Identifying Effective Classroom Practices

Here is a conclusion based on empirical results which explains that the teaching of teachers at great expense in Seattle about "Inquiry-based" instruction will produce no student gains in mathematics. Seattle's "inquiry focused" Pro-D is a complete waste of time and resources as was demonstrated once again by Seattle's recently released test results from OSPI. The UW's NSF funded "Inquiry Focused" professional development at Garfield, Rainier Beach, and Cleveland produced among the worst results in the entire District for Black students and Limited English speaking students.

From the linked peer reviewed study of
Using Student Performance Data to Identify Effective Classroom Practices

section III Results and Discussion
first paragraph last sentence:

"Last, a teacher who scores higher on inquiry-based teaching (standard 3.4) relative to routinized standards and content focused teaching (standards 2.2, 3.1,and 3.2) is predicted to produce student gains in reading but not in math."

The results show "Inquiry" just does not work. Will Seattle ever decide to stop the expensive insanity?

A place to start is voting NO on the coming levy.

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Despite presentations from the Public that "Inquiry has not worked in Seattle Math" the Board continued to approve incoherent poorly structured instructional materials that lack sufficient practice, and examples. Students are NOT learning when they are not effectively instructed. Struggling students continue to struggle in Seattle.

(1) Everyday Math purchased May 2007 then $350,000 of additional consumable instructional materials were needed a year ago. The results have been disappointing despite "Professional Development".

(2) The mathematically unsound not recommended "Discovering Series" purchased May 2009 for $800,000 with another $400,000 of professional development fails struggling students. It is without sufficient explicit instruction.

(3) Despite horrible NTN results elsewhere the District spent $800,000 to have the New Technology Network mandate "Project Based Learning" as the basis for instruction in every class at Cleveland STEM.

Cutting off the money might stop the insanity.

To improve a system requires the intelligent application of relevant data.