Study Guide

Based on the student performance data provided, two issues I would investigate as the new superintendent of Colgate School Corporation involve: 1. the district's failure to meet any of its student growth targets, and 2. declining math scores on the state assessment for third graders.

The state's growth model measures each student's academic growth against the growth of peers with similar academic histories. Growth model data indicate the extent to which teachers are successfully promoting growth for all students in their classes. The data for my new district indicate that neither low-performing students nor high-performing students are progressing academically at desired levels in English or math, while too many students are exhibiting low academic growth. In other words, teachers are not doing enough to drive the academic growth of all of their students.

Declining third-grade math scores are another problem area I would consider a priority. While every other grade level in the district has been making slow but steady gains in math over the last three years, math scores for third grade show a noticeable decline. Math is widely understood to be a subject area of great importance in school and in life, so it is crucial that students in the early grades gain a strong foundation in math that can serve as a springboard for future learning and success. Curricular or instructional issues that impede math learning for young students should be a priority issue for educators.

Regarding low and declining third-grade math scores, I would include the following two approaches in my efforts to learn more about the nature and causes of the issue. First, I would meet with all of the elementary school principals in the district to collaboratively review and analyze current math performance data for third graders across the district. A primary goal here would be to identify areas of particular weakness in third-grade math achievement for the district or for particular schools within the district. This would help the principals target specific areas in third-grade math where curriculum and instruction need to be further investigated and improved. The process of collaborative review and analysis would also help promote principals' recognition of the problem and the need to address it.

A second approach I would use would be to have the principals review the math lesson plans and objectives of their third-grade teachers. Reviewing lesson plans would provide information on how teachers are structuring their lessons, what content is being taught, and what methodologies are being employed to promote student learning. This approach would provide insight into teachers' instructional priorities for math, how they are addressing math content, and whether there are gaps in the content they are teaching or problems in the methods they are using.

A plan to address my district's third-grade math issue would include the following two strategies. First, I would have the elementary principals organize meetings with the third-grade teachers in their school in which the teachers analyze the math curriculum they are teaching in light of their students' standardized test performance. These meetings should focus on identifying areas of particular student need in math, as reflected in assessment results, and determining whether the math curriculum being taught is adequate and appropriate in these targeted areas. This strategy would help staff identify content that is either not addressed or inadequately addressed in the current curriculum and would provide information needed to improve alignment between what is taught and what is tested. Bringing teachers together in this way would also create a context for teachers to begin a process of collaborative reflection, discussion, and inquiry aimed at problem solving around the issue of improving their students' math performance.

A second strategy I would include in a plan to address the third-grade math issue would be to have elementary principals schedule observations of math lessons in all third-grade regular education and special education classrooms and other math support contexts for students at the third-grade level. Observing math lessons would provide first-hand data on teachers' instructional practices and the ability of each teacher's students to engage in and benefit from the instruction provided. Information obtained through these observations would help in identifying those third-grade teachers who require closer supervision and/or coaching to meet the instructional needs of their students in math.

As superintendent, I would meet regularly with the elementary principals and possibly other school staff to review and monitor progress in implementing the identified strategies for improvement. At the same time, I would encourage a high level of collaboration and the development of a professional learning community focused on continuous improvement in math teaching and learning.