David Strahan

Toward a Prototype of Expertise in Teaching A Descriptive Case Study

This study used a prototype view of teaching as a theoretical framework to interpret, analyze, and describe the behaviors and verbal responses of three expert teachers and to determine the degree to which these three teachers share a “family resemblance” to one another. A case study that provides descriptions of what expert teachers do and say contributes to our understanding of the complexity of expertise in teaching. Analysis of data collected for this study reveals six central tendencies of the three participants. The rich descriptions and summary representations provide specific and complex profiles to inform teacher educators and professional development providers in their efforts to improve professional practice among teachers.

Successful Teachers Develop Academic Momentum with Reluctant Students

As an eighth grader, Randys academic engagement increased dramatically. He rarely got in trouble. He became a leader on community service projects. He qualified for the honor roll. His scores on statewide achievement tests rose significantly. He and his teachers reversed the negative dynamics that had plagued him in years past. Their story demonstrated a pattern of performance that has grown clearer in recent research reports.

An Exploratory Study of Mainstreamed Seventh Graders' Perceptions of an Inclusive Approach to Instruction

We conducted a case study of 11 seventhgrade students with mild disabilities who were included in a general language arts classroom. We interviewed students, administered individual reading inventories, and observed lessons. Based on this information, we generated student profiles that provided a framework for planning a unit on the novel the outsiders. During the teaching of the novel, we served as participant observers. At the end of the semester, we administered a reading assessment and conducted follow-up interviews. Results indicated that all 11 students were more engaged in classroom activities during the unit, and 8 of the 11 demonstrated more consistent reading strategies. Results underscore the complexity of inclusion and suggest that some of these students may need more intensive, one-on-one intervention.

Middle School Reform Through Data and Dialogue: Collaborative Evaluation with 17 Leadership Teams

This report describes a 2-year, longitudinal study of one school districts effort to link site-based, collaborative evaluation with formal, centralized program evaluation. Participants formed a research team in partnership with a local university. Team members assisted leadership teams in identifying issues for informal, site-based assessments and then used the information to monitor progress toward established goals. Participants collaborated in designing and conducting informal assessments of student achievement, school climate and safety, discipline, and parent involvement. Leadership teams used these data in developing their school improvement plans. Researchers and administrators used these data to revise the districtwide survey. At the end of the 2-year cycle, analysis of school improvement plans showed that collaborative evaluation is creating a connection between dialogue and data. These 17 middle schools are approaching school improvement in a more integrated fashion by actively involving key stakeholders (students, parents, and teachers) in the evaluation process.

Politically Astute Processes for Middle Level Improvement

Some educators become so caught up in considering alternatives to attain suc cessful middle level schools that they forget to attend to political realities. As a result, their plans are not attempted or fall short of their original intents.

Strengthening Developmental Trajectories toward Responsiveness: Learning to Teach at the Middle-Level.

Abstract Many middle level teacher education programs attempt to explicitly address goals such as developmental responsiveness, empowerment and equity. Over the past 3 years, faculty at a regional comprehensive university explored perceptions of professional growth among middle level teacher candidates in a program that attempts to meet these aspirations. Analysis of reflective essays written in response to course assignments have documented ways that participants expressed views of themselves as teachers who reflected the values emphasized during professional courses and internships. Reflecting on internships provided opportunities for participants to analyze classroom experiences using these values as lenses, questioning themselves at times and affirming their values with concrete examples at other times. Insights from this study have guided faculty in designing a developmental framework that scaffolds teacher learning more precisely. Examples from student work provide illustrations of one candidate’s learning trajectory.