About
District Overview
- 160,564 students in 209 schools
- Largest school system in Maryland
- 14th largest school system in the United States
- Students from 157 countries speaking 150 languages
- 32.4% Hispanic/Latino, 26.9% White, 21.4% Black or African American, 14.1% Asian
- 18.2% participate in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
- 11.7% receive special education services
- 33.3% participate in Free and Reduced-price Meals System (FARMS)
RBT Services
RBT and MCPS
In the late 1990’s, Research for Better Teaching was brought in to assist MCPS in the revision of the teacher evaluation system. From that collaboration, a standards-based professional growth system for teachers and administrators has evolved.
The Skillful Teaching and Leading Team was created in response to Our Call to Action: Pursuit of Excellence, the MCPS strategic plan, in order to support the development and implementation of the MCPS Professional Growth System for professional staff.
In order to support the provision of rich feedback to teachers based on sound educational theory and practice, administrators are required to take two courses, Observing and Analyzing Teaching (OAT) 1 and 2. MCPS In-District Trainers (IDTs) have been trained and certified by RBT to teach OAT 1 and OAT 2.
To ensure a common understanding of concepts, strategies, and vocabulary, three additional courses, based on the same educational knowledge base as the OAT courses, were developed for teachers and other MCPS staff: Studying Skillful Teaching 1 (SST 1), Studying Skillful Teaching 2 (SST 2) and Studying Skillful Teaching for Paraeducators (Para-SST). Currently, the SST 1 is offered in the district.
In addition to the delivery of the RBT courses, MCPS In-District Trainers (IDTs) provide support to current and past participants in the implementation and refinement of course concepts and strategies. Team members also provide support and training to novice administrators, school leadership teams, grade-level teams, and departments.
MCPS In District Instructors
MCPS now runs a Skillful Teaching and Leading Team, a team of 11 in- district instructors (IDIs) or in-district trainers (IDTs) who deliver RBT's Observing and Analyzing Teaching (ATSR equivalent) and Studying Skillful Teaching courses to administrators and teachers throughout the district.
The Team is committed to:
- Mission: Our mission is to develop all staff and improve the effectiveness of the organization to ensure high achievement for every student.
- Vision: Dedicated to high achievement through skillful teaching and leading.
RBT's Impact
MCPS Student Outcomes During RBT Partnership
During MCPS's partnership with RBT, the number of students reading by the end of kindergarten as well as the number of students taking 8th grade algebra increased significantly.
[The] Skillful Teacher wasn’t just about how to teach. It gave us a common way of thinking and talking about teaching and learning and experiencing it together… |
Jerry WeastFormer Superintendent, Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland. From Leading for Equity (2009) |
This book describes in detail the work with MCPS and RBT.
"In chapters organized around six core themes, the authors lay out the essential elements of MCPS’s success. They identify key lessons other districts can draw from MCPS’s experience and offer a framework for applying them. A dramatic departure from “business as usual,” MCPS has won nationwide attention as a compelling model for tackling the achievement and opportunity issues that confront our nation as a whole."
Study Findings on RBT's Impact in MCPS
Observing and Analyzing Teaching (OAT) and Studying Skillful Teaching (SST) are having dramatic and positive impacts on instruction. Both Observing and Analyzing Teaching (OAT) and Studying Skillful Teaching (SST) are widely praised by the administrators and teachers who have participated in these courses.
Among the advantages of OAT 1 noted by administrators on surveys are ”new insights about effective teaching practices” (51%); “new ideas about how to improve the way I observe teachers” (53%); “greater sense of how all the components of the Professional Growth System fit together (44%); and “greater confidence in using a wide range of evidence in the evaluation process” (47%). Among the advantages of OAT 2 noted by administrators on surveys are, in addition to those already indicated, “greater sense of how all the components of the Professional
Growth System fit together (44%) and “ new insights about how to apply the new teaching standards to the evaluation process” (42%).
Teachers who participated in SST were effusive in their appreciation for the course. As they told Impact Study Team members, “It changed the way I teach!” and, “It makes teaching a science, not just a bag of tricks.” Teachers spoke of SST as helping them to plan better—“I learned how to frame the lesson for the most value”—and be more focused about their instruction. They say it validated their teaching practices: “Before Skillful Teacher, I think most teachers had these strategies in their pocket, but never openly discussed them. Now these strategies are front and center and have become the focus of what we do.” Teachers report that, as a result of SST, “I became more reflective about my teaching. I ask students if things are working well. In the old days, you were good if no one talked in class….” “I do a lot more looking at strategies and whether they’re working for kids.” “I use my time in a more focused way. I know what to teach, and what kids have to learn.”
Key Information
- RBT co-constructed the district's Professional Growth System and helped establish the Skillful Teaching and Leading Team
- MCPS has 11 certified In-District Instructors who deliver Studying Skillful Teaching (SST) and Observing and Analyzing Teaching (OAT) (the equivalent of the Analyzing and Teaching for Student Results course)
- All administrators are required to take two courses - OAT 1 and OAT 2
