SUMMER SEMINAR ON SYSTEMIC REFORM

WCER, Madison, WI
Wednesday-Thursday, July 24-25, 1996

Agenda

FIRST DAY, WEDNESDAY, JULY 24, 1996

Pre-session light breakfast. 8:30 A.M. Outside Room 259 (the seminar room, ground floor)

Session 1. 9:00 - 9:30 A.M. Welcome and introduction. William Clune.

Session 2. 9:30 A.M. - 11:45 A.M. NSF and reform perspective

Presenters: Daryl Chubin, Peirce Hammond

1. Goals of systemic reform. What are the indispensable goals of systemic reform as seen by NSF and communicated to the projects? Can we say that systemic reform succeeds if and only if the implemented curriculum as actually taught in schools conforms to the new standards? Might it be said that three additional goals are present or have emerged as practical aspects of systemic reform: 1) the credibility of the standards with the public and teachers; 2) sustained leadership for the movement (institutional support through such devices as "partners"); 3) equity for disadvantaged groups?

What about the breadth of the effect of the systemic initiatives? Are all grades K-12 affected? Are all math, science, and technology subjects affected? Are all geographic areas within the defined unit affected?

2. Strategies and implementation of systemic reform. What patterns does NSF see in the implementation (or strategy) of the SI projects, for example, the use of professional development, school improvement and school improvement networks, and policies of instructional guidance (e.g., curriculum regulation, assessment)? What indicators have been developed in the projects to measure implementation? How many schools/teachers have been reached (or other measures of scale)?

What seems to be missing in the implementation of systemic reform (e.g., working with textbook publishers, changes in curriculum policy)?

Session 3. Working Lunch. 12:00 P.M. - 2:00 P.M. Evaluation perspective

Presenters: Joy Frechtling, Nancy Sanders, Larry Suter, Norman Webb, Iris Weiss

How do evaluators conceptualize the goals, means, and measurement of outcomes of systemic reform? What designs are the projects using for evaluation? Can we conceptualize any common set of indicators for the projects (or the country) which might reflect success? Are any such indicators presently available? What is the distinction and overlap between evaluation and policy analysis?

Session 4. 2:30 P.M. - 4:30 P.M. Policy

Presenters: Susan Fuhrman, Michael Kirst, Peter Mesa, Allan Odden

What has been the experience with systemic reform nationwide? What kind of policy is systemic reform, e.g., capacity building, incentives, organizational change, innovation, instructional guidance? What seem to be the most powerful levers of change, and what should be done to design and implement these levers?

Cocktails, snacks, dinner. (Complimentary bar and menu) 5:00 - 6:00 P.M. (Cocktails and snacks); 6:00 P.M. (dinner), Porta Bella Restaurant, 425 N. Frances St., Madison.

SECOND DAY, THURSDAY, JULY 25, 1996

Pre-session light breakfast. 8:30 A.M. Outside Room 259 (first floor)

Session 5. 9:00 A.M. - 11:45 A.M. The standards themselves

Presenters: Angelo Collins, Deborah Haimo, Harold Pratt, Senta Raizen, Judy Roitman, Thomas Romberg, John Wright

What is the unifying vision of the standards which merits a sustained effort of educational and social change? Have the standards been "wounded" by public controversy or fragmented local interpretations? Do the standards embody implicit performance standards, such as college readiness for all students? Do the standards match with training for higher education?

Session 6. Working lunch. 12:00 - 2:00 P.M. Equity

Presenters: William Clune, Janice Downer, Alberto Rodriguez, William Tate, Uri Treisman

What does it mean that "all children can learn," and why is this statement so widely accepted as feasible if problematic in application? Does the statement refer to content standards (the type of curriculum taught, e.g., "Algebra") or performance standards (e.g., achieving at some minimally acceptable level, such as "proficiency"), or both? What does existing evidence about achievement among disadvantaged students suggest about the feasibility of the equity goal? What extra measures might be required to create equity (again, such issues as extra teaching resources, student mobility, specially adapted curricula, qualified teachers)? What do we know about success of new standards curricula among the disadvantaged?

Session 7. 2:30 - 3:45 P.M. Summary and cross-cutting themes

Presenters: Daryl Chubin, Peirce Hammond, Andrew Porter, William Clune

Adjourn: 4:00 P.M.

National Institute for Science Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Last Updated:  May 05, 2003