Learning Forward
Equity and excellence in teaching and learning.
FEATURE ARTICLE
The United State Of Wyoming
Teacher-To-Teacher Initiative Boosts Reading Scores Statewide
By Learning Forward
Categories: OutcomesAugust 2014
When teachers collaborate in schools, taking collective responsibility to improve instruction and achieve goals, student performance improves. When teachers collaborate statewide, the same good results happen. Wyoming is one example of a state that uses peer-to-peer professional learning, and the results are notable. When teachers joined together to form a statewide professional community, reading scores on the state assessment improved 12% in two years — solid evidence that student performance improves when teachers work toward common goals (Wyoming Department of Education, 2014). Other data confirm that Wyoming’s teacher-to-teacher professional learning produces positive results. In 2011, more than 60 Wyoming schools did not meet Adequate Yearly Progress in special education. However, in 2012, the number dropped to about 40 schools (Wyoming Department of Education, 2014). Arapaho
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Sample Prompts For Constructed Responses
Students write a response based on prompts from Roger Farr reading three kinds of texts. Teachers score the response on accuracy, relevance, and sufficiency.
- Narrative: What is the theme of this story, and what happened in the plot that led to this lesson?
- Expository: What main ideas and supporting details in the text lead to the author’s claim?
- Functional: Imagine you are trying to find a landscaper for your grandparents. What details in this ad make you think this company would be the right one for the job?
References
Conner, E. (2012, December 8). Arapahoe school shifts from lowest scores to steepest gains. Casper Star-Tribune. Available at https://trib.com.
Danielson, C. (2007). Enhancing professional practice: A framework for teaching (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Fullan, M. (2010). All systems go: The change imperative for whole system reform. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Hattie, J. (2009). Visible learning. New York, NY: Routledge.
Popham, W.J. (2003). Crafting curricular aims for instructionally supportive assessment. Los Angeles, CA: University of California.
The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement. (2009). Professional learning communities. Available at www.centerforcsri.org/plc/program.html.
Wyoming Department of Education. (2014). Public ACT, PAWS and PAWS-ALT results. Available at https://portals.edu.wyoming.gov/Reports/Public/wde-reports-2012/public-reports/assessment/pawsresultsstatelevelaggregated.
Learning Forward is the only professional association devoted exclusively to those who work in educator professional development. We help our members plan, implement, and measure high-quality professional learning so they can achieve success with their systems, schools, and students.
Categories: Outcomes
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