Vicki S. Collet

Robots Teaching Other Little Robots: Neoliberalism, CCSS, and Teacher Professionalism

The publication of A Nation at Risk (ANAR) in 1983 tilted an already shifting paradigm regarding the purpose of a public education in the United States toward one that is based on a line of reasoning that assumes: (1) education should serve the primarily economic function of preparing students for the workforce; (2) public schools in the United States are failing to produce the educational success that is imperative for national economic success; and (3) schools must be held solely accountable for producing academic outcomes as measured by externally administered tests (Mehta 2013a). A national narrative that echoes these assumptions has opened the door to modern education reforms that seek to inculcate neoliberal ideology and its attendant corporate cultural values of commercialization, privatization and deregulation into the public school system (Sloan 2008). Meanwhile, federal educational policy under No Child Left Behind (NCLB), which had already arguably eliminated the traditional American loosely coupled school system (Fuhrman 1999, 2001; Rowan 2006), has further stabilized a fertile market for private interests with Race to the Top (RTTT) by ensuring continued demand for products related to high stakes accountability. The implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) by forty-four states has further tightened the bonds between educational policy makers at the highest levels with practitioners in the classroom by establishing a common set of standards through which the aforementioned federal mandates can be operationalized (Endacott and Goering 2014, 89–92). Unlike many earlier policy reform efforts, the proponents of this market-based and economically focused vision of schooling have managed to dramatically change the technical The Review of Education, Pedagogy, and Cultural Studies, 37:414–437, 2015 Copyright # Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 1071-4413 print=1556-3022 online DOI: 10.1080/10714413.2015.1091258

The Gradual Increase of Responsibility Model for coaching teachers

Purpose – This collective case study investigated the ways in which coaching supports teacher change. Specifically, the purpose of this paper is to consider what types of feedback are best at what times in the coaching process and how coaching supports teachers’ application of learning to differing contexts. Design/methodology/approach – The study was conducted over an 18-month period in three settings: a university reading clinic and two schools. Participants were a coach and two in-service teachers enrolled in a literacy specialist master’s degree program. This qualitative study included observational field notes, interviews, lesson plans, and teacher reflections as primary data sources. Findings – Findings suggest a model for coaching that acknowledges the learner’s previous knowledge and experience and continuously gauges support to stay within the ever-escalating zone of proximal development. Specific coaching moves that vary by degree of scaffolding are identified, namely: modeling, recommending, as...

Teachers' Views of the Common Core State Standards and Its Implementation.

Common Core State Standards are embroiled in controversy and politics. The need to continue to study the many facets of educational changes remains critical, especially from the perspective of the teachers experiencing such changes firsthand. Existing surveys of teacher perceptions regarding the Common Core State Standards have focused primarily on teacher awareness, preparedness and opinions regarding the quality of the Common Core State Standards and curricular alignment. This survey study addressed teachers’ views and support towards the Common Core State Standards and its implementation, their anticipated effects, and how its operation has affected their teaching, their anticipated effects, and their thoughts to leave the profession prematurely. Comparisons were made between teacher groups based on grade-level taught and years of experience. Overall, teachers had a positive attitude towards the Common Core State Standards and its implementation. Attitudes tended to be more negative as grade-level taught increased and were significantly less favorable for those with thoughts of leaving the profession early; responses varied among teachers with differing lengths of experience.

The Gradual Increase of Responsibility Model: Mentoring for Improved Intervention

Purpose – To provide a model for mentoring teachers through the process of improving instruction and intervention. Design/methodology/approach – The chapter describes the Gradual Increase of Responsibility model for coaching, an adaptation of Pearson and Gallaghers (1983) Gradual Release of Responsibility model that can be used by coaches as they support teachers in a clinic or school setting. Findings – Content describes stages of the coaching model that provide less scaffolding as teachers gain confidence and competence. These stages include modeling, recommending, questioning, affirming, and praising. Research limitations/implications – The Gradual Increase of Responsibility (GIR) model provides a process that coaches can follow to support instructional improvement. GIR requires that coaches have instructional expertise; it provides them with a guide for their work with teachers to incorporate effective practices. Practical implications – The GIR model can be applied by coaches in both clinical and school settings, with teachers who instruct students at both elementary and secondary levels. Originality/value of paper – This chapter provides examples for each stage of the GIR process, clearing indicating how coaches can guide teachers to take on increased responsibility for strong, intentional instruction and intervention.

Polyphonic Analysis: obuchenie in qualitative research

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe an approach to analyzing qualitative data that uses Bakhtin’s concepts of dialogue as a framework. Design/methodology/approach Polyphonic Analysis (PA) is proposed as a critical approach to qualitative data analysis that emphasizes creating virtual dialogues of participants’ voices, bringing together views that typically do not interplay in order to escalate voices that might otherwise be silenced, reduced, or objectified. Findings PA, with its emphases on revoicing and dialoguing participants’ words, seeking understanding in the tensions between voices, and striving for hegemony in the development of themes, heightens researchers’ awareness of key principles of qualitative research, suggesting its use as a pedagogical approach for teaching qualitative research as an interpretive paradigm. The authors reference their study on the impact of the No Child Left Behind legislation in the USA to draw examples that illustrate the utility of this research design for pedagogy and practice. Originality/value PA creates meaning by recognizing multivocality and dialogism. The authors propose and describe this novel application of a literary analysis tool for use as a tool for pedagogy and research methodology.

On the frontline of CCSS implementation: A national study of factors influencing teachers’ perceptions of teaching conditions and job satisfaction

Abstract The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) represent an unprecedented change in American education. As an increasingly integral part of the school accountability movement under No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top, responsibility for implementing CCSS rests largely with school leadership. One important factor in the success or failure of these efforts is the perceptions and experiences of the teachers who will ultimately employ CCSS in the classroom. This survey study examined teachers’ views of CCSS implementation, teaching conditions, collaboration, and job satisfaction. Factor analysis revealed that the openness and activeness of school leadership had a significant effect on teachers’ perceptions of implementation, suggesting that attention to these aspects of leadership is an important consideration during transition to CCSS.