Research for Better Teaching:
High Expectations
Teaching and Learning
D97 Board of Education
April 29, 2014
PRESENTERS
Lynne Beauprez
Renee DeWald
Angela Dolezal
Karen Foleno
Suzie Hackmiller
Frances Kraft
Jennifer Las
Felicia Starks Turner
Melissa Woods
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INTRODUCTION
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HISTORY OF THE RESEARCH FOR BETTER TEACHING
•Founded in 1979 by Dr. Jon Saphier, Research for Better is a
school improvement organization with extensive experience in
teaching and leadership. We work in-depth with over 100 school
districts across the United States each year.
•The mission of RBT is to build individual and institutional capacity
to sustain increased student achievement.
•RBT offers programs for teachers to support their professional
growth, strengthen collegiality, and encourage experimentation
through direct study of the knowledge base on teaching.
THE KNOWLEDGE BASE OF TEACHING
Overarching
Objectives
Curriculum
Design
Planning
Curriculum
Planning
Objectives
Learning
Experiences
Assessment
Personal Relationship
Building
Class Climate
Motivation
Expectations
Clarity
Space
Principles of
Learning
Time
Models of
Teaching
Instruction
Strategies
Routines
Management
Attention
Momentum
Foundation of Essential Beliefs
Discipline
STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS
Standards: Established levels of proficiency (quantity and
quality of work, work habits and procedures, general
routines, interpersonal behavior).
Expectations: Our beliefs about students capacity to
achieve the standards.
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
What do teachers do to create an
atmosphere in which high
expectations are communicated
clearly and convincingly to all
students, not just some?
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COMPONENTS OF HIGH EXPECTATIONS TEACHING
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Teacher choice of language
Regular classroom mechanisms
Daily instructional strategies
Explicitly teaching students what effective
effort is
TEACHER CHOICE OF LANGUAGE IN:
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Patterns of calling on students
Giving Help
Responses to student answers
Dealing with errors
Being tenacious
Giving Tasks and Assignments
Positive Re-framing of Re-Teaching
TEACHER CHOICE OF LANGUAGE
3 Key Expectations Messages
This is important.
You can do it.
I won’t give up on you…even
when you give up on yourself.
RESPONDING TO STUDENT ANSWERS AND TENACITY IN
MELISSA WOOD’S 7TH GRADE MATH CLASS
Sticking With Students ----> Wait Time + Prompting = Success!
Wait Time: Can Be Uncomfortable
Prompting: Only after waiting (purposeful pause)
Success: Rewarding
“Ms. Woods, you didn’t stick
with the student!”
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REGULAR CLASSROOM MECHANISMS
(MOTIVATIONAL STRUCTURES):
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Frequent quizzes, feedback and data to students
Student Self-corrections
Student Error Analysis
Regular re-teaching, retakes, and required re-do’s
Grading practices
Cooperative Learning and teaching of group skills
Extra help
Clear, accessible criteria for success and exemplars
Learning study strategies
Self-evaluation
Student goal setting
RETAKING TESTS IN JASON LUKEHART’S
4TH GRADE CLASS
To insist that the original grade is the only one that
matters sends children the message that education is
about scores and deadlines. “These are the things you’re
supposed to know, and if you don’t know them this date,
then the time you put in to trying to know them was
wasted, because we’re moving on.” On the other hand,
allowing students to retake tests sends the message that
what matters is learning. Students should be encouraged
to keep at something until they understand it, whether
that happens on day one, or day one hundred.
Jason Lukehart
SUZIE HACKMILLER’S GOAL SETTING IN
HOLMES SCHOOL
SUZIE HACKMILLER’S GOAL SETTING IN
HOLMES SCHOOL
DAILY INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES FOR:
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Communicating objectives with criteria for
success in student friendly language
Giving students feedback according to
criteria for success with precise diagnostic
guidance
Checking for Understanding
Making Students’ Thinking Visible
Frequent student summarizing
Mastery Objectives
Students will be able to answer…
• What will I be able to do when I've finished this lesson?
• How will I show that I can do this, and how well will I
have to do it?
• What new knowledge or skill is important for me to
learn and understand so that I can do this?
Teachers need to dig into the content to examine its
nuances and central ideas before arriving at the
objective.
PLANNING CONFERENCES
A planning conference
• Is a thoughtful look at the nuances of the content to
improve lesson effectiveness
• Focuses on the concepts and how they relate to each
other and what might be difficult for students to learn
• Identifies what is really important and results in a
better sequencing of activities
ANGELA DOLEZAL CONDUCTING PLANNING
CONFERENCES AT LONGFELLOW
Steps
Quotes
Dive right into the content
“What content will you be focusing on?”
Directly examine the actual materials that
will be used to teach the content
“What materials will you be handing to the
students?”
Focus on key concepts that the teacher
wants the students to take away from the
lesson
“What are the most important things you
want them to understand?”
Delve deeply into the meaning of the
content with particular focus on the key
concepts
“Can you explain that a little further?”
“What exactly do you mean when you
say…?”
Break down the concepts hierarchically
“What do students need to know from prior
experience in order to move forward?”
“Which part of this concept do you think
students need to understand first?
Have the teacher state the objective in kidfriendly language
“How will you present the objectives to the
class?”
CHECKING FOR UNDERSTANDING
Elicit answers from all students
 Frequently
 On the same concept or topic
 During instruction
Outcomes
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More active student involvement
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Data on where the learners are
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Decisions about the teacher’s next steps
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CHECKING FOR UNDERSTANDING IN
FRANCES KRAFT’S 5TH GRADE CLASSROOM
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EXPLICITLY TEACHING EFFECTIVE EFFORT
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Attribution Theory and Brain Research
Effective Effort Behaviors
Study strategies
ABILITY AND EFFORT BASED BELIEF SYSTEMS
Belief #1 Š
Ability-based Belief
34.1%
+
+
34.1%
13.6%
13.6%
2.1%
55
70
2.1%
85
100
115
130
145
IQ
Ability-based Believers
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Avoid challenge
Give up easily
See effort as useless
Ignore constructive
feedback
• Feel threatened by
success of others
Effort-based Believers
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Embrace challenge
Persist
See effort as path to success
Learn from constructive
feedback
• Feel inspired by success of
others
• Are invested in learning
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EFFORT-BASED BELIEF CYCLE
CONFIDENCE
CONFIDENCE
Ability
Ability
ACHIEVEMENT
ACHIEVEMENT
EFFECTIVE
EFFECTIVE
EFFORT
EFFORT
Hard
HardWork
Work
Strategies
Strategies
Research for Better Teaching, Inc., One Acton Place,
Acton, MA 01720 - www.RBTeach.com
TEACHING EFFECTIVE EFFORT IN
JENNIFER LAS’S 1st GRADE CLASSROOM
● “Learning is Messy”
● “Our Effort Paid Off”
bulletin board
● Teaching the parents
about effort during
conferences and
newsletters
● 3Ps: pay attention,
participate, practice
● Role play
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EFFECTIVE EFFORT SELF ASSESSMENT IN
JENNIFER LAS’S 1ST GRADE CLASSROOM
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KAREN FOLENO SHARING HIGH EXPECTATION
TEACHING STRATEGIES WITH BEYE STAFF
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KAREN FOLENO SHARING HIGH EXPECTATION
TEACHING STRATEGIES WITH BEYE STAFF
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LYNNE BEAUPREZ
SHARING HIGH EXPECTATION TEACHING
STRATEGIES THROUGH MENTORING
Best Practices Class:
* Presented information to 1st year staff on growth mindset, high
level of questioning for ALL, giving think-time, sticking with students
for giving help & error correction, cooperative learning
Observation Feedback:
* Feedback given for observation of teacher expectations of ALL
students on: building cultural competence and relationships, high
level of questioning, giving think-time, giving help & error
correction, patterns of calling on students, communicating clear
objectives and criteria for success, checking for understanding
School Staff Development:
* Co-created a workshop session for all Brooks & Julian staff
on mindset, effective effort, and tenacity with ALL students
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Next Steps
• Principal–led professional development at April 23rd building
staff meetings
• On-going professional development at schools in 2014-2015 to
support systematic implementation
• Continued training and support for this
year’s cohort in 2014-2015
• New cohort formed for 2014-2015
• Parent education nights designed to provide parents with
strategies and resources to promote effective effort and high
expectations at home
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