Post on 15-Dec-2015
transcript
Navigating the Sociocultural Web:
Introducing a theoretical model for evaluating teaching residency programs
Dr. Lisa GonsalvesDr. Tricia Kress
The University of Massachusetts BostonNOYCE, July 8, 2010
Teach Next Year:Presentation Overview
Teaching residency programs have emerged nationally as one response to the need to recruit and prepare high quality urban teachers
Intense (year long teaching residency)
Success depends upon mutual trust and clear communication among stakeholders – partnerships are deeply relational
Model helps us think more systematically about the impact of inter-organizational dynamics and stakeholder goals on the preparation of new teachers
Model encourages goal alignment at all stages of the partnership
Teach Next Year
How Teach Next Year (TNY) was built Strong relationships between school, funder &
university Initial meetings with all stake-holders (teachers,
School administrators, faculty, university administrators, funder)
Later meetings with only teachers
Two-step interview process Step one is university based (application,
admissions, acceptance to university) Step two is school based (candidate interviews
with school personnel)
Teach Next Year: Integrated Course Work & Practice
SummerJune 29-July 29
SummerAugust 3-21
Fall Spring
Inclusion K-12Edc G – 630
Content Literacy Edc G – 648
Assessment - Edc G 663
Practicum & SeminarEdcG – 688, 687
Designing Instruction Edc G – 660
Socio-Cultural PerspectivesEdc G – 606
Developmental Stages EdcG – 644
Classroom Management -EdcG-643
Teaching & learning in the disciplines History, EnglishScience, Math
Sheltered English Immersion - SEIEdc G 649
Legacy Project – Edc G – 696
Teach Next Year: Giving back to the School Community
Legacy Projects School/community project that adds value to the
qualify of school life for DHS students Drama club Math club Junior entrepreneur’s club Fashion club Homework club School website
Teach Next Year: Professional Development for Teachers
Alternative PD for School Teachers Mentor teacher’s in TNY schools are relieved
from half of their teaching assignment from February through June. During this time, mentor engage in self-directed professional development projects that contribute to the schools overall improvement goals
Looking at Student Work Analyzing Data Developing a science fair Developing a college prep guide & program Creating orientation materials for new teachers Developing a public speaking curriculum
Teach Next Year: The Conflicts
The First Conflict Needs of the university versus the needs of the
high school
The Second Conflict Deciding on which applicants to accept
The Third Conflict Who would have the greater say when placing
interns with the school teachers (university faculty, teachers, school administrators)
Teach Next Year: Expanding to other Partnerships
After 11 years, TNY has expanded to 13 schools within two districts
One site – balance of control rests with teachers Another site – balance of control rests with
school administrators A third site – balance of control rests with the
university faculty/partner
Teach Next Year: The Evaluation Model
How can we make sense of the variance in implementation between schools, and even within the same school?
How do sociocultural relationships and power dynamics between and among stakeholders contribute to this variance?
Three organizations…
University
School
Foundation
…unique identities, goals and priorities…
The interns’ experiences and classroom practice
Situated with the school, but impacted by the actions and interactions of all three organizations.
School
University Foundation
Assembling a Multidimensional Lens
Ecological Systems Theory (EST) Individual development is shaped by an ecological system
(Bronfenbrenner, 1979)
Assembling a Multidimensional Lens
Structure|AgencyIndividual and collective agency is regulated and shaped by
cultural structures, while agency recursively impacts and shapes structures
(Sewell, 1992). Structure: a system of schema (beliefs and customs) and resources (anything that can serve as a source of power, e.g. objects, tools, ideas, etc.) that comprise culture.
Agency: one’s ability to act within a given cultural locale.
Common goal:
University
School
Foundation
Improving urban education by
improving teaching
The organizations are separate units, loosely bound by common macrostructural beliefs.
This results in exosystem convergence.
Goals Diverge on the Micro level
•Individual organizations have different needs and goals that emerge within unique cultures of microstructures.
•Schema and resources are understood differently in different miscrostructures.
•This results in power-struggles.
Microsystem impacts Individual Implementation
The daily happenings of the classroom are loosely regulated by the exosystem and macrosystem but greatly influenced by micro level interactions.
Individual agency is regulated by proximity and goal alignment vis-à-vis exosystem organizations.
Power/Agency Shifts
For example, teachers had little control over university admissions, but greater influence over daily implementation. Still, all stakeholders continue to work towards the common macrostructural goal even though individuals’ beliefs and practices during microlevel implementation may vary significantly. This results in unpredictable implementation.
The Model helps us Consider:
How the balance of program control impacts the intern/resident experience
Impact of inter-organizational dynamics
Impact of individual stakeholder goals
Importance of maintaining macro and exo goal alignment, while being cognizant and respectful of microlevel needs and goals
Implementing the Model
Beginning Apply the model from the beginning as part of
the process of choosing a school/university partner
Assess the relational dynamics and stakeholder goals of each partner
In-Process Assess for goal alignment between all
stakeholders Pay attention to the interplay between Macro,
exo and micro levels of the partnership
Questions for the Activity
What is the pattern of your partnership? What would it look like if you were using this model?
How might you suggest altering this model to suit your context/partnership?
What other theoretical frames or perspectives might we think about to enhance or alter the model?