Cases

The MSP-KMD cases provide guidance to current and future designers of similar programs through access to analysis of the actions and lessons learned of MSP project leaders that shaped the design and implementation of their MSP programs. MSP-KMD has produced cases on MSP programs in two topics: deepening teachers’ content knowledge and teacher leadership.

Deepening Teacher Content Knowledge
Teacher Leadership

Deepening Teacher Content Knowledge

The MSP-KMD Sustainability Cases highlight the decisions of MSP project leaders that contributed to the sustainability of their professional development programs aimed at deepening teacher content knowledge. The Perspectives Cases illustrate approaches used by MSP projects to address different facets of teacher content knowledge.

Sustainability

MSP-KMD has produced four cases and a cross-case analysis which highlight the decisions of MSP project leaders that contributed to the sustainability of their work in deepening teacher content knowledge.

Cross-case analysis:

Analysis of the four cases yielded six lessons to help current and future program designers think about ways to leverage their limited resources in order to sustain the essential aspects of their programs:

  1. Recognize that it takes time to develop and nurture a productive partnership.
  2. Consider how to engage a range of important stakeholders whose support is important for efforts to deepen teacher content knowledge.
  3. Help ensure that key policies in the system are aligned with the vision underlying the reform efforts.
  4. Design and implement professional development that is not only aligned with the project goals, but is also both feasible and likely to be effective with the teachers in their particular context.
  5. Use data to inform decisions, improve the quality of the interventions, and provide evidence to encourage support for system change.
  6. Work to develop capacity and infrastructure to strengthen teachers’ content knowledge and pedagogical skills, both during the funded period and beyond.

Each lesson is broken down into a number of key ideas that are illustrated using examples from one or more of the case MSPs. Cases of sustaining improvement efforts to deepen teacher content knowledge in MSP projects:

The cases include detailed information on the organizations involved in the partnership, the specific strategies of project leaders, key issues addressed by project leaders during implementation of their programs, and an analysis of the sustainability of the project efforts. The cross-case analysis is based on these four cases.

Perspectives

MSP-KMD has supported the development of the online volume, Deepening teachers’ mathematics and science content knowledge: Lessons from NSF’s Math and Science Partnership program. The introduction to this volume describes facets of teacher knowledge in three primary categories:

  • Disciplinary content knowledge;
  • Ways of knowing in the discipline; and
  • Pedagogical content knowledge.

Perspectives on deepening teachers’ mathematics and science content knowledge [PDF 60K]

The volume includes nine cases written by MSP partners, focused on a segment of their professional development program in a particular subject and grade range. Each case provides rich illustrations of how MSPs have approached deepening teachers’ content knowledge—which facets of teacher knowledge they chose to address, how the facets were balanced and sequenced, and what strategies were used to develop teacher understanding of the different facet areas.

Teacher Leadership

MSP-KMD has supported the development of the online volume, Deepening teachers’ mathematics and science content knowledge: Lessons from NSF’s Math and Science Partnership program. The introduction to this volume describes facets of teacher knowledge in three primary categories:

  • Disciplinary content knowledge;
  • Ways of knowing in the discipline; and
  • Pedagogical content knowledge.

Perspectives on deepening teachers’ mathematics and science content knowledge [PDF 60K]

The volume includes nine cases written by MSP partners, focused on a segment of their professional development program in a particular subject and grade range. Each case provides rich illustrations of how MSPs have approached deepening teachers’ content knowledge—which facets of teacher knowledge they chose to address, how the facets were balanced and sequenced, and what strategies were used to develop teacher understanding of the different facet areas.