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Posted by:
Sidney Okashige
Research/tech assistance org
Providence, RI
Topic:
Response to Dennis Sparks
Message:
Thank you for your comments on the Knowledge Loom.
I was struck by a colleague's comment recently that the use of student learning data to guide instruction is a fairly recent development in the classroom. I think good instruction has always been guided by a data-feedback loop that runs from student work to teacher and back again. The difference may be that in the past the loop was a more instinctive, implicit behavior on the part of many teachers. Now it is becoming an explicit, (hopefully) universal, and systematic process. The challenge for educational leaders is teachers' reticence to shift into this unfamiliar analytical mode. It may be the most needed content area in professional development today. I agree that it is the key--indeed, the secret--to the development and progress of both the teacher and learner.
The other part of your comment that is important to me is your emphasis on continuous progress. We need to change our language of educational reform, which connotes the "quick-fix" mentality, into a language of continuous improvement that emphasizes building upon our successes. It speaks to the strength of a longtermed investment and to the rigor that comes from making incremental improvements in teaching and learning.
The importance of a learning community and the attention given to its organizational culture seem to me vital to the larger picture of sustaining professional growth. More and more, schools, districts, and states that are enjoying higher student performance say they have promoted a collaborative, supportive learning community and a sense of common vision and mission. Policymakers can help by funding additional dedicated positions and programs that promote ongoing professional learning. The good news is that it is happening--although not universally--and it does work. Sadly, the nurturing of an organizational culture depends on leadership, and our nation is suffering from a shortage of principals and superintendents that is at a crisis level.
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