Background Information
Based on a robust body of evidence on professional learning in the research literature, the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat (LNS) promotes collaborative inquiry in the daily work of teachers and administrators; specifically, in the following three programs: Collaborative Inquiry for Learning – Mathematics (CIL-M), Early Primary Collaborative Inquiry (EPCI) and the Student Work Study Teacher Initiative (SWSTI).
Approximately 25% of Ontario elementary students are producing work at level two and it is important that we understand their perspectives and how to support their learning. Ontario educators have experience and insights to offer and the SWST initiative provides a means for sharing collective wisdom and for new thinking. The Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat is partnering with school boards by providing funding to support the hiring of elementary Student Work Study Teacher(s), each of whom will work in five or more schools that meet the criteria of having sufficient numbers of students working through level two to support the initiative. The SWSTI is designed to learn more about the characteristics of student’s work at level 2 moving to level 3, the kinds of feedback to students that results in improved work and engagement, and the classroom conditions that support the development of student learning including the types of tasks and prompts that result in student work at provincial standard.
The initiative is structured around a collaborative study between an experienced practitioner (SWS teacher) working in a temporary research role, and hosting classroom teachers. In 2009/10, 50 SWS teachers from 19 district school boards across the province visited approximately 250 classrooms from kindergarten to grade 6. Case studies were written by the teacher/researchers. In 2010/11 the number of SWS teachers expanded to 75 spread across 50 district school boards and it is expected that both these shall rise to around 100 SWS teachers across all 72 school boards in 2012.
The evaluation of the SWSTI is guided by the following research questions:
1. Impact of SWST
- What is the impact of SWST as a framework for professional learning?
- What is the impact of SWST on teacher efficacy, voice, engagement, and changes in practice?
- What is the impact of SWST on student efficacy, voice, engagement and achievement?
- What is the impact of SWST on leaders as co-learners, planners and decision-makers?
2. Implementation of SWST
- What are the underlying characteristics and/or conditions that support effective implementation of SWST?
- How widely spread are changes in practice as a result of the SWST?
3. Spread, sustainability and fidelity of SWST
- What conditions support the spread and fidelity of the SWST initiative?
- With the spread of SWST, is fidelity to the foundations of collaborative inquiry sustained?
- What connections between and among K to 1 (in 2009-10) and K to 2 (2010/11) been developed as a result of SWST in participating schools and boards?
4. Links to other LNS collaborative inquiry initiatives
- What links are there between the SWST initiative and the Early Primary Collaborative Inquiry (EPCI) initiative?
- What links are there between the SWST initiative and the Collaborative Inquiry for Learning – Mathematics (CIL-M) initiative?
Evaluation Team
A bilingual research team of evaluators, investigators and research assistants has been assembled from the Faculty of Education of the University of Ottawa. The team is led by Dr Ruth Kane as the Principal Evaluator/Investigator with Adrian Jones as Project Manager. Dr Christine Suurtamm and Dr Cheryl Duquette are Team Evaluator/Investigators and David Trumpower is the project's Statistician/Data Expert. Jennifer Rottmann (Doctoral candidate), Lise Rochefort (Franchophone) and Eriola Pema (Doctoral candidate) are the Research Assistants. The evaluation timeline runs from November 2011 until December 2012.
For more details about the evaluation activity, please contact the SWSTI Evaluation Office by email or by phone 613.562.5800 x4632.