PL for Teacher Leaders

Professional Learning for Teachers

PL for Teachers

TEACHER SUPPORTIVE DESIGN

Professional Learning for Teacher Leaders

Teacher Supportive Design

Mission & Vision

Discussion Guide

Broader Context

Ambitious Math Classes

Scholar Supportive Design

MISSION & VISION

Learning Principles

vision for graduates

leadership model

scholars

Leadership Model

teachers and teacher leaders

learning principles

university personnel

families

Vision for Graduates

school leaders

school-based extracurricular activities

EXTRA-CURRICULAR

SCHOLAR SUPPORTIVE DESIGN

academic courses

CTE

Extra-curricular

Show Scholar View

health resources (physical, mental, and emotional)

school-based academic resources

ACADEMIC

Academic

career and technical education

SCHOLAR

Respects and cares for others and works to build relationships Accepts differences and listens to the voice of others Identifies and utilizes skills to support self and others globally Speaks confidently and is willing to respectfully voice opinions to advocate for self or others Works collaboratively to achieve a goal or effect change Leads by example Embraces change; is open minded Communicates effectively for different purposes and audiences through a variety of media

Mission: At John Lewis we are taking charge of our future by being tenacious, thinking purposefully, and advocating for self and others.

Especially this year we had kids following along on Zoom but also carrying a baby on their lap while they’re on. [Laughter] These are seventh graders caring for their younger siblings and then also following along with the lesson. I give them a whole lot of credit for them being able to try to focus and do that… Some of my students describe having to be a role model for their younger siblings and saying, “I have to put in this work or be that leader to show to my younger siblings that I can, that we can.” - Davis (teacher)

Attributes of a scholar who is advocates for self and others:

Recognizes and takes advantages of opportunities (can do attitude) to discover passions/interests Defines goals and develops a plan to meet them Sets short term goals knowing they will lead to long term success Accesses resources necessary to get job done – multiple resources if necessary Is determined to achieve goals Learns from mistakes; picks up and keeps going Uses feedback to refine thinking or actions Take risks in order to learn and grow

Attributes of a scholar who is tenacious:

THINK PURPOSEFULLY

As measured by tasks of academic, civic or personal significance.

OUR VISION OF THE JOHN LEWIS GRADUATE

BE TENACIOUS

Focuses on the task at hand to get the job done Reflects on one’s own thinking and the thinking of others to inform future actions Thinks creatively and critically to solve problems, make decisions or take action Critically questions to refine or extend understanding Listens to and seeks out varying perspectives as part of thinking, decision making and problem solving Uses foundational knowledge and essential literacies to develop deeper understandings Produces work that meets college and workplace standards Seeks to understand the role of culture in shaping an individual

“I think there's more in-depth meaning when they say scholars. It sounds more intelligent, we're smart, young individuals that can persevere and be persistent with our goals that we want to achieve, reach or get.”  - Student J (10th grade)

BACK

Attributes of a scholar who is thinks purposefully:

ADVOCATE FOR SELF AND OTHERS

"I’d say it [whole school culture] just allows them to engage more because they know how to engage better, fully. They know how to ask the questions and be respectful and how to work with each other and not just be like, 'I don’t know what to do,' and give up, so I feel like that kind of maturity where they’re getting ready to really engage in the learning more, it’s showing up in the classroom.” -Tewilliger (Teacher)

Relatedness to Self and Others

(optimal challenge and belief in own ability   is most effective when we utilize authentic assessments as experiences to individualize and diversity instruction. (Bransford)Learners must develop accurate understandings of the nature of the discipline. (Bransford)Learning is most effective when the planning of teaching includes consideration of learners’ zones of proximal development. (Vygotsky)The goal of all learning is fluent and flexible transfer—powerful use of knowledge, in a variety of contexts. (Wiggins & McTighe)Greater learning depends upon the right blend of challenge and comfort—knowing that success is attainable, and realizing that persistent effort will pay off. (Wiggins & McTighe)Learners need multiple opportunities to practice in risk-free environments, to receive regular and specific feedback, and to re-do and improve. (Wiggins & McTighe)All learning-related work in schools should be judged against standards related to learning goals (for both students and adults) and reflecting how people learn. (Wiggins & McTighe)All learners are capable of excellent work, if the right conditions for learning are established. (Wiggins & McTighe)

The table articulates how the proposed vision and strategies are informed by teaching and learning principles grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT) with respect to motivation, combined with assumptions about learning and knowledge that are consistent with socio-cultural and constructivist theories.

Focus Group Student 5: Okay, so for welcome and inclusivity, I feel like here, each teacher wants to at least have a decent relationship with their student. I feel like that makes teaching way more better than just a teacher getting up there and just teaching and not knowing any or their students. I could say—since I’ve been here since seventh grade—I’ve had a relationship—or a decent relationship—with all of my teachers, which helped me learn. They learned the way I learn, and they were able to help me. I’m a very hands-on learner, so they noticed that, and they’ll help me when I need the help. Even when I doubt myself, Ms. Cannon, she’s always been there to like, “Hey, you have this. Just be confident in yourself.” Most of the times I’m right, but I just think I’m not. I feel like it makes me feel very included. It makes me feel like I’m worth being here, and I’m worth being in these AP classes, these Regents classes. It makes me at peace at heart—like I know I have people, when I go to school, that actually care about me and how I learn.

Competency in Task Orientation

THE JOHN LEWIS LEARNING PRINCIPLES

Focus Group Student 1: What brought me to John Lewis was, mainly, my mom pushed me to come here. She saw the amazing programs. I came to John Lewis in seventh grade, so at first, I thought it was going to be hard, because I went to an elementary school that had sixth grade, so I’ve been there, basically—all my elementary, I had—it was basically like family here. As I went on into John Lewis, and I started coming here, it made it more of a family. It made me feel at home, so that really what kept me here… The teaching—they’re always there for you. They want what we need. Student 2: They push you to the limits. Student 3: Mmm-hmmm Student 4: Mmm-hmm 

Autonomy Supportiveness

Successful learning requires metacognition: learning how to reflect, self-assess, and use feedback to self adjust. These metacognitive processes can (and should) be taught explicitly. (Wiggins & McTighe; Bransford)Learning is most effective when differences in learners' prior knowledge, interests and strengths are accommodated. (Wiggins & McTighe)

Learning is most effective when built on individual students’ prior knowledge and experiences. (Bransford)Learning is most effective when students are engaged in authentic inquiry. (Bransford)Learning is most effective in a classroom-based community of learners. (Bransford)Learning is most effective when instruction is linked to core concepts in order to focus on and nurture connection-making. (Bransford)Students must have regular opportunities to see the value of what they are asked to learn, how it relates to past learning and how it will relate to future learning. (Wiggins & McTighe)As a model learning community, a school appropriately requires learning from every member of its community, since continual learning is vital for instructional as well as personal success. (Wiggins & McTighe)Learning is social.

Decisions are made in collaboration with a combination of school leaders, teacher leaders, teachers, students, and parents.  School leaders collaborate with teachers and teacher leaders on curriculum development, coaching, and instructional practices.

Trusting Relationships

Distributed Leadership

Distributed leadership is built on coherence, empowerment, and the collective moral purpose of justice. Distributed Leadership empowers others to lead. Distributed Leadership requires building trust and learning from mistakes.

Distributed Leadership is the foundational principle at John Lewis and is only possible through the development of Trusting Relationships.

THE JOHN LEWIS LEADERSHIP MODEL

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College Readiness Resources

Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection: Offers enrichment opportunities for scholars and helps scholars with academic support, mentorship, and college searches and applications. Grades 7-12

College Prep • Talent Search • Upward Bound

Increased Instructional Time

The University of Landover facilitates the College Prep Center (grades 6-12), Talent Search (grades 6-12), and Upward Bound (grades 9-12) programs at John Lewis. The College Prep Center is an on-site drop-in center, hosts college visits, and assists with SAT/ACT preparation and college applications. Talent Search programmatically expands college assistance with after school tutoring. Upward Bound also expands college assistance with a summer living and learning program at the University of Landover. (MCC also seen as a partner).

Step to College

Intense Differentiation

Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection

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First Time Freshmen

First Time Freshmen First-time freshmen attend the Freshman Academy and have their own wing of the building, their own lunch and physical education, with special supports for students struggling academically; continued extended time devoted to math and literacy; and opportunities to complete as many as four high school credits. Students who are not on track at the end of 9th grade do not repeat a year in the Freshman Academy. Rather, they have alternative pathways to success through campus-based and off-site choices that result in credit recovery and realignment with graduation plans and that provide the full range of academic and social-emotional support.

MCC Liberty Partnerships Program

Tutoring

Increased Instructional Time Scholars in grades 6-9 have increased instructional time devoted to mathematics, which meets every day, and both a literacy course and an ELA course.

Tutoring Tutoring is available after school two afternoons a week for upper school scholars.

MCC Liberty Partnerships Program: A pre-collegiate program that supports scholars' academic success. The program also includes college and career exploration. Grades 7-12

Support Rooms

Step to College (Grade 8-12): A college preparatory program that prepares participating scholars for admission to and success in two-year and four-year colleges. Scholars receive ongoing tutoring, mentoring, and academic support throughout the school year. Scholars also participate in a two week Academic Boot Camp Immersion Program over the summer, living on a college campus and learning about college life.

Support Rooms Instead of “study halls,” John Lewis uses a Support Room model where scholars have regular periods in their schedule to attend a Support Room. Support Rooms are staffed by content teachers and are coordinated to provide small group or individual instruction to scholars that is aligned with the curriculum.

Saturday School

Extra-curricular

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Academic Courses

Intense Differentiation by literacy levels.

Saturday School Seven Saturday mornings between November and January, three hour sessions are offered to help prepare upper school scholars for Regents exams. Each session includes breakfast.

Academic Support Room Model

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School-based Academic Resources

Center for Youth Student Support

Mental and Emotional Health Resources

Hair Care: An on-site Barbershop (The Cutting Edge) provides free, accessible, and on-site haircuts for scholars. Services are provided through a John Lewis Collaborative Partnership with the United Professional Barbers & Cosmetologists Association. There is also Essentials Salon, that provides free on-site wash, cut, and styling for scholars, including several forms of braiding and twisting.

Food and Resource Pantry

Physical Health Resources

Clothing Distribution Center

Family Group:Each grade is organized into small “family groups” (about 10-14 scholars each) that meet daily with two “Carents” (faculty, staff, or administrators) to work on student interests and needs. Scheduled to meet every day, Family Group is designed to support scholars’ social-emotional development, life skills, and achievement. 

Career Resources

Hair Care

Athletics: The John Lewis Athletic program offers 43 different teams—all led by certified coaches— in which lower and upper school scholars can participate.

Health Center

Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection: The Youth Employment Training Academy helps scholars find gainful employment. Grades 7-12

Dental Center

Clothing Distribution Center:  The Urban Clothing Closet at John Lewis provides free clothing to scholars and their families

The Center for Youth Student Support: A one-stop-shop for scholar needs. Staffers can help with academic support, crisis intervention, and prevention counseling. Also, the Student Support Center handles referrals to other school and community agencies.

Dental Center: The Dental Center provides comprehensive dental services on-site at John Lewis.

Athletics

Health Center: The University of Landover’s Health Center provides comprehensive primary health care on-site at John Lewis. Scholars can receive treatment for illnesses or injuries, physicals, vaccines, mental health counseling, and prescriptions for over the counter medications. There is no out-of-pocket costs for services for those with insurance coverage, and for those without insurance, support is provided to obtain coverage. 

School-based Extracurricular Activities & Health Resources

Family Group

Food and Resource Pantry: The Pantry offers food and hygiene supplies to scholars and families in need. The Pantry also offers nutrition education, healthy recipes, and the locations of other nearby food pantries. Foodlink and other organizations help to stock the pantry.

School-based Extracurricular Resources

Culinary Arts

John Lewis Vision Care This program teaches scholars the skills of a trained optician and started with a grant from NYSED to purchase materials and develop curriculum for a course unlike any other in the state. It started with 8 scholars who were interested in trying this career pathway in a summer program. We worked with Landover Optical to develop a partnership that would provide assistance, guidance, and possible jobs for scholars. First and second year courses were then developed. During their first year, they learn about the parts of the eye and how to use the tools of an optician. They learn how to take basic measurements and use machinery to fabricate prescription eyewear. The year-end assessment is to make a pair of glasses for a patient using the skills they have learned throughout the course. scholars in the second year of the program learn more about the fabrication of prescription eyewear, work with eye doctors to pre-screen patients, and use advanced machinery and tools to make glasses for adults and for children. They work to increase their knowledge of the optician and the roles they play in the workforce. Local opticians and optometrists visit and discuss their roles in the marketplace, help motivate and encourage scholars, and provide free vision screenings to students in the district. Both program years prepare scholars for further study or employment in the optical fields.

Information Technology Academy (ITA)

Career Exploration Internship Program (CEIP) The Career Exploration Internship Program is a school-business partnership initiative that provides high school students, age 14 and above, the opportunity to obtain non-paid, on-site, career exploration experiences. The focus of the program is meaningful, hands-on, career exploration rather than skill development. Students may earn ¼ to 1 unit of elective or CTE sequence credit.

John Lewis Culinary Arts Program This program gives students skills and knowledge of the Food Service Industry and Culinary Arts, learning food preparation and food production practices. The John Lewis School has a state-of-the-art kitchen including a demonstration station where scholars learn the many skills necessary for careers in the Back of the House.  They also participate in various opportunities to serve and manage the Front of the House in our on-site Metals Cafe.

Medical Laboratory Health Sciences Pathway

John Lewis offers Career and Technical Education Pathways (CTE Programs) aiming to prepare scholars for success beyond high school graduation with college and industry partners’ collaboration. CTE Programs provide an opportunity to explore five different fields: Education, Heath Sciences, Hospitality (Culinary), Information Technology, and Manufacturing. At the end of the programs, each scholar who completes all requirements earns a technical endorsement. 

Information Technology Academy (ITA) This program is a 4-year, 5 credit CTE program for scholars interested in any field within the Information Technology Career Cluster.  Our focus is on introducing scholars to the most popular fields in IT. The ITA offers a customized curriculum that combines IT fundamentals with “hands-on” experience. Students build and support a PC; design, build, and program miniature robots; create programs in Python and Java; design and build websites; network computers; design, build and play video games; create animations and more. Students in the program also have opportunities for high school internships in the IT field.

Precision Optics

Work-based learning opportunities provide activities to engage employers and schools, assist students to improve their skills for post secondary education and workplace. Under this program, student have the opportunities for: school-based enterprises, job shadowing, community service/volunteering, and paid or unpaid internships. John Lewis School is registered with the state to offer students the following opportunities:

Career and Technical Education Program

Medical Laboratory Health Sciences Pathway This program was created to support students interested in careers in health care delivery. Our MLHS pathway provides a foundation for high school students pursuing careers at all levels of health care delivery. Graduates of the MLHS program leave John Lewis with credentials and skills that allow for employment directly after graduation. Scholars who choose this Health Sciences pathway will gain over 216 hours of Health Science core instruction. Seniors in the program receive an additional minimum of 108 hours of classroom instruction and another 108 hours of supervised clinical experience in Clinical Laboratory and Phlebotomy.  

Teaching and Learning Institute

Cooperative Career & Technical Education Work Experience Program (CO-OP) The Cooperative Career & Technical Education Work Experience Program is a work-based learning program for students age 16 and above, consisting of 150 to 600 hours of paid, school-supervised work experience, supported by related in-school instruction in a specific career & technical discipline. Students may earn ½ to 2 units of credit towards a CTE sequence, depending upon the specific sequence.

Work-based Learning Programs

Career Exploration Internship Program

Precision Optics John Lewis is home to a $500,000 precision optical fabrication and testing lab that gives students experience in advanced manufacturing. Scholars learn about optics and making precision lenses and flats like those found in telescopes, cameras, and other high-end devices. This program prepares students for careers at any of the region’s 40+ precision optical design, manufacturing, and engineering companies.

The Teaching and Learning Institute (TLI) This program is tailored to students who are interested in careers in education and leadership. TLI seeks to diversify the district’s teaching corps by adding homegrown, proactive teachers from our community, preparing students for success in college, giving them teaching experience while in high school, and offering a rigorous curriculum relevant to their lives and life in our city. Starting from the 9th grade, students take seminar courses, aiming to introduce the nature of teaching and learning, lesson plan design and writing, improve students’ skills at building community, and opportunities to practice presenting in front of various audiences, and human development, brain-based learning and psychology as it relates to teaching and learning. At the 12th grade, students can take 1 credit MCC Dual Enrollment—Introduction to Teaching Course, which aims to prepare for students as professional role in the workplace. During the second semester, students will complete a paid internship at one of the district’s elementary schools or in a 7th or 8th grade classroom at John Lewis by demonstrating the same practices as any employee in the district. 

Cooperative Career & Teachnical Education Work Experience Program

Vision Care

General Education Work Experience Program (GEWEP)  The General Education Work Experience Program is a work-based learning option for non-CTE students, age 16 and above. The program consists of 150-600 hours of paid, supervised work experience, supported by the equivalent of at least one classroom period per week of related instruction. Students typically earn ½ to 2 units of high school credit.

General Education Work Experience Program

family group

English/language arts

career readiness resources

history/social science

socioemotional and physiological resources

Hide Scholar View

literacy

academic support period

visual arts

clubs

music

college readiness resources

performing arts

school-based curricular resources

science

math

sports

Scholars’ successes in the academic courses at John Lewis School are supported by a network of mutually reinforcing systems. These systems include academic resources outside of regular class times, school-based extracurricular activities, a range of health resources (physical, mental, emotional) for the whole child, and a strong career technical education program. 

health resources (physical, mental, and emotional)

Caring Relationships

Explore

Launch - Explore - Summarize

Mathematics Classes consists of three main nodes: instructional practices, curricular materials, and scholarly engagement. Instructional practices represents the actions and practices of teachers, curricular materials includes characteristics of the materials provided to students, and scholarly engagement includes the characteristics of mathematical practices in which students participate. In addition, the Launch-Explore-Summarize lesson structure is positioned to show its connection to all three nodes, as well as to signal the inquiry-based nature of the mathematics program. Lastly, a foundational feature of a successful AMT classroom is the development of caring relationships between teachers and scholars.

Scholarly Engagement

Launch

AMBITIOUS MATH CLASSES

Curricular Materials

Social-emotional learning

Instructional Practices

Summarize

Download

Tasks are open-ended and allow students to invent strategies that can be made visible for students to discuss them and make connections between and/or among the strategies generated. 

CURRICULAR MATERIALS

Tasks have high potential for multiple strategies, which allows students to choose which approach (or approaches) illustrates their ways of thinking and demonstrates their understanding.

Using complex, authentic, high-demand tasks

Mathematical investigations...

Situated within broader instructional sequences...

Complex and non-routine tasks provide multiple entry points that are accessible to all and allow learners to contribute, individually and collectively, in meaningful ways.

Tasks provide opportunities for students to engage in rich mathematical investigations to develop and connect important  mathematical concepts.

Complex and non-routine tasks allow a range of potential approaches and multiple solution strategies.

Ambiguity requires mathematical authority...

Make meaning considering big ideas...

"Tuesday we did our first lesson where we’d launched a problem, introduced it, and then kids got some work time. Then, based on the work that I pulled out of that, giving myself time in between too, to not try to facilitate it on the fly, I programmed my next Desmos so that all the work samples I pulled had specific questions for kids to interact with. We looked at a picture, and we said, “What was this person thinking about?” or, “What is the number of segments that students will get?” Then, one of the students had written an explanation and not utilized the picture. I was like, “Let’s read what the student wrote, and then you color the picture of what he’s talking about,” so making it very small chunks of making the interactivity in a different way than we have before. Really adjusting what interaction looks like, I think, was a hard thing. It’s still not great. It’s still not—really far from perfect, but it’s getting better, I think.”-Franklin (Teacher Leader) 

"We read and underlined the learning target. Did like a quick five minute about perimeter and area, the differences, what operations we associate with them... We talked about what it meant to have for a fixed perimeter of 20. Kids came up with some... then we drew that one. They came up with a few counter-examples of what wouldn’t work, and then they went into about 20 minutes, I think, of group time where they came up with as many examples that they could for—of rectangles with a fixed perimeter of 20 and 36, and then what was the maximum area. Then I had a few groups who decided that that was a square and they realized that the one where all the sides are the same. Unfortunately, no one came up with the word “square” without prompting, but, you know, it’s okay. Then we shared out—people shared out their different theories and which one it was. Then, at the end of class, I think they did—their exit ticket was something like, “Today, I learned that, blank,” and they had to just pick anything about perimeter, area, or maximum area that they learned.”  - Lattimore (Teacher)

Tasks foster the development of mathematical practices.

Constraints and assumptions...

Connections between math experiences...

Draw on identity, culture, and understanding of power...

Sky blue bar indicates forms of curriculum materials are also significant for emphasizing multiple dimensions of equity.

Range of potential approaches...

Multiple entry points...

Tasks are intentionally situated within broader instructional sequences designed to elicit, build on, and advance student thinking as they progress through the tasks.

Culturally relevant...

Tasks require students to make meaning as they consider big ideas within a particular problem that can be elicited and leveraged to further learning.

Informal then formal procedures...

The focus of tasks...

Higher cognitive processes...

Tasks contain ambiguity that requires students to exercise their mathematical authority as they grapple with the ambiguity before proceeding with the task.

I think that dog's name was Poppy.... The dog had a cannon aimed for the squirrel in the tree and we were supposed to find the angle that the dog was at. We already knew what the hypotenuse was and the opposite, how tall the tree was and how far the cannon needed for the squirrel distance wise. We had to find what the angle was.... Everyone was experimenting with the calculators. We were like send. We was like wait, it doesn’t work. It's undefined... I did not [know how to solve it at first]. I was like what is this? What am I supposed to do?  I'm stubborn... I get that from my father. I think I like the satisfaction of knowing the fact that I solved this problem… I like independency with my work and I could try do trial and error and then laugh at myself if it's something stupid. We keep it light. We keep everything light inside of the classroom… We're still focusing but there's jokes that go around with the Math. It really helps us understand and comprehend why is this dog having a cannon shooting at the squirrel? - Student J (10th grade)

Tasks require students to make connections between sets of mathematical experiences as well as among important mathematical ideas.

I think there is a level of being an independent learner that comes with this curriculum that students struggle with if they didn’t have that kind of experience beforehand. It’s a lot of teaching of how to be a student in this different kind of setting if that makes sense. You need to be a little bit more of a self-starter. You need to be willing to take risks. You need to be willing to go, 'You know what? I’m gonna give this problem a shot and see what happens and not worry about if I get it right or wrong but more develop this sense of having fun with the math and thinking about it.’” - (Teacher Leader)

Tasks may contain ambiguity that requires students to draw on their identity, culture, and understanding of power to grapple with the ambiguity before proceeding with the task.

Iterative processes...

Tasks may contain some ambiguity that requires an iterative process where students consider the constraints of the task in order to make assumptions to proceed with the task.

Eliciting and responding to student thinking

Complex and non-routine tasks require higher cognitive processes.

Tasks are designed to be easily adapted to be culturally relevant so that students’ prior knowledge, interests and strengths are used to engage students in meaningful mathematics learning.

Tasks focus on big mathematical ideas, are non-routine, and allow for sense making.

Multiple strategies allow for students to choose...

Cultural knowledge...

Positioning students as sources of mathematical authority

Mathematical content is introduced in a way that allows students to develop their own informal procedures before formal procedures are introduced.

Tasks may contain some ambiguity that requires an iterative process where teachers elicit and build on students’ thinking as students grapple with the ambiguity before proceeding with the task.

Tasks are designed to allow students and teachers to integrate cultural knowledge into their mathematics teaching and learning.

Teachers strive to implement the dimensions of Ambitious Mathematics Teaching by:

Mathematical practices...

Open ended tasks...

Providing authentic opportunities to process the big mathematical ideas embedded in the tasks.

Considering which participation structures (individual, collaborative small group, whole group) are best suited for which learning experiences.

Mathematical argumentation...

Peer communication…

Creating opportunities for students to communicate their mathematical reasoning to peers and listen to and critique the reasoning of their peers.

Student explanations...

Nurturing relationships with community leaders...

The challenging part is no one ever—my strategy, it makes sense, but a kid or Ms. Franklin has to re-say it.”  - Student H (6th grade)

Posing questions during each part of the lesson that assess and advance mathematical ideas.

Highlighting students’ explanations in a whole class setting.

“Now, we’re working on area, perimeter, circumference, and diameter and all that. It was confusing at first until we had the pi thing, the pi day. Then she talked to us about pi a little bit. I asked her if we were doing that circumference stuff, I wasn’t learning. I kept saying to her every time I try to find the area or divide something by the diameter or something, it would always three-point-something… I just multiplied it by pi and got the actual stuff, which was kind of difficult until she showed it but tried not to give it away at the same time.”  - Student I (6th grade)

Lived experience...

There’s definitely a struggle with kids seeing themselves in the curriculum, even though the curriculum makes an effort to be diverse in the names they use and the situations they go after. It’s sometimes where it’s difficult to make those connections. Right now I’m planning a lesson for sixth grade which is all about going on this long bike tour where you are traveling by truck, and you’re going on this bike trip for months around the country. Even though it’s probably interesting for kids to think about and to work with, it’s probably not something that they can bring their personal experiences into. It’s always this idea, okay, so what can we personalize for them? Have you gone on a trip before that you had to plan? Making it more personal for them to go with that. I think that yeah, the background, it doesn’t scream, “Oh, it aligns for my kids.” It’s really how do I bring it to them, and how do I make it work for them? - Franklin (teacher leader)

INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES

Formative assessment...

Formatively assessing student thinking and providing feedback to students throughout the lesson.

Prioritizing culturally relevant pedagogy...

It is a reading heavy curriculum. We try to incorporate literacy moves into our math instruction to help get everyone on the same page with the context with what the problem is saying. The folks that really latch on to the curriculum are folks with the higher literacy scores, because they can parse the problems, figure out what their asking and then are a little more fluent with writing themselves so they have more fluid, written responses as well. Yeah, we’ll try to do a closed read on when we unpack a problem to get everybody and then we’ll—this isn’t necessarily something that I’ve done consistently, but I’ve seen the value of —I’ve mentioned that you really got to get everyone on the same page with the context. - Davis (teacher)

Co-construction of norms...

Facilitating co-construction of norms that include agreeing on what counts as valid mathematics.

Attending to, incorporating, and providing spaces for students’ lived experiences.

Creating opportunities for students to develop their own informal procedures before formal procedures are introduced.

Implementing culturally relevant teaching practices...

Although if we type up a packet for an investigation, it might not be the exact same words. Again, we didn't want the reading to be the barrier for the students. It has the same—it should have the same outcomes. It should lead to the same understandings. We're not changing the math part of the questions. It's really just the language or the context if it's not a context that they could understand or relate to. We want to be culturally relevant to them so, those are the small changes we would make  - Bridges (teacher)

Teachers support the dimensions of Ambitious Mathematics Teaching by:

Student voice...

Encouraging broad forms of participation...

Encouraging broad forms of participation using classroom protocols (word walls, entry tickets, notice and wonder, sentence frames, catch and release).

I think the other support that the students need is making it engaging for them by using protocols. I think that’s a really important thing to do. Not just, “Here, here you go. Do the problems,” but structures that help them work together better with the problems that they have. That’s really important because I don’t think any student yet has the perseverance to work through the problems for 20 minutes at a time because it’s—they’re going to struggle. Letting them go for chunks of time and bringing them back [catch and release] is what we do a lot of with the curriculum that we have. - Sheppard (teacher)

Opportunities to process...

Creating opportunities for students to engage in reasoning and sense-making, wrestling with important mathematical ideas.

Sense-making...

Developing students’ capacity to engage in mathematical argumentation and classroom discussions through the intentional use of discursive moves.

Opportunities to reason...

Promoting opportunities for students to reason about mathematics through solving complex, authentic, high-demand tasks.

For the most part, we tried to be true to the inquiry model. We understood that if a lesson was designed a certain way, and had certain tasks, and had certain protocols and systems built in place, the students would have enough opportunities to make their thinking visible to self and others. It was a matter of time for us, as adults, to understand our role in it. Either we’re planning to just deliver or we’re planning to facilitate, meaning pull back and understand the flow of each activity and how to provide them enough information to get them started. - Alder (Teacher Leader)

Prioritizing culturally relevant pedagogy, and modifying curricular resources as needed, to include connecting to students’ lives and identities, high expectations of rigorous mathematics learning, and attending to the needs of every learner.

Implementing culturally relevant teaching practices (e.g., learning about students, teaching to diverse learners in strength and need).

Implementing routines to prioritize student voice.

Creating and nurturing relationships with community leaders that incorporate problem solving through mathematics.

Informal/formal...

Posing questions...

"I give support for academic discourse through the words walls and the language target and the sentence frames, and I do it through the norms that I set up. I have norm experts, and one of the things is like one of my—our norms is 'I can listen to others’ voices and ideas,' and 'I can build from others’ ideas' as well. Whenever they do that, I post it. When they’re doing it, I validate the ones that are doing it really well, which helps because they all want their names on the board. It’s a big deal for them [laughter].” - Sheppard (teacher)

"When I mentioned common formative assessments… We call it critical content and skills. Each course team identifies the critical content and skills for their course. Then they evaluate students' growth in these critical content and skills across the year with these common formative assessments. For this year… our yearly goal was having students be able to explain their thinking with providing evidence at the appropriate sophistication for their grade level. We've been developing a common rubric to use 6 to 12 to evaluate our progress towards that goal. Our performance tasks this year, we've been scoring against this rubric to track our students' ability to provide these explanations with appropriate mathematical evidence and sophistication and the growth of that over the year as well.” -Matthews (teacher leader)

Students develop positive identities as learners and doers of mathematics.

Communication and critique...

Students use a social justice oriented perspective with respect to mathematics that empowers them to critique the status quo and resist oppression and injustice.

Informal procedures before formal...

Students participate in the co-construction of norms that attend to equitable engagement with both mathematics and their peers.

Authentic tasks...

supports the dimensions of Ambitious Mathematics Teaching in the following ways:

 “If you don’t know certain things, say if you got something wrong, then—this has happened to me a couple of times—yeah, my groupmates have helped me with this. I got something wrong ’cause I thought something was there, or you may have not picked up on something that was said in a test. If you have group time, they can really explain certain things and why certain answers are right or what you missed out on.”  - Student I (6th grade)

Students value the ideas of all of their peers, regardless of status, within the classroom.

Students share unfinished or unpolished ideas to construct understanding.

Inquiry within all group configurations...

Mathematical authorities

All students, regardless of status (e.g., expert, academic, peer, and societal), communicate their mathematical reasoning to peers and listen to and critique the reasoning of their peers (Cohen & Lotan, 2014).

Students see themselves and their peers as mathematical authorities with valuable contributions to the process of learning.

Students make their thinking visible by communicating their mathematical reasoning to peers and listening to and critiquing the reasoning of their peers.

"They explore it first through the good questioning that Core-Plus has leading them into this understanding. Then again as much as we can, we like to have the students explain even to each other the concept that they get through exploration. In a summary discussion have the students lead that as much as possible.” -Bridges (Teacher)

Agency and productive struggle

Students take ownership of their own mathematical ideas through communicating their reasoning to peers and responding to the reasoning of others. 

Students exercise mathematical agency by persevering through productive struggle.

Social justice oriented perspective...

Co-construction of norms

Students participate in the co-construction of norms that include agreeing on what counts as valid mathematics.

Students work individually, collaboratively in small groups, and as a whole class to engage in authentic inquiry.

Unfinished ideas shared...

Ownership of ideas

Students analyze and model new problem situations through engaging with authentic tasks.

Ideas valued, regardless of status...

Students are engaged in metacognition, reflecting on and leveraging their own thinking, to deepen their mathematical understanding.

SCHOLARLY ENGAGEMENT

"Yeah. We do that [whole group discussion]. If we have a certain equation, how would we find the height of what the radio tower. We did that recently too. We ventured outside and had measured a tower which was really fun. Students were coming up with ideas. Why don’t we just use a protractor on the ground and just—and this was we'll just use my phone.” - Student J (10th grade)

Metacognition

Students develop their own, informal procedures before formal procedures are introduced.

High-demand taks...

Students make thinking visible...

Positive identities as learners...

Teachers demonstrate respect for scholars by maintaining high expectations and providing support for scholars as needed to meet those expectations.Teachers respond to scholars with interest and compassion to demonstrate the value of scholars' contributions.Teachers include adults with whom scholars' see their current self as well as their future aspirations.

Teachers invest in building and nurturing connections that extend beyond the classroom walls with students. Teachers take time to learn about scholars' backgrounds,identities, and interests, and invest time in supporting scholars' activities.Teachers reserve time to engage in conversation with scholars that allows exploration of scholars' identities and interests.Teachers share aspects of their lives and backgrounds, which provides the opportunity for them to explore their identities as well.

DEMONSTRATE RESPECT

Teachers value and nurture scholars’ ability to be social justice oriented. Teachers leverage classroom discussions and activities to promote civic engagement and perseverance in alignment with the John Lewis mission, to encourage students towards making changes in their own lives and communities.  Teachers use strategies that resist oppressive behavior and environments (e.g., only calling on students with raised hands) and encourage students to advocate for themselves in productive and non-violent ways.

HIGH EXPECTATIONS

BELONGING AND SAFETY

BILINGUALISM HONORED

Teachers view differences as assets and recognize and celebrate the unique characteristics every scholar brings to the classroom community.Teachers intentionally support the development of scholars' self-awareness.Teachers are conscious of how their interactions with scholars' serve to build or erode scholars' self-esteem

Teachers invest in building and nurturing trust with scholars.Teachers use active listening and flexible communication strategies to understand scholars' varying needs.Teachers respond to scholars with interest and compassion to demonstrate the value of scholars' contributions.Teachers are attentive to the interactions that take place within the building and commit to establishing and protecting a safe and supportive space for scholars.Teachers diligently observe behaviors, including the use of language, that is harmful and promptly address it to prioritize respect and restoration rather than punishment.

BEYOND CLASSROOM

Teachers work to create and nurture environments in which students feel a sense of belonging and safety.Teachers check in with scholars daily to develop awareness of scholars' social and emotional needs, connecting students with additional help when needed.Teachers encourage scholars to demonstrate care and compassion for one another by supporting and encouraging each other.Teachers diligently observe behaviors, including the use of language, that is harmful and promptly address it to prioritize respect and restoration rather than punishment.

DIFFERENCES AS ASSETS

Teachers view differences as assets and teach to scholars' unique strengths and needs. Teachers treat bilingualism as an asset and:support English language learners in a variety of ways which include encouraging students to use their home language and speaking with them in their home language when applicable. provide strategies and materials when necessary to support scholars' learning, and during whole group work, provide space and time. recognize non-verbal participation cues as participation and opportunities to connect.

SOCIAL JUSTICE ORIENTED

Teachers maintain high expectations and provide support for scholars as needed to meet expectations and: use a variety of strategies to meet the needs of every learner including leveraging different modalities, providing clear instructions, and giving students engaging and impactful work.  take advantage of teachable moments and encourage students to have a growth mindset. take advantage of different group structures and actively seek and listen to students' desires around group configurations and working independently.

NURTURING TRUST

. . .

What takes place in coaching sessions/teaching labs influence  how planning time is  used

Built-in planning times are opportunities to engage in coaching sessions/teaching labs 

Week-long Summer Professional Learning

DETAILS

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING FOR TEACHERS

Built-in Planning Time Collaborative Planning Time Independent Planning Time

Informs the content of planning time 

There are three interconnected aspects to the professional learning for both teachers and teacher leaders: 1) week-long summer professional learning, 2) structured time during the school day for both independent and collaborative planning, and 3) job-embedded professional learning. Substantial resources are devoted to professional learning to ensure it is robust and cohesive, provides ongoing support, and is transformative. The investment in Teacher Leaders as support for the Teachers is crucial.

Job-embedded Professional Learning Instructional Support Planning Content-focused Coaching Cycles Teaching Labs

Informs the focus of coaching sessions and teaching labs 

Job-embedded Professional Learning "CoachIng-the-Coach" Cycles

Built-in Planning Time Collaborative Planning Time Independent Planning Time TL Collaborative Planning Time

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING FOR TEACHER LEADERS

Built-in planning times are opportunities for TLs to expand and practice content-focused coaching skills, supported by “Coaching the Coach” cycles What takes place in coaching sessions influences the work in TLCPT

Informs the content of what the Tls worked on to support colleagues throughout the year

Week-long Summer Professional Learning 

Time in the summer supports Tls in their understanding of and skills in content-focused coaching

Connection to other PL

All school personnel expected to participate in school-wide professional learning (stipend provided), with specific department-time scheduled throughout.In collaboration with the UofL consultants, Teacher Leaders designed and implemented the Lower School (LS) and Upper School (US) department-specific professional learning aligned with the annual school-wide initiatives.Special Education co-teachers and administrators assigned to the Math Department attended when possible throughout the week.

WHO

WHERE & WHEN

The week-long summer professional learning for teachers was often used as a launch of school-wide initiatives that then continued with department connections throughout the year.The school-wide areas of focus informed the content of teachers' collaborative planning time and independent planning time throughout the year as teachers engaged in course and grade-level specific follow-up work (e.g., the use of MAC protocols, designing and implementing CEPTs).The job-embedded professional learning activities that teachers engaged in were often directly related to the week-long summer professional learning. For example, individual coaching cycles or a collaborative teaching lab were designed to highlight school-wide initiatives like the use of MAC protocols or the implementation of CRRPT. eachers were given an opportunity to put what they learned in the summer into practice with a supported other (teacher leader/UofL consultant). They also then reflected on what happened in the classroom and discussed implications for future practice.

Every summer for one to two week-long sessions in August at John Lewis School. The first 3 years of the John Lewis EPO had 1 week of PL for all teachers focused on a school-wide initiatives, AND 1 week of department-specific curriculum work. This eventually became 1 week of professional learning that incorporated LS/US department curriculum time spread throughout the week.

WHY & WHAT

Dedicated time in the summer provided both time for teachers to engage in curriculum writing and planning work, and professional learning related to school-wide areas of focus.Some examples of areas of focus that the department collaborated on:Developing an understanding of mathematics curricula designed to support ambitious math instruction: Connected Mathematics (Savvas Learning Company); Core-Plus Mathematics (McGraw Hill); and Meaningful Math (Activate Learning).The use of Understanding by Design (UbD) by Wiggins and McTighe (2005) to deepen understanding of the curriculum by articulating unit big ideas, transfer goals, assessments, unit overview, etc.Incorporating different aspects of UbD were a focus in different years.Developing understanding and building capacity to implement the Launch-Explore-Summarize model in lesson design and implementation. Incorporating"Management in the Active Classroom" (MAC) protocols from Berger et al. (2021) into lesson design and implementation.Designing and incorporating Curriculum-Embedded Performance Tasks (CEPTs)a s part of a comprehensive assessment plan.Use of culturally relevant/responsive pedagogy (CRRP).

Built-in Planning Time

COLLABORATIVE PLANNING CPT is used to further school-wide and department initiatives as well as for a specific area of focus for learning determined by the TL and UofL consultant based on department needs.Throughout the year, CPT was used to engage in planning and debriefing job-embedded professional learning such as Teaching Labs and Group Coaching Cycles (LS only) INDEPENDENT PLANNING Sometimes Independent Planning Time is used to engage in individual coaching cycle sessions (planning or debriefing) with a teacher leader or UofL consultant.

COLLABORATIVE PLANNING Intentionally built into the schedule, Collaborative Planning Time (CPT) is every other day for 72 minutesTakes place within the school day at John Lewis School.INDEPENDENT PLANNING Independent Planning Time occurs for each teacher at different times throughout the school dayTakes place within the school day at John Lewis School.

COLLABORATIVE PLANNINGSmall groups of mathematics teachers teaching the same course at Upper School or teaching the same grade level at the Lower School. Teacher Leaders contributed to the CPT for the courses that they were teaching, and occasionally attended other CPTs as their schedule allowed.Administrators responsible for the Math Department, Special Education co-teachers attended when possible.UofL consultants support the Teacher Leader in the design and implementation of these sessions as needed/requested.INDEPENDENT PLANNINGEvery math teacher has independent planning time built into their schedule. Teacher leaders and Uofl consultants are available for teachers to connect with upon request.Special education co-teachers usually had independent planning time at the same time as the math teacher they were working with so that there were opportunities to collaborate about specific students or revise lessons

COLLABORATIVE PLANNINGSmall groups of teachers teaching the same course have dedicated time to collaborate to improve student learning.Typically focused on ongoing school-wide or department level initiatives, particularly related to revising lesson plans in line with these initiatives.Once or twice a month, minimally, the Lower School department would use the time for a professional learning experience designed and implemented by the Teacher Leader in collaboration with the UofL consultantExamples of how CPT time was used include:Collaborative work on designing lesson plans, unit plans, and assessmentsReflecting on evidence of student learning based on formative or cumulative assessments and revising plansDiscussing instructional strategies and how to engage students with course content and activities (e.g., Launch, Explore, Summarize).Examining State assessment data in terms of students’ progress and passing rates, and to put appropriate supports in place for students. INDEPENDENT PLANNINGSeparate from Collaborative PlanningnTime, teachers have time to work individually on their lesson plans or other instructional work.Teachers could collaborate with the Teacher Leaders or UofL consultants as requested depending on their needs/goals.Sometimes Independent Planning Time is used to engage in individual coaching cycle sessions (planning or debriefing) with a teacher leader or UofL consultant.

INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORTTLs and/or UofL consultant provided informal, ongoing, individualized support as requested by teachers.This individualized instructional support included lesson planning, reflecting on a lesson, help creating materials, problem solving, specific focus on an instructional practice, looking at student work.CONTENT-FOCUSED COACHING CYCLES This structured professional learning is embedded in classroom practice as a way to influence instructional practices "in the moment" and reflect on student learning of mathematical content.Includes a collaborative planning session, co-teaching a lesson, and debriefing the lesson/student understanding by examining student work.TEACHER (LEARNING) LABSTeaching Labs are an opportunity for a small group of teachers to co-plan, observe, and reflect on a lesson and student learning. They are not meant to be exemplar lessons, but are meant to provide opportunities to discuss instructional choices and implications for student learning based on authentic classroom experience.Lessons are co-planned by the small group and then the teacher leader or coach teaches the lesson to one of the participants' classes while all others observe/take notes, focusing on particular aspects of teaching or student learning. The whole group debriefs together,, examining evidence of student thinking, discussing what they saw and implications.May focus on a particular grade level need (specific mathematical concept/idea or a particular lesson) or initiative.

INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORTAll teachers at Upper and Lower School and SPED teachers in math classrooms had opportunities for instructional support from their Teacher Leader and the UofL consultant.CONTENT-FOCUSED COACHING CYCLESThe Upper or Lower School Teacher Leader and/or the UofL consultant was the coach. John Lewis School has the expectation that all teachers are to engage in a coaching cycle at least once each year.TEACHER (LEARNING) LABSAll math teachers, Special Education teachers supporting the math class, and LS and US administrators had opportunities to participate in Teaching Labs each year. Opportunities were organized by grade level or by course taught.Teacher Leader and/or UofL consultant would facilitate the planning and debriefing, and teach the lesson.

Because each of these job-embedded PL activities requires teachers to spend collaborative time outside of the classroom, independent planning time and collaborative planning time were often times that were tapped into to work with the teacher leader, UofL consultants, or the grade level team.The foci of individual instructional support, content-focused coaching cycles, and teaching (learning) labs were often directly linked to the school-wide areas of focus and the initiatives launched in the week-long summer professional learning.In this way, Teaching (Learning) Labs, teachers' opportunities to engage in collaborative planning, and content-focused coaching cycles with the teacher leader or UofL consultant all worked in concert to support high quality professional learning for teachers that directly impacted classroom practice.

INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORTTeachers' independent planning time, before school, after school, ad hoc.CONTENT-FOCUSED COACHING CYCLES The planning and debriefing 1-1 sessions between the TL or UofL consultant (acting as coach )and the teacher often took place during teacher's independent planning time.The TL or UofL consultant (acting as coach) was also an integral part of co-teaching the lesson in the teacher's classroom.TEACHER (LEARNING) LABSThe planning and debriefing sessions take place during CPT.Teachers were released to observe the lesson in a colleague's classroom..

Job-embedded Professional Learning

Built-in Planning Time Collaborative Planning Time Independent Planning Time

Job-embedded Professional Learning Coaching Cycles

Built-in Planning Time Collaborative Planning Time Independent Planning Time TL Collaborative Planning Time

Informs the content of what the TLs worked on to support colleagues throughout the year

Built-in planning times are opportunities for TLs to expand and practice content-focused coaching skills, supported by “Coaching the Coach" cycles What takes place in coaching sessions influences the work in TLCPT

All subject-area Teacher Leaders (initially 12, grew to ~20)UofL consultant took primary lead designing and facilitating, in collaboration with the Chief Academic Officer at John Lewis SchoolAround Year 5, a Lead Teacher Leader was hired to co-lead the work with the UofL consultant, and UofL consultant role decreased

Dedicated time in the summer provided time for teacher leaders to engage in institutes around coaching and examine teaching and learning in their subject area in relationship to John Lewis Learning Principles Simultaneously engage in leadership practices in order to provide support to colleagues; e.g., facilitating teaching (learning) labsSpecific support for leading department work on the school-wide area of focus in the teacher professional-learning week. For example, use of Understanding by Design, Management in the Active Classroom protocols, and vertical alignment Included a content-focused coaching institute for all Teacher Leaders

Every summer for one week at John Lewis School.

The summer professional learning for teacher leaders was designed to support their knowledge and understanding of the school-wide initiatives, as well as to help develop their leadership skills and practices to support their department throughout the year providing individual instructional support, content-focused coaching cycles, and teaching (learning) labs The work launched in the summer was followed-up and built on in the teacher leader collaborative planning time throughout the yearUofL consultants supported the math department teacher leaders specifically throughout the year as they built on the summer learning about content-focused coaching by "coaching the coach"

INDEPENDENT PLANNING TIMELike teachers, Teacher Leaders have independent, collaborative, and TL collaborative planning time built into their schedule.COLLABORATIVE PLANNING TIME (CPT)Teacher Leaders contribute to, and oftentimes lead and facilitate, the CPT for the courses that they teach.TLs occasionally attend other CPTs as their schedule allowsUofL consultants support the Teacher Leader in the design and implementation of these sessions as needed/requested.Administrators responsible for the Math Department, Special Education co-teachers attend when possible.TEACHER LEADER COLLABORATIVE PLANNING TIME (TL CPT)All subject-area Teacher Leaders (initially 12, grew to ~20) with UofL consultantThe Chief Academic Officer, who was also the supervisor of the Teacher Leaders, was responsible for designing and facilitating these sessions

INDEPENDENT PLANNING TIMEThis was time for Teacher Leaders to work on their own instruction and lesson design, or to provide individualized support to teachers in their department upon request.Teacher Leaders also often use this as a time to connect with UofL consultants COas requested depending on their needs/goals.Independent Planning Time is also used to engage in individual coaching cycle sessions (planning or debriefing) with a teacher in the department, OR a “Coaching the Coach” cycle with a UofL consultant.COLLABORATIVE PLANNING TIME (CPT)Small groups of teachers teaching the same course have dedicated time to collaborate to improve student learning.Typically focus on ongoing school-wide or department level initiatives, particularly related to revising lesson plans in line with these initiatives.Once or twice a month, minimally, the Lower School department would use the time for a professional learning experience designed and implemented by the Teacher Leader in collaboration with the UofL consultantTEACHER LEADER COLLABORATIVE PLANNING TIME (TL CPT)Opportunity for all John Lewis Teacher Leaders to come together regularly throughout the year to support each other, learn together, and support coherence of initiativesPrimarily focused on curriculum development (e.g., UbD, culturally-relevant and responsive unit design)Used to design professional learning for their CPTs that moved school and departmental work forward (turn-keying)

Sometimes Independent Planning Time is used to engage in individual coaching cycle sessions (planning or debriefing) with a teacher or “coaching the coach” with a UofL consultant. Teacher Leaders’ CPT is an opportunity for TLs to regularly connect to continue to move forward the initiatives launched in the summer, and to design ongoing professional learning for their own departments in CPT or other department time There were also opportunities for TLs to further deepen and build understanding and skills as content-focused coaches in TL CPT

INDEPENDENT PLANNING TIMEIndependent Planning Time occurs for each teacher at different times throughout the school day.Takes place at John Lewis School. COLLABORATIVE PLANNING TIME (CPT)Intentionally built in to the schedule, Collaborative Planning Time (CPT) is every other day for 72 minutesTakes place within the school day at John Lewis School.  TEACHER LEADER COLLABORATIVE PLANNING TIME (TL CPT)Collaborative Planning Time for Teacher Leaders takes place every other day at John Lewis School. 

Embedded in school-day at John Lewis School Meet during teacher leader’s independent planning time, before school, or after school

Teacher Leaders receive support from the UofL consultants to learn about and get feedback as they engage in content-focused coaching Ideally, this includes (1) the UofL consultant and Teacher Leader meeting together prior to the planning meeting with the teacher, (2) the UofL consultant observing: the planning session, co-teaching the lesson, and the debriefing session between the TL and teacher (either “live” or video), and (3) the UofL consultant and TL meeting after the coaching cycle is complete to debrief, reflect, and plan fornext steps

Teacher Leaders in a coaching cycle with a teacher are supported by a UofL consultant, the Lead Teacher Leader, or an external consultant

This job-embedded professional learning builds directly on the learning that TLs did in their summer week-long institute as well as the work in the TL CPT learning about content-focused coaching Some of the additional meetings/support takes place in TLs’ independent planning time

Launch: The lesson begins with an engaging introduction to the problem and its context to set the stage for student exploration.Teachers build background knowledge regarding the problem context,draw on prior knowledge, and connect to students’ lives.Teachers position students to make sense of and persevere in solving the problem(s).

Explore: Students engage in productive struggle, collaboratively solving problems while teachers monitor student work Teachers may engage with individual students, pairs, or small groups by posing purposeful questions, assessing and advancing student thinking, as well as encouraging mathematical discourse and other mathematical practices (e.g. SMPs).Teachers may support students in developing skills that allow them to work together effectively as they investigate important mathematical ideas.Teachers orchestrate, probe, ask questions, and record student thinking in preparation for the summary discussion.

Summarize: Teachers facilitates discussion, using student work and explanations, to construct shared understandings of mathematical ideas.Teachers orchestrate, probe, ask questions, record student thinking, and highlight student thinking from individual students and small groups to connect mathematical ideas. Teachers support students in synthesizing their learning and checking for student understanding.

MESOSYSTEM

community safety

digital culture

Communities in the scholar’s context that may have a lot of influence, especially if part of the scholar’s microsystem.

BROADER CONTEXT

MACROSYSTEM

school personnel

parent organization

See timelines for John Lewis School’s efforts at building community partnerships.

The cultural context which influences (and can be influenced by) all interactions.

local history / culture

family

scholar

The developing scholar’s interactions with all systems over time.

EXOSYSTEM

religious community

racism

beliefs about mathematics teaching and learning

work personnel

The developing scholar’s interactions with people, objects, and symbols in various communities.

CHRONOSYSTEM

More about the systems...

peers

MICROSYSTEM

poverty

Relationships between members of the scholar’s microsystem, with potential to build a more coherent cultural context.

higher ed

regents policy deciders

local business community

community organizations

Teachers view differences as assets and teach to scholars' unique strengths and needs. Teachers treat bilingualism as an asset and:support English language learners in a variety of ways which include encouraging students to use their home language and speaking with them in their home language when applicable. provide strategies and materials when necessary to support scholars' learning, and during whole group work, provide space and time. recognize non-verbal participation cues as participation and opportunities to connect.

I had the luxury of being able just to focus on school and being a kid and having my real needs be met by my parents. A lot of our kids have to find other places to have those needs met which I think is a huge part of what we provide at John Lewis in terms of our social-emotional learning and our approach to our practices. I think that that takes into account the very diverse group of needs our kids have. - Matthews (teacher leader)

Teachers view differences as assets and recognize and celebrate the unique characteristics every scholar brings to the classroom community.Teachers intentionally support the development of scholars' self-awareness.Teachers are conscious of how their interactions with scholars' serve to build or erode scholars' self-esteem

CARING RELATIONSHIPS and SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING

Teachers maintain high expectations and provide support for scholars as needed to meet expectations and: use a variety of strategies to meet the needs of every learner including leveraging different modalities, providing clear instructions, and giving students engaging and impactful work.  take advantage of teachable moments and encourage students to have a growth mindset. take advantage of different group structures and actively seek and listen to students' desires around group configurations and working independently.

Social-Emotional Learning: Teachers acknowledge that a focus on social-emotional skills support academic learning as well as a sense of belonging within the school community. As part of developing caring relationships with students, teachers incorporate social-emotional learning in their daily practice. Teachers strive to support scholars’ “ability to manage their feelings and behaviors” and “development of critical consciousness… to become change agents” (James-Wilson, 2020).

“I know for a fact I explained to her [younger sister] my Math teacher because I love my Math teacher… Mr. Kelley was my Algebra I teacher and I used to bring a little wolf plush every day and he used to grab it off of my desk and then caress like an evil cat while looking at our work and then go back to the front and explains it while still caressing it.” - Student J (10th grade) Focus Group Student 7: Right. Last year, I was sad. I was sad last year, and he was one of the teacher who would always ask about my day—They would always ask about my day or crack some jokes to try to make me smile, and I really liked that.

The classroom environment in which the instructional triangle is situated is significant. This environment is characterized by caring relationships and attention to social-emotional learning.

Teachers value and nurture scholars’ ability to be social justice oriented. Teachers leverage classroom discussions and activities to promote civic engagement and perseverance in alignment with the John Lewis mission, to encourage students towards making changes in their own lives and communities.  Teachers use strategies that resist oppressive behavior and environments (e.g., only calling on students with raised hands) and encourage students to advocate for themselves in productive and non-violent ways.

Teachers work to create and nurture environments in which students feel a sense of belonging and safety.Teachers check in with scholars daily to develop awareness of scholars' social and emotional needs, connecting students with additional help when needed.Teachers encourage scholars to demonstrate care and compassion for one another by supporting and encouraging each other.Teachers diligently observe behaviors, including the use of language, that is harmful and promptly address it to prioritize respect and restoration rather than punishment.

I think we build deeper relationships with them that last longer, and the work is hard. It’s really, really hard work to build those relationships and get those things going, but once you have them, they’re your kids, and they will do anything for you. I think what they bring is really, really strong character, and they test you, and they won’t let you get away with just about everything. You really have to build that trust with them, and it has to go both ways in building the respect. - Franklin (teacher leader)

Caring Relationships: Teachers acknowledge that caring relationships with students are essential to supporting academic learning as well as a sense of belonging within the school community. Teachers strive to develop caring relationships with students through daily instruction as well as interactions outside the classroom by “engaging scholars in ways that are meaningful, appropriate, and sensitive to their unique identities” (James-Wilson, 2020).

Teachers invest in building and nurturing connections that extend beyond the classroom walls with students. Teachers take time to learn about scholars' backgrounds,identities, and interests, and invest time in supporting scholars' activities.Teachers reserve time to engage in conversation with scholars that allows exploration of scholars' identities and interests.Teachers share aspects of their lives and backgrounds, which provides the opportunity for them to explore their identities as well.

Focus Group Student 6: Also, another thing with resources and things, my math teacher last year… He had office hours outside of school, through Zoom, so that way, if you wanted just like updates on what you’ve been doing—if you’ve missing out, or just help with your homework, stuff like that—help for Regents—you could go to his office hours and get help with that outside of school. 

Teachers demonstrate respect for scholars by maintaining high expectations and providing support for scholars as needed to meet those expectations.Teachers respond to scholars with interest and compassion to demonstrate the value of scholars' contributions.Teachers include adults with whom scholars' see their current self as well as their future aspirations.

Teachers invest in building and nurturing trust with scholars.Teachers use active listening and flexible communication strategies to understand scholars' varying needs.Teachers respond to scholars with interest and compassion to demonstrate the value of scholars' contributions.Teachers are attentive to the interactions that take place within the building and commit to establishing and protecting a safe and supportive space for scholars.Teachers diligently observe behaviors, including the use of language, that is harmful and promptly address it to prioritize respect and restoration rather than punishment.

The circles represent the primary stakeholders in the EPO relationship between the scholars and their families, the John Lewis School, and the university. From the beginning, the intention was to seek out the voices of all stakeholders to contribute to the shared values that are driving the John Lewis Mission. Agreement on shared values helped to form the John Lewis Mission as exemplified in the vision for graduates, the learning principles that are the foundation for all curriculum development, and the leadership model.

Partnerships with Community Organizations

Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection (Youth Employment Training Academy)Hillside’s Work-Scholarship program offers enrichment opportunities for 9th to 12th grade scholars such as academic support, mentorship, and assistance with college searches and applications. Hillside's Youth Employment Training Academy holds events (e.g., visiting manufacturing sites) and supports scholars with job readiness skills and by connecting them with employers.

The Children’s AgendaThe Children's Agenda advocates for effective, equitable policies to address issues stemming from popverty, racism, health inequities and trauma. They partner with John Lewis to support parent advocacy and engagement. 

Ibero Family Service AssistanceThe Ibero Family Service Assistance (FSA) Program focuses on building strong family-school relationships so that 6th through 12th grade scholars achieve academic success. The dual-language program works with families to strengthen home-school connections, develop parent leadership skills, and facilitate access to community resources to meet the needs of and build on the strengths of each child. 

Partnerships with Business Community

BACK to Broader Context

Roc the Future AllianceRoc the Future Alliance prioritizes a whole child initiative, where children's health, academic success, and well-being are all supported. Families and children are connected with community resources to address persistent poverty, and progress is tracked with specific aims such as increased high school graduation rates. 

Partnerships with Higher Education & Medical Center

The Center for Youth’s Student Support Center (ATS)The Center for Youth established a Student Support Center at John Lewis to assist scholars from 6th to 12th grade with academic support, crisis intervention, and prevention counseling. A key feature is the Alternative to Suspension (ATS) program that incorporates restorative justice as well as providing social emotional support.  

Connected CommunitiesConnected Communities is a non-profit organization that is neighborhood-based and focused on supporting community members' housing, education, economic empowerment, and general community wellness. In partnership with John Lewis and its Community School model, Connected Communities sponsers The Community Café where events support parent engagement.

Foodlink - Community Food PantryThe Community Food Pantry offers food and hygiene supplies to scholars and families in need. This program is sponsored by Foodlink and other local food organizations which help keep the pantry stocked. The Pantry also offers nutrition education, healthy recipes, and the locations of other food pantries around Rochester. 

Urban League of Rochester, NY, Inc. - Gear up Urban League of Rochester: Gear Up is a federal grant program designed to increase the number of students who are prepared to enter and succeed in education after high school. This program prepares students for earning postsecondary credentials that have labor market value.

Vision Care   The Vision Care program aims to educate scholars for further study or employment in the optical fields by first learning the basic skills of the field and their potential roles in the marketplace. Scholars have the option to earn college-credit and pursue certification, internships, and jobs. Not only does the program help motivate and encourage scholars, it offers free vision screenings—plus repair services and new glasses—to students thoughout the whole LCSD.

Community College Liberty Partnerships Program This Community College Liberty Partnerships Program provides tutoring plus college and career exploration to scholars in grades 7 to 12. This pre-collegiate program supports scholars' academic achievement and career success. Established 2003.

ULMC Health Center The Health Center provides on-site comprehensive primary health care where scholars can receive vaccines, treatment for illnesses or injuries, prescriptions for over the counter medications, and mental health counseling. There are no out-of-pocket costs for those with insurance coverage, and for those without insurance, support is provided to obtain coverage. Established 1995.

Culinary Arts  A state-of-the art kitchen and the Metals Cafe provide scholars with opportunities to learn skills for both the Back of the House (food service and culinary skills) and the Front of the House. Scholars can earn college credit through a partnership with a local community college. Established 2000.

UL Step to College For 9th to 12th graders who intend to go to college, Step to College prepares participating scholars for admission to and success in two-year and four-year colleges. In this program, the students receive ongoing tutoring, mentoring, and academic support throughout the school year, and a summer immersion "academic boot camp" for learning about college life.

Teaching & Learning Institute  The Teaching and Learning Institute (TLI) seeks to diversify the district’s teaching corps by adding homegrown, proactive teachers from their community. TLI prepares scholars for success in college and career by giving them teaching experience in high school and offering a rigorous curriculum relevant to their lives and life in Rochester. Scholars can earn college credit through a partnership with a local community college. Established 1996.

Precision Optics  The Precision Optics program prepares students for careers at any of the region’s 40+ precision optical design, manufacturing, and engineering companies. John Lewis is home to a precision optical fabrication and testing lab that gives scholars experience in advanced manufacturing, such as lenses in telescopes, cameras, and other high-end devices. Scholars can earn college credit through a partnership with a local community college.

UL College Prep Center (Talent Search & Upward Bound) All John Lewis scholars can drop-in to the UL College Prep Center for visits with college representatives, support for taking SAT and ACT tests, and help with preparing college applications, personal statements, and applying for financial aid or scholarships. The Talent Search program specifically serves scholars in 6th to 12th grade with after-school tutoring. 9th through 12th grade scholars can also take advantage of Upward Bound, a summer program on the UL campus.

Information Technology Academy (ITA)  Scholars explore many aspects of information technology in the ITA, including programming, robotics, and web and game design. Scholars can earn college credit through a partnership with a local community college. Established 2002.

ULMC Dental Suite  John Lewis scholars can receive dental services provided on-site by the ULMC Dental Clinic, including sealants, fillings, and extractions when necessary. 

Medical Laboratory & Health Sciences  For scholars interested in careers at any level of the health professions, this program provides a foundation of clinical skills and health science knowledge. Scholars can earn college credit through a partnership with a local community college.

The Cutting Edge & Essential Salon Through a partnership with the United Professional Barbers & Cosmetologists Association Inc., John Lewis offers free services at an on-site barbershop and a salon, for fresh cuts, braiding, and more.

Culinary Arts  With support from eleven industry partners, the Culinary Arts Career and Technical Education (CTE) program offers experiences in the on-site Metals Café and catering, plus job shadowing, networking opportunities, and internships. Established 2000.

Precision Optics In collaboration with eight industry partners, the Precision Optics Career and Technical Education (CTE) program supports scholars in pursuing optical design, manufacturing, and engineering careers.

Information Technology Academy The ITA Career and Technical Education (CTE) program works with five industry partners to offer scholars opportunities for job shadowing and paid internships.

Medical Laboratory & Health Sciences (MLHS) The MLHS Career and Technical Education (CTE) program partners with eight industry organizations for work-based learning, including job shadowing, internships, and externships in supervised clinical experiences in laboratory and phlebotomy skills.

Teaching and Learning Institute (TLI) Established in 1996, the TLI Career and Technical Education (CTE) program works with sixteen educational partners, from public schools to universities, to offer work-based learning opportunities including practicums and paid internships.

Vision Care The Vision Care Career and Technical Education (CTE) program provides work-based learning opportunities through its relationship with two industry partners, including clinical and diagnostic rotations and retail optical experience.

Go to MSAMP Website (overview, lesson plans)

Launch to the MSAMP Interactive Animated Model

More about the systems: Our approach to understanding how AMT has been sustained in a previously “failing” school is grounded in a sociocultural view of scholars not just in the math classroom, but also in the broader cultural context.   We draw on Bronfenbrenner’s (2005) bioecological theory, but with many changes from his original model (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) with the still prevalent conception of nested concentric circles. Initially, the microsystem of people with whom the developing person had a direct relationship was represented by a small circle around the central person. The exosystem was represented as a concentric circle around the microsystem, indicating influential others who did not have direct relationships with the central person, but were still influential. The macrosystem—or culture— was represented as the largest concentric circle around everything.   First, we incorporate the spiral visualization of the microsystem proposed by Vélez-Agosto et al. (2017) to emphasize how the macrosystem of culture does not exist on the periphery but rather is embedded in all the scholar’s interactions. The black spiral represents the scholar’s developing microsystem, starting with the family and extending outwards. The dark gold macrosystem of culture is embedded throughout the entire broader context, including local history, community safety, and even beliefs about mathematics teaching and learning, from traditional to ambitious.   We have taken the middle-sized concentric circle of the exosystem and broken it into multiple ovals, each representing a group of people who simultaneously reflect and recreate culture in their communities. The ovals are superimposed on top of the spiral if a member of that community has a direct relationship with the scholar. Ovals that have no direct relationship are shown as floating alongside the spiral; these are important to include as they make up the exosystem, and can be influential (e.g., education policy deciders) and may even become part of the scholar’s microsystem in the future (e.g., local business community).   The mesosystem has remained largely the same, namely a network of connections between two people who are within the developing person’s microsystem (e.g., the relationship between a scholar’s parent and their teacher). We have used a red color for the mesosystem so that we could indicate how the mesosystem has the potential to influence the macroculture, represented by the red “cloud” in the center. We believe that the richer the network of connections, the more cohesive and coherent is the culture around the scholar. The potential of a healthy mesosystem over time drew us to highlight the many partnerships John Lewis has formed over the years, one way to conceptualize the chronosystem, which is the developing person’s interactions with all systems over time.