Improving Mathematics Instruction at Scale: Supporting Effective Implementation of the Common Core State Standards Urban Mathematics Leadership Network Activities The Charles A. Dana Center, working in collaboration with the Aspen Institute, will lead the design and implementation of activities of the Urban Mathematics Leadership Network (UMLN), a network of mathematics education leaders from the districts comprising the Urban District Leadership Network (UDLN). The changing policy landscape, the dynamic nature of district teams, and the difficult work of leaders facilitating the authentic instructional shifts in keeping with the vision of the Common Core State Standards pose real challenges to leaders, particularly those working in large urban settings with significant numbers of struggling students. The support of the Network and its associated products, tools, and resources are perhaps more critical now than ever. The planned activities focus on building the capacity of these mathematics education leaders to support the enactment of the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics (CCSS-­‐M) in preparing all students for success in college and work beyond high school. Over the next three years, the Network will focus on four core areas of practice: (1) Providing high-­‐quality, coherent professional development for CCSS-­‐M implementation (2) Monitoring and adjusting CCSS-­‐M implementation activities and supports to ensure fidelity to the vision of CCSS-­‐M (3) Delivering common and effective messages about CCSS-­‐M to educators and families (4) Fostering effective communication between content-­‐area leadership and district administration in support of CCSS-­‐M In support of the mathematics education leaders in the UMLN, the Dana Center will organize the following activities. Convenings: Design and implement activities of the UMLN membership, co-­‐develop and co-­‐facilitate the annual convening of the UDLN. Support the growth, development, and sustainability of the Network overall. A group of 4 to 5 UMLN members will serve in a Steering Committee to communicate the needs of mathematics education leaders, to help establish the trajectory of UMLN goals and activities, and to provide feedback to improve Network experiences and resources. They will meet annually in September to reflect on the prior year and inform the coming year. They will also hold brief meetings following UMLN and UDLN convenings. The full UMLN membership will meet annually in February, and a single math lead from each member district will participate in the UDLN convening in May. Collateral: Develop case studies of 1 to 3 UMLN districts that detail the successes and struggles of UMLN teams that enacted UMLN-­‐developed knowledge and tools in their districts, and describe the extent to which Network activities are influencing district services with school-­‐based actions. Districts across the nation are all working through the complex challenges of enacting CCSS-­‐M. Stories of these enactments are just beginning to emerge but are still limited in numbers; they do not yet represent the full range of district contexts. The UMLN districts represent a rich and diverse set of districts from which to generate a sampling of case studies to highlight select facets of standards implementation. The stories will help demonstrate both the power of the network to influence standards enactment and the innovative approaches that UMLN leaders use to advance Network-­‐
related tools and resources through the district and into schools. The Dana Center will invite districts to contribute to “Stories from the Field” to feature the CCSS-­‐M implementation efforts of the districts, and the influential contributions of the Network in their work. The districts will be identified in 2015, and stories developed over the following two years. Communication: Create profiles of all UMLN districts to foster connections within the Network. Provide regular communication on CCSS-­‐M and UMLN activities to district administrators through participation in the Chief Academic Officers (CAO) and Superintendents Networks. Over the history of the UMLN, district leadership, structures, systems and resources have grown and evolved. To facilitate increased cross-­‐district communication, the Dana Center will create updated district profiles that reflect key district demographics, mathematics instructional resources, teacher professional development systems, and select components of their CCSS-­‐M implementation strategy for each member district. Select Dana Center staff will attend the meetings of the other subnetworks, including Urban Literacy Leadership Network (ULLN), the CAO Network, and the Superintendents Network, to ensure that UMLN activities take into account the larger district context and that the other networks are aware of CCSS-­‐M activities. Dana Center staff also commit to regular virtual communications with UMLN members between convenings to provide updates on activities of the other Networks as well as to highlight current resources and research in support of CCSS-­‐M. The Dana Center will also implement routine evaluation systems in support of all UMLN convenings to measure participant satisfaction, program quality, and perceived impact relevant to participant roles and the overall goals of the Networks. These data, as well as any responses to the findings, will be shared with UMLN teams to communicate how those data are being used to inform modifications to UMLN activities and supports. Convenings Q1 Steering Committee UMLN UDLN Collateral Invite case study districts Generate story line Produce case studies Communication District profiles ULLN CAO Network Superintendent Network Virtual communications Year One -­‐ 2015 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Year Two -­‐ 2016 Q2 Q3 Q4 u u u Q1 Year Three -­‐ 2017 Q2 Q3 Q4 u u u u u