Coordinating Helping people plan andimplement collaborative

actions

Boundary Spanner Facilitating Helping others explorepotential shared identity andvalue propositions


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Case Study: Highland Elementary School

Recommendations

Common planning period each day for common Grade-level teachers:

formal and informal grade-team meetings at least two of these class perids ESOL and special education teachers often attended to help prepare accommodations for students they

pushed-in to work with. Math and literacy coaches often attended to review data, introduce new techniques, and help brainstorm

the most effective ways of presenting difficult material.Developed Systems of Communication for students needing Intervetion: Data Dialogues: Quartelry Sessions where eachers met formally with the intervention teachers who

worked with students in their class to reviewe students specific progress

Communication Logs: Biwweekly updates from intervention teachers regarding the to the progress ofeach student

Documentation from both data dialogues and communication logs were used when the literacy teammade recommendations about whether a student would benefit from entry into or exit from interventionservices.

Support for First- and second-year teachers Frequent formal meetings and informal interactions with other teachers and administrators to build their

skills and better understand the schools instructional approach and culture

Culture of Compliance: Teachers were expected to follow the new systems their colleagues developed Community looked down on those "Doing their own thing"


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Case Study: Development Staff Community of PracticeMontgomery County Public Schools

Recommendations

Voluntary cultural and diversitytraining sessions led by districtteacher development staff forother teacher development staffwho would then train teacherswho would voluntarily attend thesessions

Knowledge sharing website withmonthly email tips, latest researchon teaching strategies in multi-cultural class rooms, technologyawareness

Training has been more effectivewhen teachers and staff electedto participate on their own.

Building Commitment NotCompliance has become ahallmark of our work

Shortcomings

Only open to development staff.Teachers were not invited tosessions.

One white staff member commented:While the sessions are great I wishthere was a more efficient way to get

the trainings to all our staff


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Relationship builder

What is the practice?Identifying, organizing, and workingwith other teachers to build trust andfacilitate learning environment

How does it help the DCPS?Breaks down barriers which preventteachers from collaboratingeffectively

Relationship builders are critical enablers within a community who can helpovercome the divisions that may inhibit teachers from learning and sharing with

each other. These "additional duties" are voluntary, but the Community Managersshould put effort into identifying individuals who would be most helpful in developingan organizational culture that is more amenable to a CoP.

Recommendations

Community EngagementStrategies*Plan in-person activities thatengage teachers within schools*Identify most detrimental divsionsand work with Communitymanager to develop activities tohelp overcome those difficulties

*Facilitate teacher mentoringrelationships*Bridge gaps betweenadministration and teachers*Build trust between teachers


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Long Term Plans - Community ManagerAssign multiple managers per area to be the liaison for the area schools.

Characteristics Well-respectedcommunity membero Voted on by local

teacherso Approved by

administration Knows how to bridgeracial/age, educationgaps

Practice: improving state ofrelationships between teachers,

school, and district administration

Healing Relationships - theCommunity Manager

Outcomes:help administration, esp. districtlevel, regain some credibility

Recommendations


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Knowledge Managers

A knowledge manager would be critical to ensuring that the wiki educatorsite isorganized and linked in ways to enhance discoverability. They would also be critical to

facilitating the use of the site and helping new teachers understand what types ofcontributions would most help build the resource.

Job Description, duties, andexecution

* modeling desired behaviors* developing "culture"* providing feedback to

contributors* identifying strong contributorsand adding them to theknowledge managementgroup

* volunteer to participate on theside

Recommendations

Characteristics of knowledge managers

What is the practice?

* organizing knowledge* enhancing discoverability

How does it help the DCPS?* "making it easy for teachers to*contribute and access the community'sknowledge and practice"

Sustainment needs* administrative support* technical support

Community Engagement Strategies* new teachers* experienced teachers

R d ti


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A simple, existing collaborative space

New teachers spend a disproportionate amount of their time developing new lessonplans. Because those efforts are not captured, teaching standards continue to

evolve, and the DCPS turnover rate is high, the teaching community is oftenreinventing lesson plans from scratch.

Teachers throughout the US should be urged to use wiki-educator.org to help build arepository of sample lesson plans and the talk sections as a forum to discuss different

approaches. The sites usability could be improved significantly if a knowledgemanager would organize information to improve discoverability.

Recommendations


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Real- time Online Collaboration

Generate ideas spontaneously in real time Immediate support Network Connect across multiple practices Sense of vibrant community Identify Commonalities, Background etc Easy reference point for skill and personality

Recommendations


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Wenger's theories and to the practice of

establishing/assessing CoP's overall.

Recommendations

Where is Wenger's theory

lacking? not a lot about intentionally developing CoPs discussion of different roles of individual CoP

members is lacking in detail solution: using SNA to flesh out the different

types of members within CoP Raising consciousness - Paolo Friere and

Charles Taylor

Recommendations for further research

PotentialDisciplines/Methodologies

* Social Network Analysis* Philosophy* Communications (online tools)


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Recommendations

DCPS CoP

Realization

Recommendations

Proposed alternative to Wenger's current CoP stages ofdevelopment

Building trust andrelationships;identifying andsolidifying domain

Active CoP Improvement of practice;ongoing participation inonline community

Time


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How do we introduce CoPs to the teaching community?Outreach efforts, intended to establishing trust.

finding individuals whose interests are grounded in the teaching profession as well asgrowing CoP.

Anthropological approach 'participant observation' & interaction though establishment ofrelationship with community members.

Argument that top-down approach. Official recognition must come at some point, difficult tosay when (certainly after the CoP is at coalescing phase of CoP cycle).

Exploring other communities that have a personal and social involvement, with legitimate tiesto the African-American communities. Including: academics, public school students, extra-curricular activities.

6 week education programs at Georgetown for all teachers, especially those less familiar withonline environment.

expanding ownership and accountability throughout the African American.Reorientation of focus toward harnessing and growing teacher potential.

Town Hall meetings - who are the community leaders at the local level?

Recommendations

F t Obj ti G i G t C P


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Building a DCPS CoP In Person

Future Objectives: Growing Georgetown CoP

Continuing to nurture emerging Georgetown CoP.

Searching for

Funding for Georgetown CoP.Bill and Melinda Gates foundation.National Science Foundation.Continued research to add to Georgetown CoP learning.

Development of online and offline tools for collaboration and knowledge management.

In the long run, we want to expand the CoP to include wider communities within the DCPS. Includingparents and middle level administrators.

Incentives for teachers - what are they? We need further research6 week education programs at Georgetown for all teachers, especially those less familiar with onlineenvironment.

Documents

District of Columbia Public Schools: Communities of Practice Readiness Assessment