Seattle Public Schools (SPS), the largest district in Washington, seeks to eliminate persistent disparities in math proficiency between African American and non-African American middle school students. As SPS has introduced strategies and systems to improve outcomes, they have sought a deeper understanding of what is working, for whom, and under what conditions.
REL Northwest joined forces with SPS to provide a data-focused lens to evaluate and refine the district's strategies. As SPS considered what data it needed to inform systemic improvements, questions arose:
- Which real-time data provide information about the change efforts (e.g., a survey about student experiences in the classroom, perceptions of teachers, data about student participation)?
- Who should be looking at these data (e.g., teachers, administrators, parents)?
- At what cadence should the data be reviewed?
- How can teachers and administrators connect the data to next steps and actions?
SPS and REL Northwest have been working to answer these questions as part of the Seattle Public Schools Math Equity in the Middle Grades partnership.
Knowing where to start
Prior to working with REL Northwest, SPS developed a theory of action that specified potential strategies to address low proficiency rates in mathematics for African American middle school male students. SPS aimed to develop students' math proficiency by providing high-quality culturally responsive math instruction with educators who recognize the mathematical potential of their African American students.
Just as teachers use tests to understand students' grasp of concepts, SPS needed to understand the current state of the math improvement efforts. To do this, SPS needed to identify measures that showed how teachers and administrators were implementing the improvement strategies and systems. By understanding what works--and for whom and under what conditions--the district can support students with the right tools and information to drive systemic improvements.
For example, a key factor of math learning is engagement during math instruction. To capture how students participate in classroom discussions, SPS is considering measurement tools such as Equity Quantified in Participation (or "EQUIP"), an observation tool that tracks students' participation by race, gender, or other salient characteristics; the PMR2 class discussion survey, which asks students a handful of key questions about their experience of math discourse; and TeachFX, an online app that tracks the proportion of time teachers are talking to the whole class, compared to students talking in a whole class or small group setting; among others.
Another focus of SPS improvement efforts was to ensure African American students have access to rigorous mathematics and opportunities for problem solving. Though the district-adopted curriculum includes rigorous tasks, student engagement with these tasks depends on the nature of instruction. SPS is considering short surveys or observation protocols for coaches to check how students understand and engage with the rigorous math tasks and collaborative problem-solving activities.
Discovering what comes next
The success of any instructional improvement initiative hinges on the buy-in and involvement of those in the classroom. SPS and REL Northwest are actively involving district math educators to select measures and focal change efforts as their input will be vital to the success of the math initiative. The next school year will launch with an in-person meeting with REL Northwest, district leaders, coaches, and teachers during which coaches and educators will help shape the work for the 2024/25 school year.
The ongoing collaboration between SPS and REL Northwest models how data-informed strategies can lead to meaningful change in the pursuit of educational equity. We expect the narrow and deep focus of this work will lead to documented progress of how student math outcomes improve with continued dedication and a commitment to continuous improvement.
Additional RESOURCES
See below for additional resources:
- Framework for Equitable Opportunities in STEM
- How Educators and Caregivers Can Create Supportive Conditions for Success in PreK-12 Mathematics
- How Teachers Can Plant SEAD (Social, Emotional, and Academic Development) in Math
- Math Mindset: Transforming the Middle School Math Experience
- Evidence-Based Strategies for Increasing Students' Math Performance
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