Under the leadership of Superintendent Thomas Brady and Chief Academic Officer Sharon Contreras, Providence Public School District has completed a district-wide adoption of Teachscape’s Classroom Walkthrough (CWT) system to help improve the collection of classroom instruction data and to analyze and act on the information. The information is collected using iPads and Teachscape’s data collection tool and allows district personnel to make informed decisions about ongoing training and support designed to improve teacher effectiveness and drive student achievement.
The use of Teachscape’s CWT technology allows Providence Public Schools’ administrators to conduct classroom walkthroughs and collect data based on look fors, or instructional indicators, more efficiently than with a paper-driven process. After observation, the data are uploaded from the handheld device to the Teachscape website for detailed analysis and reflection.
“The implementation of Teachscape’s Classroom Walkthrough system and iPads has taken our classroom walkthroughs to the next level by allowing us to create a robust system that efficiently collects and aggregates data. This system allows us to more effectively monitor implementation efforts and provide appropriate supports to schools,” said Sharon Contreras, chief academic officer of Providence Public School District. “Having the data readily accessible in electronic format allows our administrators to easily share data with classroom teachers through reflective, data-driven conversations focused upon instructional practice in our core subject areas.”
Before completing the district-wide adoption, Providence initiated the Classroom Walkthrough for Continuous Improvement process through its strategic partnership with the Charles A. Dana Center during the 2008-09 school year; initial implementation focused upon collecting data in mathematics and science. With the latest implementation of Teachscape’s CWT technology, the district can now engage in the timely examination and analysis of instructional practice across the four core content areas, including English language arts and social studies.
