Resources for Collaborative Math Practices
The resources shared on this page are the culmination of work by practitioner-driven instructional leadership teams, dedicated to improving teaching and learning in mathematics by developing the collaborative culture and practices in the math departments at six elementary schools. This district-wide, elementary school initiative, known as the Collaborative Inquiry Team Alliance (CITA), is funded by the California Department of Education in partnership with UCLA and the Lawndale Elementary School District.
These shared resources, many of which are content neutral, have been identified by practitioners as crucial assets in the instructional leader’s toolkit.
The following set of resources can be used to facilitate conversations with school site staff around the value and nature of collaboration. These resources include PowerPoints (PDF versions) that can be used during staff, grade level, content area, and district meetings.
- 8 Days of PD with CITA Mitchell (92 MB)
- 5 Days of PD with CITA Green (11 MB)
- 4 Days of PD with CITA Twain (16 MB)
- A PD Year in Review with CITA FDR (9 MB)
- Mathematical Mindset PD with CITA Smith (5 MB)
The following set of resources can be used to understand the current practice of collaboration, understand the value placed on collaboration, and gauge interest in deepening collaborative practices. These resources include surveys that can be used with school site staff before, during, and after initiating a significant focus on the development of collaborative practices.
- Pre-Post Collaboration Survey
- Mid-Term Collaboration Reflection
- Collaboration Reflection
- Pre Collaboration Survey
- Post Collaboration Survey
- Stop Collaborate and Listen Survey
- Lesson Study Reflection
- Math Mindset Questionnaire for Students V1
- Math Mindset Questionnaire for Students V2
- Math Mindset Questionnaire for Students V3
- Mindset Questionnaire for Teachers
The following set of resources can be used to engage school site staff in meaningful collaboration. These resources include protocols for looking at student work, protocols for facilitating instructional leadership team conversations, and activities for developing instructional teams.
- Agenda Notes Template
- Small Fires Protocol
- Reading and Team Building Activity
- Planning Template for Compare and Connect Discussion
- Planning Template for Open Strategy Sharing Discussion
- Planning Baseline Activity
- Unpacking Standards Template
- End-of-Year Discourse Goal Template
- CGI Multiplication and Division Trajectory
- Lesson Design Template
- Sort, Class, Record, Compare, Notice – Student Work Protocol
- Student Work Analysis Open Response Protocol
- Example of Student Work Analysis Protocol – Grade 1
- Example of Student Work Analysis Protocol – Grade 3
- Book Study – Making Sense of Student Work – Example Completed Protocol
- Post Protocol Use Reflection
- Post Meeting – Gots and Wants Protocol
- A Portfolio of Toolkit Resources from CITA Anderson (12 MB)
The following set of resources can be used to engage students and teachers in meaningful collaboration.
- Problem Solving 3rd-5th Collaboration #1
- Problem Solving 3rd-5th Collaboration #1 – 5th Grade Reflection
- Problem Solving 3rd-5th Collaboration #2
- Problem Solving 3rd-5th Collaboration #2 – 5th Grade Reflection
- Problem Solving 3rd-5th Collaboration – Unpacking Questions to Ask for 5th Grade Buddies
- Post Assessment-Fraction Problem
- Young Children’s Mathematics: Cognitively Guided Instruction in Early Childhood Education by Thomas P. Carpenter, Megan Loef Franke, Nicholas C. Johnson, Angela C. Turrou, & Anita A. Wager (2017)
- Extending Children’s Mathematics: Fractions and Decimals: Innovations in Cognitively Guided Instruction by Susan B. Empson & Linda Levi (2011)
- The Move Toward Transformational Leadership by Kenneth A. Leithwood & Mary S. Poplin (1992, 1 MB)
- Instructional Capacity – How to Build it Right by Ann Jacquith (2013, 6MB)
- Making Sense of Student Work: A Protocol for Teacher Collaboration by Kirsten R. Daehler, Jennifer Folsom, & Jennifer Mendenhall (2014)
- Unlocking Group Potential to Improve Schools by Robert Garmston (2012)
- The Presenter’s Fieldbook: A Practical Guide by Robert Garmston & Christopher-Gordon (2015)
- Lemons to Lemonade: Resolving Problems in Meetings & PLCs by Robert J. Garmston & Diane P. Zimmerman (2013)
- Starting a Movement: Building Culture From the Inside Out in Professional Learning Communities (PLC) – Steps to an Effective School Leadership Team by Kenneth C. Williams & Tom Hierck (2015)
- Some Guidelines for Learning from Student Work from HORACE (1996)
- Report: Effective Teacher Professional Learning by Linda Darling Hammond, Learning Policy Institute (2017)
- Carol Dweck Revisits the Growth Mindset
- Mindset in the Classroom: A National Study of K-12 Teachers
- Tchers’ Voice Blog on Teaching Channel
The resources shared on this page are made possible by the hard work and commitment of CITA Teams. Not only did CITA teams compile toolkit resources for instructional leaders, they also documented their team’s work and produced captivating video narratives. To find out more about the specific work of each of the CITA Teams, please click here.