-blended-learning-in-dc-public-schools_084713921628
-blended-learning-in-dc-public-schools_084713921628
-blended-learning-in-dc-public-schools_084713921628
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BLENDED LEARNING IN DC PUBLIC SHOOLSDANIEL K. LAUTZENHEISER AND TARYN HOCHLEITNERCityBridge Education Innovation FellowsThe objective of the Education Innovation Fellowship,Abbey Goldste<strong>in</strong> says, is to grow a pipel<strong>in</strong>eof <strong>blended</strong>-<strong>learn<strong>in</strong>g</strong> teacher leaders <strong>in</strong> DC, generate“proof po<strong>in</strong>ts” to show <strong>blended</strong> <strong>learn<strong>in</strong>g</strong> can work,and establish DC as a hub for education <strong>in</strong>novation.The fellowship launched <strong>in</strong> January 2013 with an<strong>in</strong>augural cohort of 12 fellows (selected from 63 totalapplicants) split evenly among elementary, middle,and high school and between traditional DCPS <strong>public</strong><strong>schools</strong> and <strong>public</strong> charter <strong>schools</strong>.The fellowship year is divided <strong>in</strong>to three stages. Inthe spr<strong>in</strong>g, CityBridge br<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>blended</strong>-<strong>learn<strong>in</strong>g</strong> expertsto DC for workshops and takes the fellows on site visitsacross the country to see the best <strong>blended</strong>-<strong>learn<strong>in</strong>g</strong>practices <strong>in</strong> action. In the summer, fellows identifya problem <strong>in</strong> their classroom they want to solve viaa <strong>blended</strong> solution and design and implement theirown pilot project for it. F<strong>in</strong>ally, <strong>in</strong> the fall, the fellowsimprove on and expand their pilot projects.By provid<strong>in</strong>g teachers who have an <strong>in</strong>cl<strong>in</strong>ation toexperiment with <strong>blended</strong>-<strong>learn<strong>in</strong>g</strong> models with thetra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g and resources to get started, the CityBridgefellowship can slowly start to create a coalition of thewill<strong>in</strong>g and demonstrate that high-quality <strong>blended</strong><strong>learn<strong>in</strong>g</strong> is possible <strong>in</strong> DC. Although it is still tooearly to evaluate the impact of the year-old program, itseems to be resonat<strong>in</strong>g with teachers and their pr<strong>in</strong>cipals.As Tanesha Dixon, a fellow who teaches seventhand eighth grade at Wheatley Education Campus,comments, “This new way of teach<strong>in</strong>g has reenergizedmy passion for teach<strong>in</strong>g.” 1Note1. Tanesha Dixon, “Let the Cat (and All of Your Students’Papers) Out of the Bag,” Blend My Learn<strong>in</strong>g blog,December 6, 2013, www.blendmy<strong>learn<strong>in</strong>g</strong>.com/2013/12/06/let-the-cat-and-all-of-your-students-papers-out-of-the-bag/.Anacostia, but a world apart demographically. Ward3 <strong>in</strong> Northwest DC boasts an average family <strong>in</strong>comeover $240,000, more than twice the district average of$118,394. Meanwhile, Ward 8, which conta<strong>in</strong>s twoof the three <strong>schools</strong> we visited, has the district’s lowestaverage family <strong>in</strong>come ($43,255). Ward 8 also has a22 percent unemployment rate—more than double thedistrict average—and almost 20 percent of the populationdoes not have a high school diploma. 13We found this community reflected <strong>in</strong> the <strong>schools</strong>we visited. Anacostia High School’s student body is 100percent black, and 99 percent receive free and reducedpricelunch. The school is consistently one of the lowestperformers on the DC CAS, though results haveticked slightly upward s<strong>in</strong>ce a 2009–10 restructur<strong>in</strong>gby DCPS. In 2012, only 19 percent of students wereconsidered proficient or advanced <strong>in</strong> math and 20 percent<strong>in</strong> read<strong>in</strong>g, and the school’s graduation rate was40 percent. 14 Hart Middle School fares only slightlybetter, with 26 percent of students rated proficient oradvanced <strong>in</strong> math and 30 percent <strong>in</strong> read<strong>in</strong>g. 15 RandleHighlands Elementary School, located just across theborder <strong>in</strong> Ward 7, was slightly better still: 28 percentof students were proficient or advanced <strong>in</strong> math and42 percent <strong>in</strong> read<strong>in</strong>g. 16 Both Hart and Randle Highlandswere classified as “develop<strong>in</strong>g” <strong>schools</strong> by the stategovernment for the purposes of the federal No ChildLeft Beh<strong>in</strong>d Act, mak<strong>in</strong>g them middle-tier performers.Anacostia, <strong>in</strong> contrast, was deemed a “priority” school<strong>in</strong> need of <strong>in</strong>tense support to address very low performance,one of 32 across the district.While these three <strong>schools</strong> have vary<strong>in</strong>g degrees of studentperformance, they have each demonstrated a will<strong>in</strong>gnessto use <strong>blended</strong>-<strong>learn<strong>in</strong>g</strong> pilots to try to addresssignificant student academic challenges. The effort lookswholly different <strong>in</strong> each school, from the station-rotationapproach, to the adoption of the TTO model formath <strong>in</strong>struction, to fledgl<strong>in</strong>g experiments with onl<strong>in</strong>etechbooks. Regardless of where the school resides on the<strong>blended</strong>-<strong>learn<strong>in</strong>g</strong> spectrum, each is a useful example ofDCPS efforts and illustrates the potential opportunitiesand challenges of technology <strong>in</strong> the classroom.7