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A Community Changing its Curriculum and Culture: The Wareham Public Schools

“Sometimes as teachers we may have the feeling of working in a vacuum. Knowing that you are not alone in what you are doing is enlightening.” – WHS teacher

Wareham has been called the “Gateway to Cape Cod" since the 1930s, when lighthouses were built alongside Route 28 as symbols of the passage to the Cape through town. (SouthCoast Today) In this town of 20,000 residents, there is one high school on a mission to educate its 900 students. Superintendent of the Wareham Public Schools, Dr. Wayne Lague, united all constituencies and established a system of accountability. From the Superintendent, to the Director of Curriculum and Instruction, to building principals, core academic teachers, curriculum coordinators, department chairs, teachers and support staff, students and parents, the message has been: “Together, we can succeed.”

At Wareham High School, under the direction of John Amaral, Principal, site-based management was implemented. The mathematics department devised a simple plan, to complete a mapping of its program and curriculum. Department members utilized full-days of in-service (provided by the contract) and curriculum work opportunities beyond the regular work day and during the summer months to revise programs and course offerings. The curriculum was aligned with the Massachusetts Mathematics Frameworks. Teachers continue to direct the review of programs and implementation of new curricula.

Equally important to implementing a higher standards curriculum and culture is effective teaching. As the Wareham High School's mathematics department redesigned its curriculum it also began a program of continued professional development that continues to involve the entire department. Teachers participated in professional development offerings which included an interactive satellite broadcast program entitled Algebra for All, Key Curriculum's Geometer's Sketchpad, McDougal Littell’s training for implementation of Algebra 1 Content and Skills, as well as technology trainings. Most recently, the entire department and several special education teachers of mathematics have joined this EDC Lesson Study project.

Teachers at Wareham High School meet every Monday after school to do lesson study. That means they come together in grade level teams to formulate long term and concept specific goals, as well as to write lessons. In addition to this meeting time, teachers observe their research lesson and revise it. This project provides a unique opportunity for teachers to share their knowledge. In particular, this project provides long-term sustained professional and curriculum development for the Mathematics Department.

After one semester of lesson study, one WHS teacher advised new lesson study practitioners, “Be patient and trust the process.” Five years ago, changing the curriculum and culture of the Wareham schools appeared to be a daunting task. But, by making each school accountable, the process became personal. The high school administration bought into site-based management and invested in their staff. A balance between school district direction and building-level ownership and control resulted. The mathematics department is one team, within a larger unit, vested in quality education and high standards. Lesson Study is an integral part of this picture as it empowers the individual teachers to do their part in this system-wide transformation.

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Annoucements

NCSM 2010 PRESENTATION AND SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP MEETING. EDC Lesson Study Center staff would like to invite you to two opportunities to discuss lesson study in mathematics at the 2010 NCSM Leadership in Mathematics Education conference in San Diego, CA. On Wednesday, April 21st the EDC Lesson Study Center will lead a session entitled: "A Lesson Study Learning Trajectory: How Do Novice and Experienced Teams Differ? How Can Leaders Help Teams Deepen Their Practice?" from 8:45am - 10:15am in Randle E. That afternoon from 2:45-4:00 in Randle B, they will facilitate a special interest group meeting: "Lesson Study Networking: An Opportunity for Practitioners, Researchers, and Leaders to Share Lesson Study Resources, Findings and Questions." If you will be in San Diego for the NCSM meeting this year, please join us for one or both of these sessions. We look forward to seeing you there.

PUBLICATION OF NEW RESOURCES FOR LESSON STUDY LEADERS AND PRACTITIONERS. The EDC Lesson Study Center is pleased to announce the publication of two new resources about lesson study in mathematics, both available from Heinemann publishing. A Mathematics Leader's Guide to Lesson Study in Practice is a book containing detailed guides to each phase of the cycle, stories of lesson study team practice, strategies for facilitation, practical advice for teams, leaders, and administrators on implementing lesson study, and much more. Lesson Study in Practice: A Mathematics Staff Development Course includes the materials to support ten professional development sessions for teachers that provide a structured introduction to lesson study in a learn-by-doing format. Participants develop the mathematical knowledge for teaching as they work through a full lesson study cycle. (Note: This work is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Numbers ESI-0554527 and ESI-0138814. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.)


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