roles and responsibilities of teacher based teams (tbts) · roles and responsibilities of teacher...

Roles and Responsibilities of Teacher Based Teams (TBTs)

June 13, 2011OLAC Summit

Brian A. McNulty, Ph.D.

2011 Research Guidance

Teacher-Based Teams

What do we know about teacher-based teams–

TBTs?

A growing body of evidence suggests that when teachers collaborate to pose and answer questions informed by data

from their own students, their knowledge grows and their practice

changes.

David, 2008/2009

In a comprehensive five-year study of over 1,500 schools, they found that when teachers formed professional

learning communities,achievement increased in

math, reading, science, and historyand

absentee and dropout rates decreased.

Darling- Hammond, L., et al. 2009

Higher-performing schools award greater influence to teacher teams

Louis, et al. 2010

The National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS) found

that schools that had restructured to personalize education and

develop collaborative learning structures produced significantly

higher student achievement gains.

Darling-Hammond, L., 2010

With teachers operating in grade-level teams that meet regularly, the

school creates structures for examining student progress, as well

as for creating a more coherent curriculum and allowing teachers to

learn from one another.

Darling-Hammond, L., 2010

“By using an inquiry-based team framework,

achievement scores rose from the worst

to the best in the district.”

Gallimore et al., 2009

Collective leadership has a stronger influence on student achievement than individual

leadership

Louis, et al. 2010

Caveats

Collaborative inquiry is among the most promising strategies for strengthening teaching and

learning.

The biggest risk, however,

is not providing

the necessary leadership and support.

David, J.L., 2008/2009

“Time for collaboration by itselfeven when administratively

supportedwas unlikely to improve

achievement unlessadditional conditions were in place

to structure its effectiveness.”

Saunders, W. M., et al., 2010

Provided theright conditions,

leadership,and protocols,

teachers will make use of collaborative time in ways that

improve achievement. (p. 1,028)

Saunders, W. M., et al., 2010

Protocols that articulate specific inquiryfunctions are critical:

• Jointly and recursively identifying appropriate and worthwhile goals for student learning

• Finding or developing appropriate means to assess student progress towards the goals

• Bringing to the table the expertise of colleagues

• Planning, preparing, and delivering lessons

• Using evidence from the classroom to evaluate instruction

• Reflecting on the process to determine next steps


“With a balance of administrative support and pressure, teacher

groups are more likely to persist with addressing problems long

enough to make a causal connection between instructional decisions and achievement gains.”


Positive outcomes are unlikely in the absence of building leadership

that supports and holds teacher teams accountable for sustaining the

inquiry process until they see tangible results.

(p. 544)


Assessing Your

TBTs

10 Characteristics

Ten Characteristics of effective

TBT

1. TBT members are clear about

the knowledge, skills, and

dispositions students need to

acquire by the end of the

course, grade level, or unit.

DuFour, 2007

2. Teachers agree on the

criteria they will use to

assess the quality of

student work and can apply

those criteria consistently.

• Discuss

Ten Characteristics of effective TBTs

DuFour, 2007

• How clear are your TBTs on

the criteria they will use to

assess the quality of student

work, and do they apply

those criteria consistently?

• Discuss


DuFour, 2007

3. The TBTs have developed

common interim

assessments to monitor

each student’s learning at

several points during the

year.


DuFour, 2007

• Have teachers developed

common formative

assessments to monitor

each student’s learning

during the year, and how do

they share this information?Discuss DuFour, 2007


TBTs

4. The team uses the interim

assessment results to identify

students who are having difficulty

so teachers can provide timely,

systematic interventions that

guarantee struggling students

additional time and support for

learning until they have become

proficient.


TBTs

DuFour, 2007

Have You Developed Prevention

and Intervention Strategies?

• How effective are these?

• If not, are you prepared to

develop them?

5. Team members use

assessment results to assess

their individual and collective

effectiveness, and constantly

use data and their colleagues’

best practices to improve

their own classroom practice.

DuFour, 2007


What assessments do you use to

assess individual and collective

effectiveness?

How do you assure the school-

wide implementation of best

practices?

Discuss

6. Team members work

interdependently to achieve

SMART goals: Specific and

Strategic (linked to school goals),

Measurable, Attainable, Results-

oriented (focused on evidence of

student learning rather than

teacher strategies), Time-bound


DuFour, 2007

7. Continuous improvement

processes are built into the

team’s routine work practice.

8. Team members make decisions

not just by simply pooling

opinions but also by building

shared knowledge on best

practices.


DuFour, 2007

9. Each team demonstrates,

through collective efforts, its

determination to help all

students learn at high levels.

10. Collaborative team time focuses

on these critical issues.

DuFour, 2007


Although many factors affect

professional community, the

most significant factor is

strong principal leadership.

Wahlstrom & Louis, 2008

• Set goals

• Analyzed student data

• Used formative assessments

• Collectively reviewed evidence on

good instruction

• Used time more productively

• Were led by leaders providing

instructional leadership

Schools that Doubled Their Performance

Followed a Set of Similar Strategies:

Hattie, 2009

Improving practice can only

be done by teachers, not to

teachers.

Wurtzel, 2007

Pressure

Support

Questions and Discussion

Brian McNulty, Ph.D.The Leadership and Learning Center

1.866.399.6019

[email protected]

LeadandLearn.com

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