Teachers Meet in Learning Teams to Boost Student Achievement
August 22, 2008 - The call has gone out to Wake County teachers from Dr. Donna Hargens to work together to help more Wake County Public School System students enjoy academic success and to challenge all students academically. Learning teams may be one way to do that. Dr. Hargens talks with reporters about learning teams at East Cary Middle School. |
 East Cary Middle School sixth- and seventh- grade math teachers meet in learning team to discuss student work. |
‘Through the accountability systems and regulations put in place, our community and our state are demanding much more of our students and it’s up to our teachers and our community to prepare our children for academic success,” said Hargens, the WCPSS Chief Academic Officer. “We want schools to provide our teachers time to work together and study student assessment data using their collective knowledge to meet each student’s need. We are working to provide the support that teams of teachers will need to help our children.”
The state now requires that high school students beginning with the Class of 2010 pass five state End-of-Course tests and complete a graduation project as added requirements to earn a high school diploma. The state has made End-of-Grade testing for reading and math more demanding with tougher math testing two years ago and tougher reading testing implemented last year.
“Meeting the demands of this testing means that every student must make one year’s growth each year and that all subgroups of students must be successful at all schools,” said Hargens. “Teachers must challenge all students and we want the best academic results for all students.”
Hargens pointed to the work of a team of teachers at East Cary Middle School where they are studying student data and working as a learning team to find success for students.
At East Cary, teachers meet in learning teams as departments twice a month, usually after school, to discuss student assessments, curriculum materials, needs of the department, and ways to engage students in continuous learning. In these meetings, teachers meet in their subject areas so math teachers or language arts teachers are working together. Teachers work in learning teams in departments on common assessments that measure student learning.
The school’s teaching teams meet as learning teams once a week during common planning time to examine student growth and discuss ways to enhance student achievement. Teachers who work at the same grade level and with the same group of students work to address individual student needs.
East Cary’s Leadership Team that includes the principal, assistant principal, a counselor and teachers meets as a learning team once a month. They examine critical questions and analyze school and student testing data to plan continued meaningful learning opportunities for all students.
Dixie Frazier, principal of East Cary Middle, says the focus on data is shared with students.
“Students are responsible for documenting individual goals and progress on Blue Diamond assessments to promote accountability for their own learning and growth,” said Frazier. “This documentation is kept as part of the student's academic portfolio, which is shared with parents during Student Led Conferences.”
Kim Price is a sixth-grade teacher at East Cary Middle and a veteran educator. “Before learning teams, you were on an island by yourself,” said Price. “What we’re doing now is working collaboratively to make sure we’re covering all of our bases and that we’re getting that creative energy. This is my third year using learning teams. It is awesome.”
Evan Bahoric is a seventh-grade teacher at East Cary Middle and this is his second year working as a teacher. “I’ve only known working in a learning team,” said Bahoric. “As a beginning teachers, it’s incredibly helpful to have people working with me really closely saying ‘Here’s something that works, or this hasn’t worked for a long time, even though the book says this – You shouldn’t teach it this way.’ It lets me know I’m on the same page with colleagues who have years of experience.”
Dr. Hargens says teachers in schools across Wake County are no longer teaching isolated in their own classrooms, but are working as teams to strengthen instruction and meet the needs of their students.
“More is being asked of our children,” said Hargens. “We must keep pace with demands and prepare our children for success.”
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