Union-Led Reform Project in California Shares Lessons - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Union-Led Reform Project in California Shares Lessons - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

Union-Led Reform Project in California Shares Lessons

By Anthony Cody on November 15, 2013 6:39 AM

If you were to think of the key things that you would want to do to support learning at high poverty schools, what would be on your list? Leaders at the California Teachers Association asked that question six years ago, and came up with a program that provides extra funding to about 400 high poverty schools across the state.

 There has been an ongoing research project to track how well the program has met its objectives, and a second report has been issued.  (I wrote about the first report when it was issued in 2010.

The new report focuses on ten schools that have been exemplary in putting the QEIA funds to good use. The authors indicated several aspects of QEIA that were especially helpful. The first was reducing class size. The report indicates:

As a key pathway, CSR [class size reduction] opened the door to instructional opportunities that would not exist otherwise. Respondents commonly noted that CSR paved the way for the following changes in instruction: 1) More small group instruction; 2) Differentiated instruction; 3) Individual time with each student; 4) Instruction geared toward developing more complex skills; 5) Expanded time for re-teaching; and 6) Frequent and ongoing assessment.

Time for teacher collaboration was also of great value:

Collaboration served as a gateway to change in
every exemplary school; collaboration led to