Criteria and Standards For Authentic Intellectual Work

Components For Authentic Intellectual Work Teams

Iowa Testing Results

Chart shows the percentage of 4th-, 8th-, and 11th-grade students who rated proficient in mathematics on the 2010-11 Iowa Tests. The scores of 16 schools participating in AIW Iowa are compared with the scores of 17 nonparticipating schools of equivalent size and demographics.

Student achievement in AIW and non-AIW schools in mathematics

AIW Iowa Evaluation

The Iowa Department of Education evaluated the initiative in 2010-11, analyzing four sets of data:

• Focus group interviews of 27 administrators in AIW Iowa schools;
• Case studies of four AIW Iowa high schools in their fourth year of implementation;
• A review of original and revised tasks from high school AIW Iowa teachers in the four core content areas; and

A comparison of achievement results on state tests for students in AIW Iowa schools and students in similar non-AIW Iowa schools.

Student Achievement

The evaluation reviewed Iowa testing data from 16 schools engaged in authentic intellectual work as their primary professional development for one year before the date of testing and compared those data to a set of schools matched on the following characteristics: enrollment, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, percentage of English language learners, and students with individualized education programs. Data were compared for grades 3-8 and grade 11.

Schools that implemented authentic intellectual work have significantly higher scores in mathematics on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and Iowa Test of Educational Development. The mean difference in average mathematics scores between participating and nonparticipating schools varies from 5.27 for grade 3 to 18.33 for grade 9. In reading, schools that implemented authentic intellectual work have significantly higher scores for grades 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10 on the state assessments. The mean difference in average reading scores between participating and nonparticipating schools varies from 2.40 for grade 7 to 11.64 for grade 10.

Impact on Instruction

Focus groups and the case studies both described the change from teacher as deliverer of facts to teacher as facilitator of student knowledge and skill development that is meaningful and valuable. Teachers examine their practice, asking questions such as, “Will this lesson provoke students’ higher-order thinking and substantive conversation?” or “Does this unit lead students to apply and understand knowledge in contexts beyond school?” or “Will this assessment task require students to show an in-depth understanding of an important concept?”

Impact on Assessment

High school teachers participating in authentic intellectual work developed assessment tasks that scored significantly higher in the standards for authenticity in mathematics, science, and social studies. One teacher said, “I enjoy collaborating and gaining feedback from other teachers to build better tasks. I like collaborating with other people in my department, but have also gained insights from other teachers who see my same students but ask them to use different skills. I think with a ‘science mind,’ as do some of my students. It helps me to see how a student with an ‘English language mind’ thinks by hearing an English teacher share her viewpoint.”

Change in Professional Culture

Administrators referred to the level of collaboration among teachers as “unprecedented.” Using common protocols and criteria, teachers of different disciplines examine their practice. All teachers, even those who are reluctant or resistant to change, find value in making their instruction better. One administrator said that nonparticipating teachers “are banging on the door, ready to get going.” Another principal described the pressure he gets from teachers whenever he schedules a different focus for professional development. “Teachers are frustrated because they feel like they’re cheating on AIW when we do something else. I’ve been talking to them for three years now about what professional development is and isn’t, and they’ve been listening. So now they say, ‘C’mon, why are we doing something else? You keep talking about a sustained focus.’ They turn it back on me because this benefits their kids, and that’s what teachers truly care about.”

Leadership

AIW Iowa has improved collaboration between administrators and teachers, according to those interviewed in focus groups and case studies. Because administrators are part of the learning team, they find themselves giving teachers more relevant feedback. As one principal said, “We’re all professional educators working toward the same goal.” AIW Iowa provides teachers with more leadership opportunities.

Student Benefits

According to the report, “The quality of classroom discussions has been at a much deeper and more thoughtful level. Expectations for students have been increased and curriculum is now more closely connected to students’ lives, making lessons more challenging and, simultaneously, more meaningful.” Because students are more engaged, they are more persistent in problem solving.

Criteria for effective authentic intellectual work professional learning

• Student-centered focus through quality teacher reflection.
• Collective accountability within learning teams.
• Flexible and focused coherence.
• Long-term, job-embedded professional learning.
• Inclusive of all staff and students.