The spring season evokes feelings of hope, growth, and renewal. Just as the weather brings the healing energy of sunshine, Teacher Appreciation Week reminds us of the power of shining a light to express gratitude for the amazing individuals supporting and encouraging students every day.
When we asked the Highlander Institute team to reflect on what teachers mean to them, a few key themes emerged. Read on to discover the sentiments from our staff members and be sure to thank a teacher in your life today!
Personal Memories
My favorite teachers will be part of me forever. While I would be hard pressed to remember any of the content they taught me, whenever I sit down to work through a challenge, I still feel their encouragement and belief in my abilities. I will always be grateful for their most important lessons — how to be resilient, how to learn from my mistakes, and how to demonstrate love and care for the people in my world.
Cathy Sanford, Director of Communications
During Teacher Appreciation Week, I always think back to those who have impacted my life through their transformative teaching. I will always feel grateful to my high school English teacher who opened our eyes and connected us to so many aspects of the human experience, all while being incredibly cool, interesting, and relatable. Instead of always assigning papers, she often had us respond to texts through art, music, and other creative forms of expression. We analyzed The Stranger by Albert Camus by listening to music by The Cure. My friend and I even got to write and perform a song about Grendel (the beast from Beowulf) in front of our whole class. She showed me a deep love of the profession and of students that sticks with me still.
Stephanie Castilla, Director of Systems
Teacher Qualities & Characteristics
Encouraging | Supportive | Inspiring | Nurturing. Thank YOU to all the teachers who pour their hearts into their job, day in and day out. You are making a difference. You are valued. You are appreciated!
Cindy Kenney, Executive Assistant
Members of the teaching profession embody the term ‘lifelong learner’. Teachers are constantly pushing their thinking, sharing ideas, and celebrating others (their students, their colleagues, their school leaders) — continuing to offer free trainings and host events to shine a light. Thank you to all of the teachers who model a sense of curiosity and dedicate their energy to uplifting the education community, especially during times of dissent and challenge.
This year I have spent a lot of time with teachers of our youngest learners in Pre-K and kindergarten classrooms. Most of these children were born during or right before the pandemic and early grades teachers are moving mountains to get them the skills and support they need for a successful K-12 experience. This Teacher Appreciation Week, we are are truly grateful to our early childhood educators!
Shawn Rubin, Executive Director
Happy Teacher Appreciation Week to all of our partners. Every day you choose to stand for equity. Thank you for being the change we wish to see in the world!
Michaelle Larracuente, Director of Program & Implementation
I would like to send deep appreciation and gratitude to all the educators I work with. I have learned so much with you and from you this year. I see ALL of your hard work and dedication to your schools, students, and families. I am uplifted and inspired by your creativity and caring for kids every time I enter your buildings.
Shout out to: Bernon Heights & Kevin K. Coleman Elementary Schools (Woonsocket); Trinity Academy for the Performing Arts (Providence); Willett Early Childhood Center (Norwood); Early Childhood Center, Thornton, Sarah Dyer Barnes, Winsor Hill, & Brown Avenue Elementary Schools (Johnston); Pell Elementary School & Rogers High School (Newport)!
Our instructional equity framework begins with Awareness because we are committed to continually deepening our understanding of ourselves, the world around us, and the forces that have shaped where we are now. This work is not possible without acknowledging the dominant narratives influencing our curriculum and teaching practices. Whose stories are told? Whose voices are elevated and celebrated? Whose histories remain hidden? When certain perspectives are not included, what messages does that send?
Relearn
One way we are celebrating Black History Month is by diving into resources that help us expand our awareness, exploring Black stories of past, present, and future. This spirit of relearning is something we can carry with us year-round.
ARD continues its annual tradition of highlighting 28 Days of Black History. If you’re interested in learning how you can support equity and social justice in your daily life, consider subscribing to their regular year-long newsletter as well.
The 1619 Project is now available to view as a docuseries on Hulu. Originally a publication from The New York Times by Nikole-Hannah Jones, the content has been reimagined and expanded into a six-episode program. Be sure to check out the viewing guide on the accompanying education materials website.
Rest
Amidst another challenging school year, stress and feelings of burnout are natural. Education is one layer of a system designed to be inequitable, and the work of disruption can be both inspiring and draining. We recognize that this work places a particular burden on Black minds and bodies. Who in our society can access the privilege of rest and recovery? How can we meet this moment in ways that fill us up and renew our sense of purpose?
This Black History Month, we turn to the work of Tricia Hersey, founder of The Nap Ministry. In her book, Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto, Hersey encourages us to reframe our relationship to productivity, reassess what makes us feel whole, and embrace the revolutionary power of rest as we work toward a more just world. For this week’s theme, join us by exploring the resources below from Black creatives, activists, and speakers. Please reach out to share any ideas we might have missed:
Watch Saundra Dalton-Smith’s TEDx talk about the difference between sleep and rest and ways to overcome rest deficits
Rhode Island
We would be remiss if we did not shine a spotlight on our home state. We encourage you to check out the resources below featuring local history and incredible members of our Rhode Island education community.
Join the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society & U.S. Senator Jack Reed for a Celebration of Black History Month & Community Conversation on Teaching Black History in Our Schools (Monday, 2/27 at 9:00 a.m. at Rhode Island College). RSVP Here
Explore lesson plans from the Rhode Island Historical Society and text resources on the Rhode Island Department of Education page related to the Underground Railroad, slavery, emancipation, the Gilded Age, civil rights, Black Power, and current events
Take action through youth-facilitated conversation & workshops from the experts at Diversity Talks and purchase a copy of the new book Terms & Conditions by founder & CEO Dr. Kiara Butler
Connect with Freedom Dreams (founded by Simona Simpson-Thomas) for strategic thought partnership, new student pathways, and tailored coaching, all rooted in passing down the spirit of resilience, joy, and hope to our future generation of Black and Brown students
Over the last twenty years teachers have been tasked with collecting, analyzing, and using endless amounts of testing data in their classrooms. While this data can help us understand patterns of progress and identify where students are struggling, it has not translated into more equitable outcomes for students (Barshay, 2022).
How can we expand our thinking about student data to go beyond creating academic interventions? Can a holistic approach to measurement provide more meaningful insights and greater impact?
Centering students and families is a critical part of Highlander Institute’s liberatory data approach. We are committed to reappropriating the power of data to focus on the student learning experience as a key measure of instructional success and efficacy.
During the 2020-2021 school year, our Research & Impact team developed the Student Experience Survey (SES) to quantify and analyze the learning experiences reported by different student groups across grades 3-12. We know there is a strong evidence base connecting academic success to concepts such as belonging, academic mindset, cognitive skills, and engagement. Our team wanted to understand how student perspectives in these areas might differ based on lunch status, race, grade level, gender identity, or status as English Language Learners or Special Education students.
Initial survey administration at Highlander Institute partner schools yielded fascinating results:
At a rural middle school, students receiving free lunch had significantly lower confidence in themselves as learners and a lower sense of belonging than their peers.
At an urban ring elementary school, special education students and students performing below grade level had lower self-perceptions and less positive learning experiences than their peers.
At an urban middle school, the academic mindset of English Language Learners and Special Education students was significantly lower than their peers.
Understanding student perceptions has provided new awareness about potential root causes of student underperformance and misbehavior. It has also framed important faculty conversations about compliance versus engagement; trust and belonging; and high expectations. One school leader shared this anecdote:
“When I was doing my daily rounds of classroom visits one morning, I witnessed an exchange between a student and a teacher. The student already understood the concept being taught, and asked the teacher for more challenging work. The teacher's response was that all students had to stay together on the same lesson. Frustrated, the student responded by disrespecting the teacher. Previously, that exchange would have prompted me to remove the student from class, call his parents, assign detention, and lecture him on his behavior. My new understanding enabled me to focus on the 'why'. Out in the hallway, I learned that feelings of boredom were a frequent occurrence for this student in the classroom.”
Across our partner schools, survey results have mobilized teachers to understand the stories behind student perspectives, design intentional responses, and triangulate results with academic data. This process has improved the learning experience for students while supporting higher academic achievement. Consider the following use case:
At one partner school, students with IEPs had much lower rates of progress and achievement on interim MAP assessments than their peers. Student Experience Survey results also showed that students with IEPs felt significantly less comfortable than their peers sharing their thoughts and opinions. The Design Team (inclusive school improvement team) shared the survey data with the student council. Additional student reflections supported a targeted search for research-based strategies to elevate student voice. The Design Team piloted “dialogue journals” as a key strategy to help all students feel more heard and valued, which increased student confidence, improved relationships with teachers, and increased engagement. On spring MAP assessments, students with IEPs making exceptional growth rose 18 percentage points in ELA and 13 percentage points in Math.
Excited by the outcomes of our first year of survey administration, we convened partners to support us in validating the tool. Through the generous support of a 2022 award from Assessment for Good, and the help of a talented Research Advisory Committee (see Table 1), we designed initial process steps. Based on the results of stakeholder focus groups and statistical analyses, we addressed survey usability and accessibility. Revisions have made the second version shorter, clearer, and more user-friendly. An overview of survey domains, rationale, and research citations can be found in Table 2 in the Appendix at the end of this post.
Table 1: Highlander Institute’s Research Advisory Committee
The next steps for our Research & Impact team include:
Piloting the updated survey with over 1,000 students during the fall of 2022. Subsequent statistical analyses will continue to support survey validation and test new reporting structures to make results easier to understand and act upon.
Improving our teacher companion tool to the Student Experience Survey. Used as an entry point to 1:1 coaching engagements, the Social Emotional Learning Self-Assessment (SELSA) asks teachers to respond to the Student Experience Survey as a student in their class, and then compares these scores to class averages and disaggregated student response patterns. This exercise celebrates areas of strength and creates a collaborative, supportive approach for responding to red flags.
Building a Family Engagement Survey to understand the perspectives of parents and caregivers around awareness, belonging, and engagement at their child’s school. This data will help schools understand the strength of current family engagement activities and correlations between family engagement, student engagement, and student success.
We believe that human-centered tools can redefine the power of surveys to measure the student experience, instructional efficacy, and inclusivity. When connecting experience data with data on academic performance, teachers can develop a more holistic understanding of their students as learners and better address root causes of existing inequities.
This domain asks students to rate themselves on key beliefs about their intelligence and ability. Perceptions of academic mindset deeply influence student behaviors as learners and impact their learning success.
This domain asks students to reflect on teachers’ understanding of student identities and sociocultural contexts. When teachers deepen their awareness of the students in their classrooms, they are more likely to integrate culturally responsive examples within the curriculum, affirm the academic traditions of different cultures, and raise their expectations of students. This leads to increased student engagement, motivation, and success.
This domain asks students to consider the level of trust, care, and connection within a classroom. Students who feel a sense of acceptance, affirmation, and support in a learning environment are more likely to show higher levels of engagement, persistence, motivation, and achievement.
This domain asks students to rate the level of cohesion and collaboration around academic expectations within a classroom. Establishing a culture of thinking and a supportive environment leads to higher expectations for students around persistence as well as engagement in challenging work.
Student perceptions of their independence as learners
This domain asks students to consider their level of effort with respect to learning, improving, and challenging themselves. Their willingness to engage, persist, and work toward goals demonstrates their capacity to succeed at higher-order thinking tasks and increases their awareness of how they learn best.
Student perceptions of the responsiveness of their teachers
This domain asks students to reflect on teacher actions that push their thinking and value their ideas. Responsive teachers are “warm demanders” who leverage trusting relationships to hold students accountable to high expectations and view teaching and learning as a collaborative effort that values all voices.
Student perceptions of how equity and social justice are explored
This domain asks students to consider how their study of different perspectives and experiences raises issues of power and fairness. When students find meaning and relevance within lessons, they are more likely to apply their cognitive skills, think critically about the world, and understand the levers of change available to them.
Join our team members Karina Rodriguez (Director of Research & Analytics), Malika Ali (Chief of Innovation), and Shawn Rubin (Executive Director) in Los Angeles, CA for our sessions at the 2022 Inclusive Innovation Conference, hosted by the Center for Inclusive Innovation & Digital Promise!
We’re excited to present at the following events:
Monday, October 17 from 3:30-4:30PM
Breakout Session: Learnings and Resources from the Field
Karina Rodriguez & AERDF
Tuesday, October 18 from 1:45-2:45PM
The Student Experience Survey: Actionable Data to Support Culturally Responsive Teaching
Join Karina Rodriguez (Highlander Institute), Lauren Kendall Brooks (AERDF), and Teaira McMurtry (University of Alabama at Birmingham) online for a virtual session as part of the 2023 NCME Annual Meeting.
Session Title: Beyond Basketball & Bodegas: Pursuing True Cultural Validity in Formative Assessment
Date & Time: Thursday, March 30, 2023 from 1:00PM – 2:30PM CT / 2:00PM – 3:30PM ET
Description: Tropes related to basketball, clothing, hair, and superfluous community contextual details permeate the narratives that constitute “multicultural” test items from teacher-derived formative assessment to large-scale assessment tools. As instrument developers pursue inclusion and representation through test content, they walk a fine line between being complicit in using racist, ableist, and gendered language and creating a test environment that honors the linguistic and cultural heritage of its intended users. Through the eyes of a community of developers brought together for a new inclusive, equity-informed R&D initiative, this session will feature lessons learned from the implementation of a culture-forward approach to validity for K-12 formative assessment. This panel will highlight how cultural validity must expand to include the positive experiences of multi-generational American students who sit at the intersections of oppressed identities, and why our evaluative processes that govern some of the most critical gateways within their educational experiences must change. Through a dialogic process with attendees, this session will feature how we can collectively tackle the better psycholinguistic approaches in technology-enhanced and technology free assessment prototypes and why community must be a partner in this process in order to expand a new approach to asset-based, culturally representative assessment content.
Join Malika Ali (Chief Innovation Officer) and Shawn Rubin (Executive Director) in Newport, RI for the 2023 School Redesign in Action Conference, hosted by Great Schools Partnership.
Session Title: Culturally Responsive School Change
Date & Time: Tuesday, March 28, 2023 from 10:30AM – 11:45AM ET
Description: Collaborating with students, parents, and teachers within a school improvement process increases dialogue, improves solutions, and strengthens accountability across a building. Highlander Institute’s partnership with Baychester Middle School has provided a strong foundation for sustainable instructional shifts. Participants will learn how this school reflects on student experience data, co-constructs a culturally responsive vision, and implements high-leverage strategies at scale – and how these moves have improved student experiences and academic outcomes.
