By Anita Sundrani
Educators, researchers, and curriculum providers gathered at Northwestern University for a conference centered around the theme of Mathematics Instruction in a Learning Ecosystem.
This was the second annual convening hosted by the Center for Education Efficacy, Excellence, and Equity (E4).
E4, housed in Northwestern’s School of Education and Social Policy, brings together Northwestern researchers, school districts, and the technology company Curriculum Associates to create information and resources that teachers, administrators, and other educators can really use.
“The annual E4 convening is a celebration of our research-practice partnership where we bring our district partners and Curriculum Associates together in a fantastic learning community,” said Paul Goren, E4 Director.
School of Education Professor Nichole Pinkard and Eugene Robinson Jr. of Chicago Public Schools kicked off the conference with a session on the importance of both in and out of school learning.
Pinkard, the Alice Hamilton Professor of Learning Sciences, and Robinson, a social worker and director of student engagement, participants considered who “owns” out-of-school learning opportunities and how school districts can serve as brokers between community organizations and youth and their caregivers.
“I’m curious to see how the CPS sustainable community school program compares or differs from OUSD’s [Oakland Unified School District’s] community schools model,” said Christina McClain, Data Analyst supporting the Community Schools and Student Services department at OUSD.
In another session, professor Nina Kraus of Northwestern’s School of Communication, immersed attendees in the world of sound and its relationship to learning and to society. Kraus, the Hugh Knowles Professor of Communication Sciences, Neurobiology, and Otolaryngology, studies the biology of auditory learning and directs the Auditory Neuroscience Lab.
Kraus discussed the idea that learning and education don’t have to fit into a neat box, explained Samhitha Krishnan, research partners manager at Chicago Public Schools, “It was evident throughout Nina’s talk how the brain and sound engage with all these incredibly important ideas, and she tied that together in a really powerful way.”
Day two sessions focused on students’ identities at the school, classroom, and individual levels. Psychologist Mesmin Destin, associate professor of human development and social policy and faculty director of student access and enrichment at SESP, emphasized the need to attend to marginalized students’ identities and that using a positive, strengths-based approach to learning can profoundly impact students of Color.Participants reflected on the importance of students’ identities and how assessments and data can be reimagined with the whole student in mind during a session with Marrielle Myers, professor of mathematics education and director of faculty, success, engagement, and wellness at Kennesaw State University.
Chris Moy, an elementary school teacher for Chicago Public Schools, said the session helped him “better understand the humanity and story of the individual who is represented by a data point on assessment reports” and “consider the totality of student identity, so educators can better support them [students] in more holistic ways.”
A gallery walk presentation featured research conducted by the E4 and Curriculum Associates teams on multiple topics, including:
- Teacher-assigned math and reading lessons through de-identified data from i-Ready, a digital curriculum platform made by E4 partner Curriculum Associates (see image below)
- Teachers’ use of supplemental math materials through de-identified data from Teacher Toolbox, a digital curricular resource library created by Curriculum Associates
- States’ English Learner reclassification policies and the variable criteria needed to exit English Learner status
- K-2 students’ school readiness in post-pandemic years through de-identified math and reading data from i-Ready
In an interactive session, the Chicago Public Schools math team began with a game to test participants’ math fluency. CPS staff then introduced participants to the Launch, Explore, Discuss lesson structure in their new Skyline math curriculum through an interactive learning activity where participants were prompted to imagine themselves as elementary students.
Alanna Mertens, the K-5 mathematics manager, and Alexis Stokes, the 3rd Grade math specialist, both for Chicago Public Schools, shared how these Skyline activities came together and emphasized the need to grow students’ math identities. They also discussed ways educators could use the local context of Chicago to help achieve that goal. Corey Morrison, director of mathematics at Chicago Public Schools, broadened the conversation, connecting the district’s curricular approach with their overall math vision.
During the final session, E4 Director Paul Goren returned participants’ attention to the overarching theme of the conference, Math Instruction in a Learning Ecosystem. Attendees worked together to synthesize learnings from each session, highlighting perspectives throughout the learning ecosystem: society, community, district, school, classroom, and individual.
The Learning Ecosystem
In the final session, participants shared what they learned and how they might incorporate new ideas into their roles. They also brainstormed future sessions and research ideas. Participants offered takeaways and ideas that spanned the learning ecosystem, all with the related goal of connecting research to practice with the whole child in mind.
“The E4 convening this year continued to be as engaging as last year, with exceptional presenters igniting our curiosity and expanding our understanding,” said Camila Morales, E4 visiting scholar from the University of Texas at Dallas, reflecting on her experience at the convening and over the past two years at E4.
“My time here has been an excellent opportunity to engage in policy-relevant work alongside dedicated practitioners and education leaders,” Morales added. “I’ve seen first-hand the value of building a research agenda that aligns with the needs of practitioners to ensure that future policies and practices are responsive to the actual challenges faced by schools.”