Empowering educators across the St. Louis region with the tools, skills and confidence to bring high-quality, equitable STEM learning to all students is at the heart of ISP’s mission and purpose. By partnering with ISP and one another to encourage curiosity, school district leaders and teachers model something they want their students to embrace as well: a commitment to lifelong learning.
Valeria Rodriguez
Creating time and space for collaborative school change
Mistakes are easy to make, and often hard to accept, but sixth grader Valeria Rodriguez is getting more comfortable knowing she’s not always going to have the right answer.
“When I was younger, making mistakes made me a little anxious because I thought I did something wrong,” says Valeria. “But now I know that if I make a mistake, I can learn something from it.”
She and her classmates at Ritenour Middle School have been testing their tolerance for struggle during math classes led by a teacher who is presenting math concepts with a high-level task approach that gives students a newfound ownership of their learning and an invitation to reach the right answer with thinking that makes sense to them.
“This year, math is different,” says Valeria. “The teacher shows us a high-level problem on the board, then we meet with our group to discuss it. Once we agree on an answer, we share it with the classroom.”
If someone in the group doesn’t understand something, their peers step in for the assist.
“We reteach, give an example and talk about how we got to an answer,” says Valeria, who has found herself on the receiving end of such help from a classmate. “It’s happened a couple of times, and it makes me feel a little nervous inside, but I’ve learned something from it. I try to remember that when I’m helping someone else.”
“Knowing how to ask assessing and advancing questions to support high-level task learning isn’t a skill that can be taught in the abstract. As a teacher, you’re not ready for that lesson until you are teaching.”
– Michele Niece, K-12 Mathematics Director, Mehlville School District
Teacher Rachel Thomas walks among the groups of students, listening as they work through the problem that she has carefully constructed and planned using new skills she’s developed through professional development provided by ISP. Teaching with high-level math tasks requires significant pre-planning, as well as an ability to nimbly assess student knowledge and be ready with the next question that leads the learner closer to discovery of a path to an answer.
“They really are teaching one another,” says Thomas, who credits the positive shift in the classroom to her district’s embrace of math teaching through high-level tasks. Hearing Valeria and her classmates describe the experience and the resulting boost to their confidence is encouraging.
The welcome change has been ushered in through STEMpact District Immersion, a project spearheaded by the Institute for School Partnership (ISP) that is energizing math teaching teams in the Ritenour, Mehlville and Maplewood Richmond Heights School Districts.
We are proud to recognize two ISP leaders who have recently received prestigious awards for their contributions to equity in education.
Congratulations to ISP Executive Director Vicki May, who is one of seven members of the Washington University community honored April 19 at the Gerry and Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Awards, sponsored by the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement. Read more about the award and Vicki’s contributions to the community.
Congratulations to ISP Associate Director Rachel Ruggirello, who is the 2022 recipient of the Outstanding Administrative Support Award, an annual honor from the National Science Education Leadership Association (NSELA) for her work promoting excellence in science teaching and learning. Read more about the award and Rachel.
mySci teachers connect for summer learning
School may be out for the summer, but over 130 K-8 science teachers from across the region will spend a day on WashU’s Danforth Campus for mySci Summer Institutes. Designed for teachers (both new and returning) from schools participating in ISP’s mySci program, these free, in-person professional development opportunities are a great way for teachers to connect with one another and be ready to use this comprehensive science teaching resource to full capacity.
Presenters at the Carnegie Foundation Summit 2022: Mandy Harvell, Instructional Coach Secondary Math, Ritenour School District;Briana Trager, K-12 Science Director Mehlville School District; Rachel Ruggirello, ISP Associate Director; Marquetta Mansion, ISP Program Manager; Abbey Loehr, ISP Research Director
ISP bridges the gap between research and practice in education by translating research findings into implementable actions. We partner with PreK-12 educators using these actions to achieve positive change in schools. ISP leaders, instructional specialists as well as partner teachers and administrators regularly present to peers nationwide about our latest findings in the research practice partnership space. This spring, team members attended and presented research to educational colleagues nationwide:
Uniting Districts to see their Common Aim: A Unique NIC Formation Strategy, Carnegie Foundation Summit 2022, San Diego, CA–Abbey Loehr, Rachel Ruggirello, Mandy Harvell, Briana Trager
Factors Associated with K-5 Science Teaching Time, 95th NARST (National Association for Research in Science Teaching) International Conference, Vancouver, BC- Rachel Ruggirello, Maia Elkana
Data-Informed, Equity Driven: Cultivating a Collaborative Data Culture, a Town Hall hosted by Washington University’s Social Policy Institute–Maia Elkana
Establishing RPP to Transform Schools, Member Spotlight, NNERPP (National Network of Education Research-Practice Partnerships) – Abbey Loehr and Rachel Ruggirello
ISP Blog – Read all about it!
The ISP has launched a blog that will feature regular, original content from staff, our partners and others who have insights to share about STEM education, professional development, equity in education and other topics related to our mission. Be sure to watch for regular updates on new content via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
The Institute for School Partnership is Washington University's translational arm for educational impact. The ISP partners with schools and districts to build capacity for school transformation through new approaches to leadership and deeper learning experiences for all students and educators
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