Success Stories & Testimonials
School Success. Shared Success.
Teachscape dedicates itself to the delivery of outcomes for its clients: necessary changes in professional learning and classroom instruction that improve student achievement. As such, Teachscape's research into the effectiveness of our programs is an ongoing part of every implementation we do. Read the following success stories, created in collaboration with Teachscape's professional services and resources. And let us know how we can create a success story for you!
Research Studies on Video Cases in Literacy Instruction
Decision Making in Literacy Instruction
Success Stories
You're invited to review our first published "Success Story" featuring our partnership with Iredell-Statesville Schools. Please click here to see the amazing outcomes in this North Carolina district.
General Testimonials
From the New York City Department of Education Office of Teaching & Learning:
"We are constantly turning to the research to explore new approaches to improving our interventions. Through a partnership with "Teachscape," we have developed a web-based professional development strategy that helps us fulfill our four guiding principles: communication-getting everyone on the same page; information dissemination-making sure people have the information they need to effectively support struggling students; isolation reduction-providing support to and networking opportunities for intervention providers; and replication-sharing what works as well as our successes in this arena."
Source: Sharing What Works newsletter. 2004-2005 Edition. Volume 1; Issue 3
Research Studies on Video Cases in Literacy Instruction
Teachscape has been partnered with Stanford University, Lesley University, Ohio State University, and the University of Chicago in a US Department of Education Teacher Quality Grant since early 2005. In this grant, numerous issues have been explored around literacy coaching and the improvement of literacy instruction. As part of this grant, Teachscape also created PDS2 software, an online case-study engine designed boost professional learning by giving teachers the chance to see a broad range of teaching practice. The following titles outline the impact of the research study and the use of grant-developed content and Teachscape technology in significantly boosting performance of literacy teachers.
Teacher Quality Research Project: 2007-2008
Developing Language and Literacy Teaching Rubric System and Measuring Change in the Practice of Literacy Teachers
This project is a sub-study of a Teacher Quality Grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education. As a component of the Teacher Quality Grant, researchers at the University of Chicago, the Ohio State University, Lesley University, and Stanford University have created rubrics for analyzing literacy and language teaching. These rubrics are designed to help you analyze and document how teachers are incorporating the specific elements of comprehensive literacy instruction into their own practice. Taken together, they provide a comprehensive picture of the development of instructional practice in each classroom. Information gained from these observations can inform staff development sessions and help Literacy Coordinators provide more targeted coaching.
AERA Presentations 2007
Reshaping Schools toward Evidence-Based Cultures:Learning through Design. (Symposium Opening and Closing Remarks)
Anthony S. Bryk and Louis M. Gomez
Transforming Teacher Learning Through Design Activity: Creating a Web-based Professional Development Support System for Video Case-based Professional Learning.
LeAnn Sawyers, Anthony S. Bryk, Irene Fountas, Gay Su Pinnell, Patricia Scharer, Lisa Walker
PDS2 System Use Report
Lisa Walker, Anthony S. Bryk, David Kerbow
Early Childhood Literacy
Teachscape partnered with CIRCLE (Center for Improving the Readiness of Children for Learning and Education) at the University of Texas, Houston, to develop and deliver a comprehensive professional development program to improve and support pre-K instruction in early literacy skills. Results from this ongoing nationwide study show dramatic improvement in children's language skills and teachers' instructional practices.
Results:
In a report published to the Texas Legislature in September 2004, the CIRCLE study showed that in the first three months of the program (called TEEM), Spanish-speaking and English-speaking children showed substantial gains in early literacy and language development.
In particular, children improved in the areas that are most likely to predict reading success: vocabulary, letter knowledge, and phonological knowledge. In English phonological awareness, the single most important predictor for reading success, children at 3 of the 11 TEEM partnerships achieved knowledge of 65 to 73 percent of the phonological skills necessary for school readiness in just 3 months.
From the University of Texas report:
Teacher Results
"After starting off at the same point, teachers receiving the intervention (CIRCLE/TEEM) showed greater gains than 'business as usual' teachers in best practices, use of lesson plans, monitoring of children's learning, encouraging children's language, and in activities around print and letter knowledge, early writing, math, and phonological awareness."
Child Results
Assessments were conducted by evaluators who were unaware if the children being assessed were part of CIRCLE/TEEM or business-as-usual classes.
After three months:
"...the results showed that children receiving the intervention made greater gains than children in 'business as usual' classrooms in language development, vocabulary, phonological awareness, letter knowledge, and letter sounds."
In many of the classrooms, these differences were at statistically significant levels. For more information on the Teachscape/CIRCLE project, visit the CIRCLE web site at http://www.childrenslearninginstitute.org/our-programs/program-overview/circle/projects/ieri.html. To see the 2004 Report to the Texas Legislature, click on http://publicaffairs.uth.tmc.edu/distinctions/archive/2004/December/reading.html.
Mathematics
Teachscape's video case-based professional development programs for elementary and secondary math instruction were developed in conjunction with The Concord Consortium's Seeing Math project during 2001-2005, leading to significant gains in student math achievement and improvement in teaching practices in school districts around the country
Results:
Edcentric, a third-party evaluator, used quantitative and qualitative methods to study the effect of Teachscape's online professional development on teachers' pedagogical content knowledge. Edcentric administered pretests and posttests measuring teacher content knowledge, RIT-scaled math tests for students, and teacher interviews and surveys. Their findings include:
- Teachers made significant content-area gains in modeling/formulating and transforming/manipulating as well as in pedagogy.
- Students whose teachers had participated in the Teachscape model achieved statistically significant gains on RIT-scaled, standards-based math achievement tests over those in the control group (831 K-6 students were tested).
- Higher student gains were associated with higher teacher gains.
- The majority of teachers surveyed said that all six elements of the model-video case studies, expert commentary, the "diving in" activity, online activities, additional resources, and face-to-face professional discussions-were important, and most felt the video cases were the central and essential focus of the materials.
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Eighty-five percent of teachers who used the materials reported that they had changed their teaching practices as a result of their involvement with the professional development program, as evidenced in their quotes below from the surveys administered by third-party evaluators:
- "'Seeing Math allowed me to identify and explore extremely important misconceptions that my sixth grade students had."
- "Collaborating with other colleagues over the Internet and face-to-face has provided me with new approaches toward teaching [math content]."
- "I am more aware of my questioning strategies and making an effort to ask more questions that will require students to think about and process the information, without always looking for the 'right' answer."
For research that was conducted during the Seeing Math project, see these three published articles:
- Critical Success Factors Implementing Multimedia Case-Based Teacher Professional Development by Alvaro H. Galvis. 2004.
- Interactive Video-Case-Based TPD Programs: Five Critical Success Factors by Alvaro H. Galvis and Ricardo Nemirovsky. 2004.
- Facilitating Grounded Interactions in Video Case-based Teacher Professional Developmentby Ricardo Nemirovsky and Alvaro Galvis. 2003.
- Seeing Math: Teacher Video Case Studies Help Teachers Reflect on Their Practiceby Alvaro Galvis, Janet Hadingham, and Ray Rose. Vol 6, No. 2, Fall 2002.
- Seeing Math through Multimedia Case Studies by Joanna Lu and Raymond Rose. Vol 7, No. 1, Spring 2003.
- Video Case Studies: Grounded Dialogue Matters Most by Alvaro Galvis and Ricardo Nemirovsky. Vol 7, No. 1, Spring 2003.
Decision Making in Literacy Instruction
The Brevard County (FL) Public Schools and Teachscape partnered in 2005 to provide a course of study called Decision Making for Effective Instruction to Title I teachers in grades K-6. The course was designed to study the relationship between instructional decision making and Brevard County's balanced literacy program. For 3 months a Teachscape facilitator led a professional study group for 25 teachers at the Brevard County School Board's computer lab.
Results:
The course was structured as a blended model of face-to-face and facilitated online professional studies over several weeks. Each session provided classroom-based application activities, online discussions, a case study, and professional readings. Indicators of success, as determined from evaluations, demonstrated that the course:
- Offered teachers useful information that was both practical and directly applicable to their teaching role
- Promoted sustained use of professional development resources far beyond requirements or expectations
- Supported application of new knowledge and skills to the teachers' practice.
- Enabled sharing and support across school sites
Facilitator Comments
"The course was successful in that it gave the teachers a clearer understanding of, and purpose for, administering and using meaningful and timely assessments."
"By the end of the course, [teachers] were able to engage in very meaningful and productive group or pair discussion activities. The teachers enjoyed sharing their classroom practice, successes, and challenges."
"The online work was exemplary. The discussion was deep and thoughtful. They [teachers] took the prompts very seriously. Online, they were a very reflective group and wrote quite lengthy responses."
Teacher Comments
"This course has refocused me on reflecting on what I am doing that is working and what I have let slide. Some things weren't working and needed to be let go, but some were worth the effort required, and I need to make the effort to make them a habit. I have been revitalized and reenergized."
"I have slowed down the pace of my teaching and have focused more on student learning.... My classroom has become more student oriented. This course has forced me to reflect on my teaching a lot more."
"I have refocused on using assessment as the major tool in developing individual instruction."
"Taking this course has made me realize that I need to stop falling back into that comfort zone and get busy designing new lessons, activities, and stations that will benefit my students in a more whole-child approach."
"Since I began this class, I have refocused my instruction on what's needed by individual students in relation to the state standards as opposed to what standards do I need to teach."
Classroom Management Coaching
In March 2004, 20 coaches in Fairfax County Public Schools (VA) engaged in face-to-face and online training to coach 150 teachers through Teachscape's Beginning of the Year Classroom Management program of study. In addition to learning content, coaches learned how to successfully support teachers in an online environment. The participants (both coaches and teachers) were overwhelmingly positive about the content of the program of study and the online experience.
Results:
Comments from Coaches
"Online learning is new to me, so I didn't really know what to expect. I love the flexibility to do assignments when and where I have the time. I also think the readily available and easy-to-access research notes are a real plus. They are concise, yet meaningful."
"[I appreciate] having the opportunity to read others' work. This allows us to further our thinking and to make sure we are on track."
"Our facilitators have responded quickly to questions and concerns. I have never felt lost and alone, because they have been right there."
Comments from Participants
"I still have a LONG way to go as far as management is concerned. I do know that being consistent is my biggest problem! I had a hard time knowing what I wanted in the beginning as far as routines and expectations and how to convey that to the kids. I'm looking forward to next year, because I can start off knowing what I expect of my class. We've accomplished a lot this year by working together and talking about our bumps in the road."
"I truly enjoyed the video [case study]. I felt like [the teacher] managed her first day so well.... I paid close attention to how she managed any behavior issues."
"I don't get much time to visit other classrooms, so it will be nice to be in a virtual classroom. I think it will be great to get more ideas about classroom management, but I think the neatest part will be learning how to take this course online. I look forward to learning about new ways to use the computer, and hopefully I can apply those things in the classroom."