Louisiana Math & Science Teacher Institute Louisiana Math & Science Teacher Institute (LaMSTI)(LaMSTI)

Overview of External Evaluation and Development of Overview of External Evaluation and Development of Self-Report Measures of Instructional Leadership and Self-Report Measures of Instructional Leadership and

Teacher CapitalTeacher Capital

Stephen MeyerStephen MeyerRMC Research CorporationRMC Research Corporation

MSP Learning Network Conference, January 23, 2012MSP Learning Network Conference, January 23, 2012

Evaluation Questions Evaluation Questions (Paraphrased)(Paraphrased)Partnership Driven

Program participation and completion rates; Impact on professional learning community focused on mathematics and science; Impact on participant engagement in leadership roles and activities

Teacher Quality, Quantity, and Diversity

Impact on teacher content knowledge, dispositions, and social and other types of capital; Impact on teacher practice; Extent to which LaMSTI reflects and supports the racial and ethnic diversity of the region

Challenging Courses and Curricula

LaMSTI courses (reflect research and curriculum standards; effectively engage of participants; meet needs of participants and their students); Dissemination of LaMSTI course materials

Evidence-Based Design and Outcomes

Use and support the use of data and research that addresses practitioner needs and optimizes STEM learning; Factors that impede or facilitate progress toward LaMSTI goals; Impact on student performance in participant classrooms; Impact on participant job satisfaction

Institutional Change and Sustainability

LaMSTI partnerships that are effective and sustained; Progress toward sustaining and “scaling up” activities and strategies; External adoption of LaMSTI project materials

MethodsMethods• Participant Surveys, Content Knowledge Participant Surveys, Content Knowledge

Assessments, and Focus GroupsAssessments, and Focus Groups

• Project Leader and Faculty Interviews/ Focus Project Leader and Faculty Interviews/ Focus GroupsGroups

• Course and Participant Classroom ObservationsCourse and Participant Classroom Observations

• Administrator InterviewsAdministrator Interviews

• Follow-Up Participant Phone InterviewsFollow-Up Participant Phone Interviews

• Document ReviewDocument Review

• Student Achievement DataStudent Achievement Data

Participant Survey MeasuresParticipant Survey Measures• Professional Development ParticipationProfessional Development Participation

• Preparedness/Ability to Teach (Math/Science)Preparedness/Ability to Teach (Math/Science)

• Confidence in Content and Pedagogical Content Confidence in Content and Pedagogical Content Knowledge (Math/Science)Knowledge (Math/Science)

• Participation in Professional Learning ActivitiesParticipation in Professional Learning Activities

• Job SatisfactionJob Satisfaction

• School Support for Math and Science TeachingSchool Support for Math and Science Teaching

• Teacher Background InformationTeacher Background Information

FindingsFindings• Average to high baseline measures of Average to high baseline measures of

preparedness and confidence to teach preparedness and confidence to teach math/sciencemath/science

• Strong school support for teaching math/scienceStrong school support for teaching math/science

• Participants report:Participants report:– LaMSTI courses have addressed gaps in knowledge, LaMSTI courses have addressed gaps in knowledge,

introduced challenging content, helped them understand introduced challenging content, helped them understand connections across grade levels and disciplines, and connections across grade levels and disciplines, and increased understanding of Common Core standardsincreased understanding of Common Core standards

– Acquired knowledge and skills they could apply in their Acquired knowledge and skills they could apply in their own classroomsown classrooms

Measuring Measuring Instructional Instructional Leadership and Teacher Leadership and Teacher CapitalCapitalEvaluation Questions Evaluation Questions

•To what extent and how does participation To what extent and how does participation in LaMSTI increase participant engagement in LaMSTI increase participant engagement in leadership roles and activities?in leadership roles and activities?

•To what extent and how does participation To what extent and how does participation in LaMSTI affect teachers’ content in LaMSTI affect teachers’ content knowledge, dispositions, and social and knowledge, dispositions, and social and other types of capital?other types of capital?

Instructional Leadership and Instructional Leadership and Teacher Capital in LaMSTITeacher Capital in LaMSTI

A critical feature underlying the LaMSTI model is the A critical feature underlying the LaMSTI model is the development of teacher leaders. As avenues for development of teacher leaders. As avenues for fostering effective instructional leadership, LaMSTI fostering effective instructional leadership, LaMSTI seeks improve the social, cultural, and symbolic capital seeks improve the social, cultural, and symbolic capital of teachers. For example, the project seeks to foster of teachers. For example, the project seeks to foster participant: 1) participant: 1) social capital social capital by improving participant by improving participant connectedness to professional community; 2) connectedness to professional community; 2) cultural cultural capitalcapital by improving participant ability to participate in by improving participant ability to participate in conversations about STEM subjects and teaching; and 3) conversations about STEM subjects and teaching; and 3) symbolic capital symbolic capital by conferring a credential and the by conferring a credential and the prestige associated with participation the project. prestige associated with participation the project.

Teacher LeadershipTeacher Leadership

““The process by which teachers, individually The process by which teachers, individually or collectively, influence their colleagues, or collectively, influence their colleagues, principals, and other members of school principals, and other members of school communities to improve teaching and communities to improve teaching and learning practices with the aim of increased learning practices with the aim of increased student learning and achievement” (York-student learning and achievement” (York-Barr & Duke, 2004, p. 288).Barr & Duke, 2004, p. 288).

Teacher Leadership: Teacher Leadership: Dimensions of PracticeDimensions of Practice

1)1) Coordination and management; Coordination and management;

2)2) School or district curriculum work; School or district curriculum work;

3)3) Professional development of colleagues; Professional development of colleagues;

4)4) Participation in school change & improvement; Participation in school change & improvement;

5)5) Parent and community involvement; Parent and community involvement;

6)6) Contributions to the profession; and Contributions to the profession; and

7)7) Preservice teacher education.Preservice teacher education.

(York-Barr & Duke, 2004)

Conditions for Teacher Conditions for Teacher LeadershipLeadership• Teacher leadership influenced by school context and Teacher leadership influenced by school context and

culture; roles and responsibilities; and structures culture; roles and responsibilities; and structures (York-Barr, & Duke, 2004)(York-Barr, & Duke, 2004)

• Culture of schools can create barriers to leadership Culture of schools can create barriers to leadership that involves interaction and exchanging advice that involves interaction and exchanging advice among colleagues (Smylie, 1992)among colleagues (Smylie, 1992)

• Teacher collaboration is a form of distributed Teacher collaboration is a form of distributed leadership within a school, mediated by artifacts, leadership within a school, mediated by artifacts, routines, tools, and structures (Spillane, 2006)routines, tools, and structures (Spillane, 2006)

Measures Related to Teacher Measures Related to Teacher LeadershipLeadership• Confidence in Ability to Support Colleagues (RMC Research, Confidence in Ability to Support Colleagues (RMC Research,

2006)2006)

• Engagement in Leadership Roles (Stokes, Helms & Maxon, Engagement in Leadership Roles (Stokes, Helms & Maxon, 2003)2003)

• Advice-Seeking by Colleagues (RMC Research, 2009)Advice-Seeking by Colleagues (RMC Research, 2009)

• Instructional Leadership (Adapted from Louis, Dretzke, & Instructional Leadership (Adapted from Louis, Dretzke, & Wahlstrom, 2010)Wahlstrom, 2010)

• Challenges Related to Teacher Leadership (Stokes, Helms & Challenges Related to Teacher Leadership (Stokes, Helms & Maxon, 2003)Maxon, 2003)

Measuring Teacher Social, Measuring Teacher Social, Cultural, and Symbolic Cultural, and Symbolic CapitalCapital

Social CapitalSocial Capital

• Networks and associations that are valuable Networks and associations that are valuable for information exchange and resource for information exchange and resource acquisition (Bourdieu, 1986; Lee & acquisition (Bourdieu, 1986; Lee & Croninger, 1999). Croninger, 1999).

• Social network analysis - used to study Social network analysis - used to study development of teacher leaders in the development of teacher leaders in the context of MSP programs (e.g., Pitts & context of MSP programs (e.g., Pitts & Spillane, 2009) Spillane, 2009)

Social CapitalSocial Capital• Social networks support five aspects of teacher Social networks support five aspects of teacher

learning: (1) openness to new ideas/ concepts; learning: (1) openness to new ideas/ concepts; (2) understanding, perceiving and modifying (2) understanding, perceiving and modifying practices to fit within a particular context; (3) practices to fit within a particular context; (3) sharing complex and tacit knowledge; (4) the sharing complex and tacit knowledge; (4) the capacity for a learning community to support capacity for a learning community to support reform and change; and (5) sustaining reform and change; and (5) sustaining commitment to the community or activity commitment to the community or activity (Baker-Doyle & Yoon, 2011) (Baker-Doyle & Yoon, 2011)

Cultural CapitalCultural Capital• Bourdieu (1990) described linguistic capital as one Bourdieu (1990) described linguistic capital as one

type of cultural capital, referring to one’s mastery of type of cultural capital, referring to one’s mastery of and relation to language which represents a means and relation to language which represents a means of communication and self-presentation acquired of communication and self-presentation acquired from one's surrounding culture. Development and from one's surrounding culture. Development and recognition of cultural capital happens within a recognition of cultural capital happens within a particular “field” within which cultural competence, particular “field” within which cultural competence, or knowledge of particular tastes, dispositions, or or knowledge of particular tastes, dispositions, or norms, is both produced and given a value. norms, is both produced and given a value.

Symbolic CapitalSymbolic Capital• Resources available to an individual on the basis of honor, Resources available to an individual on the basis of honor,

prestige or recognition (Bourdieu, 1986). prestige or recognition (Bourdieu, 1986).

• Formal or informal positions or titles within organizations Formal or informal positions or titles within organizations and credentials can serve as symbolic representations of and credentials can serve as symbolic representations of legitimacy, expertise, authority, ability, or respect. legitimacy, expertise, authority, ability, or respect.

• Within K-12 educational settings, social and symbolic Within K-12 educational settings, social and symbolic capital contribute to effective leadership and teaching capital contribute to effective leadership and teaching among administrators by facilitating access to quality among administrators by facilitating access to quality networks and signifying the acquisition of reputable, networks and signifying the acquisition of reputable, legitimate schooling experiences (Bartee, 2007) legitimate schooling experiences (Bartee, 2007)

Measures Related to Teacher Measures Related to Teacher Social, Cultural, and Symbolic Social, Cultural, and Symbolic CapitalCapital

• No existing self-report measuresNo existing self-report measures

• Developing items based on LaMSTI Developing items based on LaMSTI objectives, research, and theory . . . objectives, research, and theory . . .

• Access to resources that support work as a teacherAccess to resources that support work as a teacher

• Regular exposure to new ideas and conceptsRegular exposure to new ideas and concepts

• Access to a strong learning communityAccess to a strong learning community

• Collaboration with colleagues who support work as a Collaboration with colleagues who support work as a teacherteacher

• Ability to communicate a deep understanding of how to Ability to communicate a deep understanding of how to teach STEM content to others; talk about current teach STEM content to others; talk about current education researcheducation research

• Improved reputation and recognition as leader as result Improved reputation and recognition as leader as result of participation in LaMSTIof participation in LaMSTI

Next StepsNext Steps

• Develop/adapt item scales to align Develop/adapt item scales to align with LaMSTI objectiveswith LaMSTI objectives

• Test reliability/validity Test reliability/validity

• e.g., relation to other survey e.g., relation to other survey measures and teacher and student measures and teacher and student outcomesoutcomes

Contact InformationContact Information

Stephen MeyerStephen Meyer

RMC ResearchRMC Research

633 17633 17thth Street, Suite 2100 Street, Suite 2100

Denver, CO 80202Denver, CO 80202

meyer@rmcdenver.commeyer@rmcdenver.com