What California Math Teachers Are Saying About Instruction and Professional Learning Today
With California in the process of revising its K–12 math framework and with educators and students grappling with lost instructional time during the COVID-19 pandemic, now is an opportune moment to examine ways to better understand and support effective math instruction. It is vital that the California education leaders responsible for supporting math teachers understand teachers’ current perceptions of their materials, instruction, and professional learning so they can tailor effective support for them.
This brief summarizes California-specific findings from a nationwide survey on math teachers’ perceptions of their materials, instruction, and professional learning. These insights into teachers’ perspectives, along with a curated collection of resources and sources of support, can be used to inform timely improvements to math education in California.
This brief is part of a continuing series for California education leaders on key policy issues related to teachers and teaching.
Other Briefs in the Series:
Preparing Our Infant and Toddler Professional Workforce for the 21st Century: An Action Plan for the District of Columbia
This report, coproduced by WestEd, presents an action plan for preparing the Washington, D.C. infant and toddler professional workforce for the 21st century. It includes a review of the research literature on preparation of early childhood education professionals, particularly those who work with children, 0-3 years old.
The authors also examine the District’s infant and toddler professional workforce, and summarize the findings of recent workforce development and program quality surveys.
Key policy recommendations are provided for preparing and maintaining an exemplary infant and toddler workforce, which is critical for establishing high-quality programs for the District’s youngest children. Best practices and models of excellence from other states and communities are highlighted.
An executive summary of this report is available.
Relationship Between School Professional Climate and Teachers' Satisfaction With the Evaluation Process
This research study reports on the relationship between teachers’ perceptions of school professional climate and their satisfaction with their formal evaluation process.
The report is based on the responses of a nationally representative sample of teachers from the Schools and Staffing Surveys, a system of related questionnaires that provide data on the context of elementary and secondary education and the condition of education in the United States.
Researchers used logistic regression analyses to examine whether teachers’ satisfaction with their evaluation was associated with two measures of school professional climate (principal leadership and teacher influence), teacher and school characteristics, and the inclusion of student test scores in the evaluation system.
Key Findings
- The more positively teachers rated their principal’s leadership, the more likely they were to report satisfaction with their evaluation process
- The rating teachers received on their evaluation was also associated with their satisfaction, with those rated satisfactory or higher more likely to be satisfied
- Teachers whose evaluation process included student test score outcomes were less likely to be satisfied with that process than teachers whose evaluations did not include student test scores
These findings reinforce current literature about the importance of the school principal in establishing positive school professional climate.
This report was completed by the Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast & Islands in collaboration with the Northeast Educator Effectiveness Research Alliance.
How Are Teacher Evaluation Data Used in Five Arizona Districts?
This REL West study describes how five Arizona school districts are using teacher evaluation data to inform their decisions concerning teacher professional development, compensation, school and classroom assignment, remediation, and retention.
During the 2014/15 school year the study districts administered their own new teacher evaluation systems, which were developed to align with state evaluation regulations passed in 2011.
WestEd researchers developed a case study for each of the five districts and then summarized common practices and perceptions across districts related to the use of evaluation data.
Findings were drawn from interviews with district officials and instructional coaches, and online surveys of school principals and teachers.
Key Findings
- Evaluation data shape the work of instructional coaches and the support opportunities (books, webinars, and online videos) suggested for teachers
- Observation data are perceived by school and district leaders as more useful for professional development decisions than student test results because they are collected over repeated occasions and made available during the school year
- Online systems facilitate timely observation-based feedback
- Teachers view themselves as responsible for their own professional growth and are somewhat skeptical of school- and districtwide professional development
- Evaluation data are not systematically used to identify teacher leaders or to assign teachers to schools or classrooms, but such data serve as the basis for decisions on remediation and allocation of state performance pay funds
- Teachers were more skeptical than administrators about the benefits of the new evaluations
These findings suggest positive benefits from the organizational structures that support the review of data during the school year — standards-based observation frameworks, benchmark assessments, professional learning communities, and instructional coaching and feedback.
What We Learned Preparing Teachers During the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact every facet of education. While the ongoing focus of the pandemic’s impacts centers on student learning, social-emotional needs, and adaptation to online instruction, significant questions remain about how the pandemic will affect the next generation of teachers.
Teacher candidates are currently facing the historic challenge of learning how to teach with little to no time in the physical classroom. In this archived webinar, presenters from four teacher preparation programs shared how they adapted their programs to meet the current climate and the learning needs of their candidates.
This archived webinar:
- Highlights the work of WestEd’s Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) grant partners, including universities, districts, and a county office of education, in their preparation of new teachers during the pandemic.
- Focuses on recruitment, clinical practice, professional development, and induction supports.
Presenters
Teacher Residency for Rural Education/Tulare County Office of Education (Recruitment):
- Donna Glassman-Sommer serves as the Executive Director for the California Center on Teaching Careers, located at Tulare County Office of Education. She was a Teacher, Principal, and Administrator for New Teacher and Leadership Development.
- Marvin Lopez, MBA, has been with Tulare County Office of Education for almost 20 years and is currently a Program Coordinator. Mr. Lopez is a key player in multiple state and federal projects, teacher preparation programs, and use of technology for teacher recruitment, selection, and retention.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (Clinical Practice):
- Megan Guise is a professor of education at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Her grant work and research interests focus on enhancing coteaching implementation, developing effective models for professional development, and providing feedback on teaching.
- Sarah Hegg is a grants manager working with the School of Education at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Her grant work and research interests focus on defining & enhancing the coteaching model, increasing the diversity of teacher recruitment and developing professional development to support clinical practice.
California State University, Bakersfield/Citizen Scientist Project (Professional Development):
- Brittney Beck is an Assistant Professor of Teacher Education and Director of the Citizen Science Project at CSU Bakersfield. Her work builds the capacity of teachers and students to apply C-STEAM competencies to identify and address issues of community concern.
- Jesus Esquibel is the Assistant Director of the Citizen Scientist Project and Director of the Math Science Teacher Initiative at CSU Bakersfield. His work builds capacity for interdisciplinary C-STEAM curricula and pedagogy in K-12 and higher education contexts.
Fresno Unified School District (Induction):
- Traci Taylor has been working for Fresno Unified School District for over 16 years as an educator. Ms. Taylor currently serves as the Director of Teacher Development and is the current Project Director for multiple Residency Grants as well as oversees programs to support the growth and development of Veteran Teachers.
- Jeanna Perry has been working for Fresno Unified School District for over 15 years as an elementary and secondary teacher, Instructional Coach at an elementary school site, a Teacher on Special Assignment (TSA) working on developing district-wide professional learning on Common Core curriculum, and a Coordinator for the Fresno Teacher Residency Program.
Listen to the Audio Recording
Relationship Between School Professional Climate and Teachers' Satisfaction with the Evaluation Process
This research brief summarizes a study that examined the relationship between teachers’ perceptions of school professional climate and their satisfaction with the process for evaluating their performance.
The researchers used the responses of a nationally representative sample of teachers to examine whether teachers’ satisfaction with the evaluation process was associated with two measures of school professional climate (principal leadership and teacher influence), teacher and school characteristics, and the inclusion of student test scores in the evaluation system.
Some Key Findings
- Most teachers reported being satisfied with the process by which they were evaluated
- Teachers reported positive perceptions of their principal’s leadership but perceived themselves to have little influence over school policies
- Of the two concepts used to measure school professional climate — principal leadership and teacher influence — only principal leadership was associated with teachers’ satisfaction with the evaluation process
- Teachers who were rated at the highest level on their teacher evaluations in 2011/12 expressed more satisfaction with the evaluation process that year than teachers who were rated at lower levels
- Teachers whose evaluation process included student test scores were less likely to be satisfied with the evaluation process than teachers whose evaluation process did not include student test scores
The findings are useful to educators involved in evaluating teachers, including school leaders, staff developers, coaches, and other leaders.
This brief was completed by the Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast & Islands in collaboration with the Northeast Educator Effectiveness Research Alliance.
Moving Leadership Standards Into Everyday Work: Descriptions of Practice (eBook), Second Edition
What does effective leadership look like, not just in theory but in action?
Moving Leadership Standards Into Everyday Work: Descriptions of Practice enhances the usefulness of the California Professional Standards for Education Leaders (CPSEL) by illustrating key knowledge and actions reflected in leadership that supports all students to learn and thrive.
The recently updated descriptions of practice (DOP), derived from consensus-building among experts and practitioners, show what individual elements within each of the six CPSEL look like across a continuum of practice. Each continuum, ranging from practice directed toward the standard to practice exemplifying the standard, provides common concepts, language, and examples for a given leadership element.
The DOP, which are also useful with leadership standards in other states, can serve various and sometimes overlapping purposes, including as
- A starting point for developing credentialing criteria or assessments
- A guide for planning leadership preparation, induction, professional learning or coaching
- A basis for clarifying performance expectations
- A mirror for an administrator’s self-reflection and professional goal-setting
Today’s school administrators must assume multiple roles, from catalyst to manager, from expert to facilitator. This resource, which includes a tri-fold version of the CPSEL, offers a realistic view of how those shifts translate into effective leadership.
Download the recently updated California Professional Standards for Education Leaders (CPSEL).
Learning and Teaching Geometry: Video Cases for Mathematics Professional Development, Grades 6–12
In this robust set of multimedia resources, facilitators will find everything they need to lead a series of professional development sessions on teaching mathematical similarity based on geometric transformations.
In 10 three-hour sessions, participants in the professional development:
- Explore mathematics content
- View, analyze, and discuss video clips of real classrooms
- Compare and contrast issues across video cases
- Make connections to their own instructional practice
The materials feature videos from unstaged classrooms that offer a window into specific and increasingly complex mathematical concepts, student thinking, and pedagogical moves.
Aligned with the most current standards, including the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, the materials engage teachers in learning about similarity, congruence, and transformations and how to teach these key topics.
Learning and Teaching Geometry includes:
- A Facilitator Guide published in print and as an eBook (PDF)
- 10 three-hour sessions (30 hours total of professional learning)
- 27 video clips
- Agendas with detailed notes and mathematical commentary, PowerPoint presentations, embedded assessments, handouts, GeoGebra applets, and more
View these informational videos.
Why YOUR Wellness Matters: The Intersections of Leaders' Mental Health, Systems Change, and Equity
In this archived professional learning session hosted by the COVID Education Equity Response Collaborative’s Equity Accelerator, presenters shared ideas and strategies customized for California County Office of Education (COE) leaders to help them prioritize their personal mental health while also working toward equity for students, educators, and families. Attendees were asked to reflect on personal and professional sustainability and how to stay connected to the “why” of equity work while taking tangible steps to create systemwide change.
This was the third event in a year-long series offered by the COVID Education Equity Response Collaborative. As part of the Collaborative, WestEd leads the Equity Accelerator to support COEs in improving alignment of whole-child and whole-school efforts that cohere around a vision of equity. Using a two-tiered approach, the Equity Accelerator provides a statewide professional learning series and an intensive fellows program for select COEs.
Presenters
- Kelly Knoche, The Teaching Well
- Lindsey Fuller, The Teaching Well
Resource List
The resources below are listed in the order they were shared in the chat. Follow along with the session recording for additional context.
- East Bay Meditation Center: Agreements for Multicultural Interactions
- Download the Participant Guide, which includes a link to the presentation slides
- Learn more about the Human Function Curve:
Questions? Contact equityaccelerator@WestEd.org.
Subscribe to the Equity Accelerator email list to receive alerts for upcoming professional learning opportunities.
Centering Students in Science Learning: A Professional Learning Success Story
New science standards outline an inspiring vision for rigorous science learning that builds on students’ natural curiosity and wonder. Realizing this vision will require that many educators receive sustained, practice-based professional learning (PL) that helps them shift their science instructional practice to place students at the center. But states and districts often cite lack of adequate time and resources to address this professional learning need.
An emerging approach, the Building Science Leaders model, developed by WestEd’s SCALE Science and K–12 Alliance teams, addressed these needs and constraints across New Mexico by creating a statewide community of practice made up of district teams, including school and district administrators, instructional coaches, and teacher leaders.
This infographic describes the Building Science Leaders model, shares key data points that underscore the model’s impact, and offers insights for education leaders seeking to advance science education in their schools and districts.