Structured Abstract
Setting
The research will take place in 9th- and 10th-grade biology and 11th-grade U.S. history classrooms in 50 high schools from 5 school districts across California that serve populations of students historically underrepresented in higher education.
Sample
A maximum of 200 teachers will be assigned to treatment and control groups (100 per condition). All teachers will be credentialed in their field and have taught for at least 3 years at the initiation of the study. Approximately, 6,000 students will be included in the study comprised of high numbers of English language learners (ELLs), African-American and Latino students, and those from low-income groups.
Intervention
The professional development includes (1) an 8-day training session (5 days in summer and 3 days throughout year targeting support needs), (2) regional meetings with teachers and professional development coaches and connecting regions via video camera, (3) monthly exchanges via Internet, (4) funds and a list of reading materials to supplement locally-adopted textbooks, and (5) a subsidy for the cost of participation and honoraria for time.
Research design and methods
This study uses a group-randomized, pretest/posttest control group design for two cohorts of teachers. Fifty high schools will be randomly assigned to the experimental or control groups (25 per group) with high schools matched on race/ethnicity, ELL status, and socio-demographic characteristics as well as academic performance. Two biology teachers and two U.S. history teachers per school will be selected to participate. Biology student achievement will be tracked for 2 years and U.S. History student achievement for 1 year. As an incentive for schools to participate in the study, schools with biology classes in the experimental group will have U.S. history classes in the control group, and vice versa.
Control condition
Participants in the control condition will be exposed to existing teacher professional development opportunities (practice-as-usual). Participation in professional development activities changes in teaching practices, acquisition of knowledge and skills, and other changes in conditions and circumstances will be tracked and monitored in the control group.
Key measures
Student measures will include norm-referenced state measures and student surveys. Teacher measures will include surveys, teacher assignments, and observations of practice.
Data analytic strategy
To preserve random assignment and account for volunteers, outcome analyses will include all assessed teachers and their students, whether or not they actually participated in the professional development activities and used the reading instructional approaches (an intent-to-treat analysis). The primary hypothesis-testing analyses will involve fitting linear mixed effects analysis of covariance models, hierarchal linear models, or multilevel models. Mixed effects models will also be used to examine variation in program impacts on student achievement in intervention schools. Qualitative data analysis will be used to explain findings and rule out alternative explanations for results.
People and institutions involved
IES program contact(s)
Products and publications
ERIC Citations: Find available citations in ERIC for this award here.
Select Publications:
Books
Schoenbach, R., Greenleaf, C., and Murphy, L. (2012). Reading for Understanding: How Reading Apprenticeship Improves Disciplinary Learning in Secondary and College Classrooms.(2nd ed.). San Francisco: WestEd and John Wiley and Sons.
** This project was submitted to and funded under Teacher Quality: Reading and Writing in FY 2005.
Supplemental information
Co-Principal Investigator(s): Schneider, Steve, WestED; Herman, Joan, UCLA
Measures of learning and engagement with reading biology and U.S. history as well as instructional practice will be used to measure the effect of professional development. Qualitative data from a smaller sample of teachers will be used to validate and explain quantitative findings and to identify factors that influence the success of the pedagogical approach. Using these methodologies, the link will be traced between professional development for teachers, changes in classroom practices, and the ways in which student-teacher level variables influence performance.
Questions about this project?
To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.
