CONNECTING SOLUTIONS: Technology Interventions in Economically Disadvantaged Communities Program Adaptation Lessons from the i3/EIR Program
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CONNECTING SOLUTIONS:
Technology Interventions in Economically
Disadvantaged Communities
Program Adaptation Lessons from the i3/EIR Program
OII i3/EIR Cross-Project Analysis
Authors: Borjan Zic, Megan Lavalley, Megan Janicki
Date: 2/5/2020
Manhattan Strategy Group
4340 East-West Highway, Suite 1100
Bethesda, MD 20814
info@manhattanstrategy.comTABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction.............................................................................................................................. 1
Featured i3/EIR Grantees..........................................................................................................2
Methods.....................................................................................................................................4
Context and Framework............................................................................................................ 5
Structure of the Analysis......................................................................................................................................5
Overarching Consideration: Connectivity and Access .......................................................................................5
Discussion................................................................................................................................. 7
Personalized Learning.........................................................................................................................................7
Problem............................................................................................................................................................7
Solution............................................................................................................................................................7
Considerations.................................................................................................................................................8
Cultivating Professional Networks .....................................................................................................................9
Problem............................................................................................................................................................9
Solution..........................................................................................................................................................10
Considerations ...............................................................................................................................................11
Development of Voice, Agency, and Opportunity .............................................................................................11
Problem...........................................................................................................................................................11
Solution.......................................................................................................................................................... 12
Considerations............................................................................................................................................... 13
Looking Forward..................................................................................................................... 14
References............................................................................................................................... 16
Appendix A: Survey Questions................................................................................................. 17
Appendix B: Focus Group Protocol.......................................................................................... 19
Manhattan Strategy Group | iINTRODUCTION
T
he U.S. Department of Education’s Investing in such as un- or under-employed family members, lack
Innovation (i3) and Education Innovation and of access to the Internet in the home, food insecurity,
Research (EIR) grant programs are designed as and unreliable transportation.
opportunities to fund local education agencies (LEAs)
For the purposes of this paper, we asked grantees to
and organizations that partner with LEAs. Grantees
define economically disadvantaged for their programs.
are located across the country and are in the midst of
While school systems commonly categorize economic
various stages of implementing education programs.
disadvantage based on the percentage of students
Since 2010, the Department has awarded 211 grants to
receiving free and reduced-price lunches (FRPL), we
support innovation and bolster student achievement.
provided grantees the flexibility to define the term
All grants must have an external evaluator, as the
as they felt best reflected the circumstances of the
grantees contribute to the field critical education
populations they serve. In addition to FRPL status,
research on the effectiveness of their program models.
grantees considered characteristics like Title I status
One of the main priorities of the i3/EIR program is
and remoteness of the district. Rather than focusing
serving economically disadvantaged populations, as
on socioeconomic indicators, some grantees took a
evidenced by the requirement for grantees to commit
holistic approach that accounted for the portion of
to serving a high-needs student population, including
students in other high-need groups. One grantee said
students from low-income families.
that, by definition, all rural students are economically
In light of this priority, and considering the critical disadvantaged.
importance to the i3/EIR program of offering
In sharing the stories of i3/EIR grantees working in
innovative and effective interventions to economically
a range of economically disadvantaged contexts, this
disadvantaged students, this paper analyzes the
paper looks at some potential solutions identified
experiences of i3/EIR grantees who use technology for
by grantees to address common circumstances
learning, teaching, and/or professional development
experienced in these contexts. To facilitate this
in economically disadvantaged contexts. Digital
analysis, the paper considers the following guiding
technology plays an increasingly important role in
questions:
pedagogy as well as a central role in the modern
economy. The featured i3/EIR grantees are ● How do technology interventions address the
implementing technology interventions that employ challenges common to economically disadvantaged
various strategies to improve student outcomes – schools?
some of the interventions are targeted at teachers, ● How are these types of interventions valuable in the
while others are directly integrated into the classroom economically disadvantaged context?
and used to support instruction or personalized ● What are some key obstacles these interventions
learning. face in this context?
This paper uses an exploratory, qualitative approach
to analyze the experiences of grantees operating in a
variety of rural and urban economically disadvantaged
areas. Schools in these areas often lack critical
resources and supports such as staff, curriculum
materials, administrative oversight, technology
solutions, and professional development. Individual
students living in these communities tend to face
challenging socioeconomic circumstances at home,
Manhattan Strategy Group | 1FEATURED I3/EIR GRANTEES
The Curators of the University of McREL International
Missouri Academic Success as an Identity-Based Journey
eMINTS Expansion Project Cohort: 2015 – Present
Cohort: 2015 – Present Other i3/EIR Grants: N/A
Other i3/EIR Grants: eMINTS Validation Project Project Type: Development (i3)
(2010)
Results: Not yet available
Project Type: Expansion (EIR)
Setting: Rural
Results: Not yet available
Description: The objectives of this project are to: 1)
Setting: Rural develop a digital serious game, Pathways, that uses
Description: eMINTS helps schools implement the core components of identity-based motivation
standards-based reform to improve student academic (IBM) as operationalized in School-to-Jobs; 2)
achievement and prepare them for the realities of test and implement this game in 7th – 10th grade
a technology-rich workplace. Teachers transform classrooms; and 3) document its effects on IBM,
classrooms into highly engaging, student-centered school engagement, and academic success.
learning communities using the four components Appears in this paper as: “McREL”
of the eMINTS instructional model: classroom
community, authentic learning, high-quality lesson National Center for Research in
design, and powered by technology. Advanced Information and Digital
Appears in this paper as: “eMINTS” Technologies
United2Read: Scaling Personalized Literacy
Kentucky Valley Educational Instruction to Ensure Strong Student Achievement
Cooperative
Cohort: 2017 – Present
C3R: Creating College and Career Readiness
Other i3/EIR Grants: N/A
Cohort: 2011 – 2017
Project Type: Expansion (EIR)
Other i3/EIR Grants: N/A
Setting: Rural/Suburban/Urban
Project Type: Development (i3)
Results: Not yet available
Results: Impact Evaluation
Description: United2Read brings Learning Ovation’s
Setting: Rural “A2i” technology professional support system to
Description: The Kentucky Valley Educational and students and teachers nationwide with the goal of
Green River Regional Educational Cooperatives improving literacy skills and closing the achievement
partnered to implement the Creating College and gap. A2i is a research-based instructional tool that
Career Readiness in Kentucky initiative. Through informs teachers on the right amount and type
the initiative, they invited schools to use a suite of of reading instruction so that they can effectively
personalized software from WIN Learning that had differentiate instruction for all students’ needs.
not yet been used in the Kindergarten–12th grade Appears in this paper as: “United2Read”
setting.
Appears in this paper as: “C3R”
Manhattan Strategy Group | 2National Writing Project Waterford Institute
The National Writing Project College Community Expanding School Readiness to Rural States with
and Career Writers Program (formerly called the Poor Preschool Access: The UPSTART Great Plains
“College-Ready Writers Program”) TASK Force
Cohort: 2012 – 2016; 2016 – Present Cohort: 2018 – Present
Other i3/EIR Grants: Scaling Up the National Other i3/EIR Grants: Working with Utah’s Rural
Writing Project’s College-Ready Writers Program: School Districts to Expand and Enhance UPSTART
Expanding Access, Reach, and Leadership for Ongoing
Improvement (2016) Project Type: Expansion (EIR)
Project Type: Validation (i3); Scale Up (i3) Results: Not yet available
Results: Not yet available Setting: Rural
Setting: Rural Description: UPSTART is an early education program
Description: The National Writing Project offers that prepares kids for kindergarten. The program’s
strategically designed, intensive, and sustained implementers employ technology to offer personalized
professional development to improve both classroom learning, home-based digital curricula, and interactive
practices for writing instruction and students’ books for rural Pre-K students. They also provide
writing achievement. The program implementers Internet access to families of students that lack
engage teachers in professional development, use of connectivity.
high-quality instructional resources, and analysis of Appears in this paper as: “UPSTART”
students’ writing for instructional planning.
Appears in this paper as: “National Writing Project”
New Visions for Public Schools, Inc.
Drive to Write
Cohort: 2015 – Present
Other i3/EIR Grants: Accessing Algebra Through
Inquiries (2011)
Project Type: Development (i3)
Results: Not yet available
Setting: Urban
Description: Drive to Write leverages technology
to support writing instruction that is personalized
to student needs and aligned with Common Core
State Standards. The goal is to support high school
teachers in high-poverty urban classrooms in
establishing a low cost “technology infrastructure”
and adopting digital tools built in the Google Apps for
Education environment to improve their workflow in
distributing, collecting, and grading assignments.
Appears in this paper as: “Drive to Write”
Manhattan Strategy Group | 3METHODS
T
he authors of this paper initially identified eight we transcribed and coded the responses from the
i3/EIR grantees implementing technology focus group alongside the survey responses so
interventions in economically disadvantaged that we could discover and analyze the prominent
communities. The selected grantees came from both themes and trends the grantees shared. Each of the
the i3 and EIR programs, were drawn from each three authors reviewed and coded these responses,
developmental stage, and had a range of experiences coming to a consensus on the top emerging themes,
in rural, urban, and suburban contexts. Grantees’ current challenges, and promising solutions grantees
intended intervention targets varied as well: Some identified. The authors also reviewed other grantee
grantees used technology interventions directly with documents, such as evaluation reports and i3 profiles.
students, while others implemented new technologies In addition, for each challenge identified by grantees,
with teachers or administrators. we conducted a literature scan to ensure the topic’s
relevance to the field at large. Exhibit 1 below displays
To gain an initial understanding of some of the issues,
the grantees who responded to the survey and
lessons learned, and implementation practices these
participated in the focus group.
grantees applied in the field, we developed a survey
(included in Appendix A) and invited the eight Exhibit 1: Grantee Research Participation
selected grantees to participate. The survey was open
Selected Project/ Responded to Participated in
from September 16th, 2019 through October 11th,
Grantee Survey Focus Group
2019, during which time we sent reminders via email
C3R
to encourage grantees to respond. Upon closing the
survey, seven of the eight grantees had completed a Drive to Write
survey response. Based on our initial review of the eMINTS
survey responses, we developed a focus group protocol McREL
(included in Appendix B) to probe further into the National Writing
emerging themes evident from the responses.
Project
We invited all seven participating grantees to United2Read
attend the focus group. The focus group was held UPSTART
with representatives from five of the seven featured
grantees during a one-hour Skype meeting. Afterward,
Manhattan Strategy Group | 4CONTEXT AND FRAMEWORK
Across both the survey and focus group, grantees’ grantees, grantees sometimes offered differing
responses reflected their original motivation for opinions about the efficacy of an approach or
selecting a technology-based intervention and contrasting experiences with the proffered solution.
their deliberate and purposeful approach to doing We highlight these contrasting views as considerations
so. Grantees recognized a set of circumstances in for program developers and implementers working in
economically disadvantaged contexts that made it the same contexts.
difficult to implement a traditional intervention. They
Therefore, rather than providing definitive
then crafted an intervention that used technology
conclusions, this paper presents some approaches
to meet the needs of students and teachers in these
from the featured grantees for the consideration of
circumstances. Their experiences implementing these
the broader i3 community. This will provide future
interventions and overcoming obstacles and barriers
education program developers with the opportunity
drive this paper.
to reflect on these solutions as they design and
Reflecting on their progress to-date, the grantees who implement their own programs. We thus follow the
participated in our research identified three problems framework described here – problem, solution,
they often encounter in economically disadvantaged considerations – in order to present the diverse
contexts that they feel are well-suited to a technology- experiences of the grantees while still allowing the
based intervention: a lack of resources needed to reader to interpret these experiences according to
effectively differentiate instruction; the difficulty their own program needs, rather than leading the
of forming professional networks for teachers in reader to a particular determination.
economically disadvantaged areas; and the sense of
student disenfranchisement that educators encounter Overarching Consideration:
in these areas. Connectivity and Access
Structure of the Analysis One universal consideration to note at the
outset is that while the vast majority of schools
In each of the sections that follow in the discussion,
are now connected to broadband Internet
we begin by describing the problem that
(EducationSuperHighway, 2019), the basic
grantees identified. The three problems selected
technological infrastructure needed to support a
for analysis in this paper were each raised by
technology-based intervention still posed a problem
multiple grantees and are in line with education
for some grantees operating in economically
research identifying challenges that are particularly
disadvantaged rural areas. Even in schools that have
prevalent in economically disadvantaged schools and
stable Internet connections, slow connection speeds
communities. We then present the solutions that
may make it difficult for large numbers of students
grantees used to address these challenges,
to participate in a technology-based intervention
along with the benefits of these solutions. Because
simultaneously. Additionally, grantees whose projects
each grantee operates in a unique geographical, grade
require student and family action outside of the school
level, and content area context, and navigates project-
environment reported that connectivity in the broader
specific factors, they identified multiple different
community posed a challenge (C. Miner, personal
solutions to the same problem.
communication, November 5, 2019).
Finally, we conclude each section by providing
Moreover, grantees working in both rural and urban
some considerations for current and future
areas pointed to insufficient staffing as a challenge
grantees. Because the focus group portion of this
common in economically disadvantaged schools. In
investigation encouraged open conversation among
Manhattan Strategy Group | 5particular, economically disadvantaged schools may that infrastructure and staff support issues are not
be less likely to have staff dedicated to technology exclusive to economically disadvantaged areas, they
support (D. Voloch, personal communication, did report that the prevalence of these challenges in
November 5, 2019; T. Fox, personal communication, such communities created barriers to implementing a
November 5, 2019). The implications of this lack of technology innovation.
staffing ranged from difficulty for teachers attempting
We elaborate further on these issues as part of
to connect to virtual training to a lack of ongoing
our “Considerations” sections within each grantee
maintenance of the computers needed to implement
challenge and solution discussed below.
the intervention. While grantees acknowledged
Manhattan Strategy Group | 6DISCUSSION
Personalized Learning and numeracy skills compared to those in more
affluent areas (O’Day & Smith, 2016). Economically
Problem disadvantaged students are also more likely to lack
the socialization experiences that are required to
A primary challenge grantees identified was a need
take full advantage of kindergarten (O’Day & Smith,
to provide targeted, differentiated instruction for
2016). In addition, states and districts tend to have
students entering school with varying skill levels,
low capacity to provide additional resources to help
prior knowledge, and/or educational experiences,
low-performing schools improve these outcomes
particularly those who were the least prepared for
(Scott & McMurrer, 2015). Low-income rural areas
academic success. Districts serving economically
also face specific resource constraints stemming from
disadvantaged students generally lack the resources
their geographic isolation and low population density,
to do this effectively. In light of this challenge, several
which makes it difficult to recruit and keep high-
grantees used technology-based interventions to
quality teachers, engage parents, and involve students
provide personalized learning.
in after-school activities (Rosenberg, Christianson, &
Responding to our survey, Danny Voloch from Drive Hague Angus, 2015). The geographic isolation of rural
to Write indicated that most schools in the program districts also makes it more challenging to provide
had “a significant percentage of students who were external professional development resources and
entering with below grade level reading and writing technical assistance (Scott & McMurrer, 2015).
skills, and core content teachers were not always
given support in teaching both content and skills” Solution
(D. Voloch, personal communication, September 27, To address these challenges, grantees used technology
2019). The program’s developers chose to address to differentiate and group students appropriately
this challenge through technology because of the lack and to deliver personalized learning. United2Read’s
of resources. United2Read’s implementers shared a leadership captured the benefits of this approach
similar perspective in their survey response, stating when they told us about the technology platform
that: they used in their intervention, the A2i Professional
In more affluent communities… students Support System. In their view, this platform enables
enter school more prepared for kindergarten. teachers to differentiate literacy instruction more
Additionally, affluent schools tend to have a high effectively, determine the type and quantity of literacy
proportion of students reading above grade-level instruction students need, group students according to
in their classrooms, so teachers tend to feel less their needs, and use a lesson planning tool to manage
pressure to truly differentiate instruction to meet different forms of instruction (A. Jacobs, S. Siegal, Z.
the needs of all students. However, … many of the Kasad, & V. Young, personal communication, October
kindergarten students we currently serve have not 2, 2019).
received prior schooling or participated in pre-K The implementers of the National Writing Project
programming. As a result, teachers require more echoed this strategy, proclaiming that they use
time and support to establish classroom routines technology to “encourage local sites and districts
and basic skill development with their students. to tailor instructional resources for their specific
(A. Jacobs, S. Siegal, Z. Kasad, & V. Young, student population, especially the nonfiction texts
personal communication, October 2, 2019) that students draw on to support their arguments”
The research bears out these challenges. Many studies (T. Fox, personal communication, September 30,
have found that students in low-income communities 2019). Moreover, using technology in this way
begin school with more limited vocabularies brought the additional benefits of giving students an
Manhattan Strategy Group | 7opportunity to learn at their own pace and enabling a way that mitigated teacher turnover, and providing
easy data collection for teachers, including formative appropriate supports for students’ families.
assessments. Implementers from UPSTART, an
With regard to customizing a technology intervention
early education program, extolled these types of
to the infrastructure of a school or district, this
benefits, telling us that “technology offers the option
process may entail adjusting the scope of the
of personalized learning, which is particularly helpful
technology platform being used in the intervention or
with some of the disadvantaged populations we’re
providing additional resources to enable communities
talking about, because it gives them additional chance
to receive the full benefits of the intervention.
for instruction, and at their own pace” (C. Miner,
C3R’s implementers emphasized the importance
personal communication, November 5, 2019).
of navigating this limitation, stating, “The most
Technology’s capacity to collect and present data in important lesson is to work with the school system to
an efficient and compelling way also addressed the ensure the technology is needed for that population
lack of teacher resources and need for differentiated and that the technology works with the infrastructure
instruction. United2Read’s administrators, for at the school.” In particular, C3R’s administrators
example, found that the technology intervention noted the importance of actually going into the
allowed for more flexibility and easily accessible “schools/classrooms to work with teachers and let
real-time data points, making assessment scores and the students know that a resource is available for
recommendations up-to-date and instantly available them to use anywhere/anytime and how they can
(A. Jacobs, S. Siegal, Z. Kasad, & V. Young, personal access it outside of school” (D. Bowling, personal
communication, October 2, 2019). communication, October 8, 2019).
Expanding on this provision of resources and The National Writing Project’s leadership addressed
information to teachers, United2Read’s implementers this issue directly by creating more support for
indicated in the focus group that technology was a schools and educators. Their experience was that
particularly effective medium to deliver this type of the “infrastructure necessary for online professional
support. They informed us that “technology provides learning supports – cameras on the computers,
the vessel to present… information to teachers in a consistent WiFi, up-to-date devices, and use of
useful, actionable way. And I think without that sort of Google apps – was difficult in some locations.” In
interface change and making it user-friendly, it would practice, this meant that, in their words, the project
be a lot less impactful” (A. Jacobs, S. Siegal, Z. Kasad, implementers “included a process for requesting a
& V. Young, personal communication, October 2, hotspot to assist with Internet access; reduced our
2019). Technology platforms also allow teachers to use reliance on consistent, high-quality Internet; and
formative assessments to gauge student progress on a created training tools that cover general ‘how to’
regular basis and adjust the personalized learning that directions for video conferencing and other tech tools”
individual students may require over time. Tom Fox (T. Fox, personal communication, September 30,
of the National Writing Project illustrated this benefit 2019). United2Read’s leadership followed a similar
in his comment that “We also created a formative approach, as they “found it helpful to communicate
assessment tool, the Using Sources Tool, that… is only technology requirements and needs much sooner and
for teachers’ use and only to inform instruction and be available to provide as much hands-on support
guide our program development” (T. Fox, personal as needed.” To that end, they “created more step-by-
communication, September 30, 2019). step guides for teachers and school leadership to aid
them with the set-up of their virtual PD sessions”
Considerations (A. Jacobs, S. Siegal, Z. Kasad, & V. Young, personal
Although the use of technology to facilitate communication, October 2, 2019).
personalized learning provided significant benefits In addition to tailoring technology interventions to
for both pedagogy and student learning in these available technological resources in economically
grantees’ programs, achieving these benefits required disadvantaged schools, program implementers must
addressing critical factors and limitations. These design teacher training and professional development
critical factors included tailoring technology to the in a way that accounts for the high frequency of
school and/or district, conducting teacher training in teacher turnover in low-income school districts,
Manhattan Strategy Group | 8particularly rural ones. eMINTS’ implementers dealt five languages” (C. Miner, personal communication,
with this problem by adapting their intervention November 5, 2019).
to design a customized training course. The course
brought “teachers who are joining the professional
development mid-year up to speed so they can quickly
Cultivating Professional
join in and learn with the cohort of their peers” and Networks
acquire “a foundation from which they can understand
the context and goals of the program” (C. Wylie, Problem
personal communication, October 3, 2019). In addition to confronting the challenge of having
limited resources for differentiated instruction,
The other solution to this limitation is to have
facing the obstacles that come with working in
repeated trainings, as Danny Voloch of Drive to Write
an economically disadvantaged school may be
indicated when reflecting on the sustainability of the
made more difficult if teachers do not have access
program:
to a network of peers that can help them develop
Oftentimes, we think of training as one-and-done. professionally. Whether they are located in urban or
We’ve done training for a couple of years. We’ve rural areas, teachers without a network of professional
trained a cohort of teachers. Now, they’re very relationships may feel isolated and less able to
comfortable in using the technology to facilitate be effective in their roles. In his survey response,
instruction. But in some of our schools where there’s Tom Fox of the National Writing Project stated the
tremendous teacher turnover, thinking about what importance of these relationships succinctly when he
sustainability looks like, if there is no longer that told us, “We have learned through the 40 plus years
ongoing training and coaching, is really challenging. of the work in the National Writing Project that the
(D. Voloch, personal communication, September 27, relationships created during professional learning are
2019) key to success. They must be cared for, developed,
Furthermore, to be successful, technology deep, respectful, and mutually informing” (T. Fox,
interventions in economically disadvantaged schools personal communication, September 30, 2019).
also have to provide appropriate support and training The importance of these connections is supported by
for families. As Claudia Miner of UPSTART indicated, the literature: Using a team structure and forming
this can take a variety of forms, including the mode close collaborative relationships among teachers has
or medium of the technology intervention, the been found to be a key part of teacher’s professional
technology infrastructure used, and the language of development in both urban and rural areas.
communication. Thus, she told us that UPSTART’s Cultivating a professional community of teachers
developers had to develop new technology as families’ creates shared learning goals and alignment on
preferred mode of communication changed over whole school issues as well as a forum for teachers
time to favor text messaging (C. Miner, personal to give and receive constructive feedback on their
communication, November 5, 2019). She also related work (Newmann, King, & Youngs, 2000). Rural
that for families lacking Internet connectivity and teachers, in particular, may have “few opportunities
sometimes electricity, the project’s implementers for professional development or collaboration” in
adapted to use satellite technology and solar power their schools (Letgers, 2017). When a teacher has few
to provide families with the required technology. local peers working in the same grade level or subject
Currently, the program’s implementers are “using a area, it can be difficult to establish a network of
very special computer that…downloads things as the professionals with similar needs and concerns simply
satellite goes by for tomorrow’s lesson” (C. Miner, due to the small population (Letgers, 2017).
personal communication, November 5, 2019).
Many of the featured grantees highlighted the
Furthermore, she said that UPSTART program staff importance of ensuring that teachers implementing
also had to address the needs of English Language the intervention had access to a network of peers.
Learners (ELL), such that they “had to have staff who Grantees reported that in their experience operating
could support the parents in whatever home language in economically disadvantaged contexts, these
they chose. And we’re now up to, I think, twenty- relationships may not be pre-existing and will
Manhattan Strategy Group | 9therefore require active cultivation. Some grantees formation of professional relationships by using the
pointed to the high turnover prevalent in economically breakout room feature to facilitate small group work.
disadvantaged schools as a contributing factor to this Accordingly, Tom Fox told us that the administrators
problem (C. Wylie, personal communication, October of the National Writing Project “have found this to be
3, 2019; T. Fox, personal communication, November very much like face-to-face work, with the intimacy
5, 2019; D. Voloch, personal communication, of the small group being especially important.
November 5, 2019). This posed a problem for grantees These meetings have the advantage of creating and
in several respects. sustaining whole-program identity” (T. Fox, personal
communication, September 30, 2019).
For example, as mentioned above in the discussion
of turnover with respect to personalized learning, Other grantees stated that technology and online
Danny Voloch of Drive to Write noted the need meeting tools helped them establish strong virtual
to have repeated and ongoing training and professional learning communities. United2Read’s
coaching to address this issue (D. Voloch, personal staff fostered virtual professional learning
communication, November 5, 2019). In addition to communities between coaches and teachers: “[T]
losing training that has been invested in teachers he technology allows them to have more consistent
that depart the school, program implementers contact with the teachers at a lower cost compared
operating in economically disadvantaged contexts with in-person supports” (V. Young, personal
must be prepared to establish a support network communication, October 2, 2019). Grantees
for the new teacher implementing the intervention. reported that developing this type of professional
Losing a trained teacher “means you take like 12 learning community is key to successful program
or 15 steps backwards and start at a different place implementation, and is something that may be less
with a different teacher,” according to Tom Fox challenging to implement in more economically
from the National Writing Project (T. Fox, personal advantaged schools:
communication, November 5, 2019). Grantees
Higher-income communities often have more
operating in rural areas also pointed to the geographic
staffing to coordinate and support school
isolation and small number of teachers in each region
improvement initiatives. In this project we
as contributing factors. For McREL, the difficulties
established an implementation team at each
associated with training rural teachers was one of the
school consisting of the principal, trainer, fiscal
major factors that led the project’s implementers to
manager, data-collection point of contact, and a
pursue implementing technology to facilitate teacher
teacher. Our staff met with the teams at least three
training. Casey O’Donnell shared that “once you start
times per school year. The implementation team
delivering with rural and semi-rural schools, it’s
meetings have been critical for helping schools
really hard to get all of the teachers into one place and
balance these roles, find ways to compromise,
have an actual cost-effective way of doing that kind
and establish priorities. (C. Wylie, personal
of training” (C. O’Donnell, personal communication,
communication, October 3, 2019)
November 5, 2019).
These learning communities may also take the form
Solution of mentorship from an experienced teacher rather
than a larger group of professionals. The National
For grantees experiencing these difficulties,
Writing Project’s implementers took this approach
technology played a critical role in helping teachers
by connecting teachers with a leader “to support their
form connections. The National Writing Project’s
implementation of [the program’s] resources, co-
staff, for example, “created a number of online
plan a lesson sequence, and answer any questions”
resources and platforms to increase the contact
(T. Fox, personal communication, September 30,
and intimacy of face-to-face interactions” (T. Fox,
2019). Overall, many grantees pointed to the use
personal communication, September 30, 2019). For
of technology to cultivate professional networks
example, web conferencing tools made it easy to
among teachers as providing a chance for teachers
hold meetings with large numbers of geographically
to critically examine their own teaching, learn from
dispersed teachers while still encouraging the
others, and develop relationships that helped support
Manhattan Strategy Group | 10implementation of the intervention. These networks larger national and global context. Teachers in
are an opportunity for previously isolated teachers to these communities also feel that interventions are
build a support system and foster continued learning being done without their professional expertise or
and growth. consent, and that they are not given an opportunity
to strategize with program developers and
Considerations administrators or choose the best course of action for
While many grantees experienced success with their students and classrooms.
cultivating professional networks through technology, Featured grantees identified this particular challenge
some encountered obstacles with this approach. in working with economically disadvantaged
Even when virtual supports were in place, some populations. In some cases, this was the specific
grantees related that the lack of an in-person presence rationale for their intervention, while others noted
from their program posed challenges for teachers it was a byproduct but not the original intention.
implementing the intervention. Casey O’Donnell Specifically, Tom Fox of the National Writing Project
from McREL shared that when the field operations noted that “cultivating the voices of youth in civic
team took a hands-off approach, “it made our discourse, both local and national” and countering
stakeholders feel like they weren’t part of the process, the “sense of isolation” was an important rationale
that there wasn’t someone really paying attention for the project (T. Fox, personal communication,
to it” (C. O’Donnell, personal communication, September 30, 2019). C3R’s implementers recognized
November 5, 2019). Similarly, Danny Voloch of Drive that providing opportunity and agency to students in
to Write told us that using these types of supports economically disadvantaged contexts was a matter
to cultivate relationships “was a slow process that of equity: “students and families from higher income
required a tremendous amount of in-person support, communities have agency, voice and choice for their
especially in the beginning” (D. Voloch, personal educational experiences… These [economically
communication, November 5, 2019). Tom Fox of the disadvantaged] students need to have hope that their
National Writing Project also shared his reflection voice matters. They need to have agency, voice and
that without a large amount of in-person support from choice for their educational experiences” (D. Bowling,
local professional development facilitators, “teachers personal communication, October 8, 2019).
would have just followed directions instead of actually
In confronting this type of challenge, the research
learning about teaching writing” at a deeper level (T.
literature indicates that as technology continues to
Fox, personal communication, November 5, 2019).
increase in importance in our society, schools “have
These examples illuminate that technology-based a responsibility to incorporate digital learning into
supports for teachers to cultivate professional modern-day classrooms” (Preston et al., 2015). This
networks cannot be implemented in isolation. On-the- imperative extends to the economically disadvantaged
ground supports, particularly in the early stages of context: If teachers do not effectively incorporate
implementation, are critical to ensuring that teachers technology in their classrooms, these students
are able to fully participate in and learn from virtual are likely to be left further behind. Additionally,
professional networks and implement the program promoting student agency is of critical importance
effectively. for educators who wish to promote engagement and
Development of Voice, Agency, discourse, since agency builds connections among
students and between teachers and students (Preston
and Opportunity et al, 2016) and also elevates critical 21st century skills
such as meaningful decision making, critical thinking,
Problem and opinion formation (Carver, 2016; Mitra, 2004;
Similar to the feelings of isolation teachers in Rector-Aranda & Raider-Roth, 2015).
economically disadvantaged contexts experience, Teachers and stakeholders also recognize the critical
students in economically disadvantaged communities importance of teaching and incorporating technology
often feel isolated, disenfranchised, and disconnected skills into the classroom for future college and career
from various resources and dialogues in their preparation, but often struggle with the appropriate
local and regional contexts, as well as from the ways in which to do so (Carver, 2016). For this issue
Manhattan Strategy Group | 11as well, studies indicate that technology solutions can audiences, thereby providing both teachers and
increase student motivation, attitude, engagement, students with a degree of opportunity and agency.
and self-confidence and positively impact student
As Tom Fox related, “it’s really empowering for
achievement and growth (Carver, 2016). Further,
the students and for their teachers to see their
fostering student voice is an opportunity to improve
work as part of something larger” (T. Fox, personal
student outcomes and school reform efforts (Mitra,
communication, November 5, 2019). This approach
2004; Rector-Aranda & Raider-Roth, 2015). These
allowed students to take part in conversations and
challenges and solutions coincide with some of the
foster connections with civic discourse beyond their
themes shared from the grantees in implementing
immediate communities. It also demonstrated to
their projects in economically disadvantaged
teachers the meaning of their work and their power
contexts. Bearing out the research literature, grantees
to create change and open doors of opportunity
recognized the benefits of using technology platforms
for individual students, classroom and school
to build voice, opportunity, and agency in students
communities, and other teachers who in turn became
and staff alike.
more engaged in these dialogues and issues.
Solution For example, one high school student in a rural
location wrote an argument for purchasing a mobile
In the experience of some grantees, like those from
health van for her rural, remote community. The
the National Writing Project, the technology solution
foundation she wrote to responded by funding the
was of critical importance to developing voice, agency,
request for the county office of health to employ a
and opportunity for students and teachers (T. Fox,
health van with three years of staffing. This experience
personal communication, November 5, 2019). These
demonstrates the power of cultivating voice for
practices, even when targeted at the teachers and
students: writing assignments for class go beyond just
staff, impacted student learning and voice as the
turning them into a teacher and getting a grade. As
new technologies enabled students and teachers to
Tom Fox related:
interact in different ways. In many cases, however,
while the technology solution was the selected mode [T]his high school junior, probably, maybe, saved
of change, secondary practices arising from the lives, but at least provided healthcare for a lot of
technology intervention were ultimately what fostered people that wouldn’t have had it… then there’s
voice and opportunity. In working collaboratively to school libraries and school gardens, and rerouting
implement a new practice or integrate the technology ambulances to reach remote areas. Students have
solution, teachers and staff cultivated new practices done a lot of different things, but it’s really the
around teaching and learning that elevated levels of consequence of a buildup of agency over the year
engagement and participation. This, in turn, increased and confidence in their ability to write. (T. Fox,
agency and opportunity. personal communication, November 5, 2019)
The implementers of the National Writing Project C3R’s staff used an approach that emphasized
utilized and engaged technology as a solution to relationship-building between students and
elevate rural voices and provide them with an teachers and involved mental models to identify
opportunity to engage in national or regional resources, such as “emotional, mental, spiritual,
dialogues around civic issues. In doing so, the support systems, role models” that acknowledged
project’s implementers identified argumentative and addressed the “barriers created by poverty in
writing as a mode to cultivate agency, connection, economically disadvantaged communities… around
and voice for students in economically disadvantaged money or the lack thereof” and promoted efficacy and
rural contexts. By providing students with the writing opportunity (D. Bowling, personal communication,
skills needed to establish an argument based on October 8, 2019). Therefore, “for an economically
a national or regional conversation, the project’s disadvantage[d] rural community it is about
staff encouraged students to become more civically relationship building” and who students can go to in
engaged. Technology was a critical support for this order to seek non-financial resources (D. Bowling,
effort because it connected students with larger personal communication, October 8, 2019).
Manhattan Strategy Group | 12Under this approach, teachers and administrators Considerations
placed equal emphasis on opportunities such as
Not all featured grantees agreed that technology
vocational or technical school and a four-year
interventions positively influenced agency, voice, and
college degree, taking into account student goals
opportunity among students and staff. For example,
and local opportunities in the work force and
as noted in the previous considerations section for
fostering a mutual respect with students, which Dr.
professional networks, Casey O’Donnell (McREL)
Dessie Bowling of C3R posited helped “students
related that when field operations staff were less
work harder to transition to success” (D. Bowling,
directly involved, stakeholders felt isolated from the
personal communication, October 8, 2019). Along
process and from any additional support or attention
these lines, for teachers in the C3R intervention, she
to their work. Thus, “when the problems of the things
related that programs were more successful when
like bandwidth and Internet connectivity became
program implementers went to a school and worked
an issue, there wasn’t someone there to be like, ‘Oh,
“in concert with a teacher to integrate a technology-
I hear you. Let’s address that problem right now’”
based program with daily instructional practices”
(C. O’Donnell, personal communication, November
(D. Bowling, personal communication, October 8,
5, 2019). Thus, the technology solution may have
2019). This practice, in turn, gave teachers a sense
hindered experiences of agency and voice when it
of professional agency and opportunity within the
was implemented as a replacement for other forms
intervention by having them work on part of the
of support. To this end, United2Read’s implementers
intervention.
related that the school and district context matter
Drive to Write’s implementers found that small-group more than the technology solution (V. Young, personal
coaching sessions had a positive impact on teacher communication, November 5, 2019). Fostering
voice and agency as teachers developed new skills agency, opportunity, and voice through a technology
around the technology itself and a new approach intervention, then, must be done intentionally and
to teaching writing. Over the course of three years, carefully, so that the technology intervention does not
teachers collaborated in small groups, presenting become a replacement for other supports.
work to one another and slowly building rapport and
Further, United2Read’s leadership related that the
professional agency in these circles. This method
technology intervention itself was not necessarily the
required a lot of upfront support and time to establish,
cause of increased teacher agency and voice; rather,
but ultimately had the effect of engaging teachers and
how the intervention was implemented within the
cultivating further buy-in from them as they began
district to engage teachers and cultivate a sense of
“making the work their own” by contributing their
buy-in was critical to developing further agency and
own variations to the program and sharing what
voice with participants. According to the program
was working (D. Voloch, personal communication,
leads of United2Read, the process of participating in
November 5, 2019).
the A2i technology intervention promoted the “specific
This approach also allowed the intervention to literacy goals of the teachers or schools. These types
be further shaped and defined by feedback from of factors, I think, mattered much more in terms of
users and stakeholders, demonstrating the value of giving teachers and students voice and agency as a
these individuals’ voices in the program. Moreover, result of implementing the program, rather than the
the implementers from both Drive to Write and program itself” (V. Young, personal communication,
United2Read spoke to the way that the technology November 5, 2019). In this vein, staff from Drive to
intervention “rejuvenated” teachers, and built Write and the National Writing Project also posited
capacity, professionalism, agency, and collaboration that teacher supports were critical to developing
among staff through practices such as collaboration, teacher voice and agency, and that this occurred
coaching, critical reflection, and peer-sharing (D. over a long process of multiple years. The respective
Voloch, personal communication, November 5, 2019; models allowed for the creation and promotion of
V. Young, personal communication, November 5, voice and agency through coaching rather than by
2019). following a prescriptive intervention or curriculum (T.
Fox, personal communication, November 5, 2019; D.
Voloch, personal communication, November 5, 2019).
Manhattan Strategy Group | 13LOOKING FORWARD
In addition to the benefits of facilitating personalized does is… make the results of… analysis immediate
learning; building professional identity; and for teachers, and in a form that they can share with
developing voice, agency, and opportunity for teachers their administrators to say, ‘Hey, we’re making
and schools, some of the key features of technology progress.’ So, it really is helpful in terms of buy-in
interventions promote buy-in as well as scaling and and engagement” (T. Fox, personal communication,
sustainability. Principally, these features are virtual November 5, 2019). In addition, Claudia Miner
supports, rapid data analysis, and efficiency of from UPSTART told us that the program’s data is
delivery. “very, very compelling to decision-makers when it
comes time to scale up, very compelling. They’re
Regarding virtual supports for educators, technology
usually surprised that anyone had that much data,
platforms enable the creation of virtual professional
and technology makes it easy” (C. Miner, personal
development (PD) sessions, with the caveat that
communication, November 5, 2019). Technology’s
teachers must be provided with guides and in-school
data analysis capabilities may also make programs
leadership to help them set up and navigate these
more marketable, thereby aiding efforts to lobby
virtual sessions (A. Jacobs, S. Siegal, Z. Kasad, & V.
for scaling resources from stakeholders like state
Young, personal communication, October 2, 2019).
legislators (T. Fox, personal communication,
Technology interventions may also enable coaches
November 5, 2019).
to provide cheaper and more consistent support to
teachers via virtual professional learning communities Furthermore, technology lends greater efficiency to
as compared to traditional in-person models (A. programs and services, a feature which can bolster
Jacobs, S. Siegal, Z. Kasad, & V. Young, personal scaling as well as long-term program sustainability.
communication, October 2, 2019). Alternatively, For Drive to Write’s leadership, the path to scaling
technology-based mentorship can be supplemented and sustainability lies in the efficiencies technology
with traditional models in a blended approach, so that delivers to teachers. Danny Voloch of Drive to Write
“virtual mentors also visit face-to-face to underscore noted, for example, that “a challenge persists for
the importance of their relationship and to understand even the most experienced teacher – how to provide
more deeply the context of the classroom” (T. Fox, actionable, timely, and individualized feedback on
personal communication, September 30, 2019). 150 student papers in the typical teaching load. In
our project, we used technology to accomplish this
Implementing a technology-based intervention also
critical instructional objective” (D. Voloch, personal
enables program administrators to collect and analyze
communication, September 27, 2019). Regarding
large quantities of data quickly, which they can then
sustainability, Tom Fox of the National Writing
present to other stakeholders to build program buy-
Project told us that “The national office identifies
in and support for scale-up. C3R’s implementers
promising practices with contracting… and shares
followed this strategy, telling us that, “We did not
them with the network… Additionally, we budgeted
experience challenges with buy-in. We presented the
funding for a public-facing website that will include…
curriculum to superintendents at our monthly KVEC
open educational resources” (T. Fox, personal
board meeting and walked them through the system”
communication, September 30, 2019).
(D. Bowling, personal communication, October 8,
2019). Tom Fox of the National Writing Project For potential future implementers of technology
also honed in on the importance of this feature of interventions in economically disadvantaged contexts,
technology, emphasizing, “what technology really these grantees’ experiences indicate that technology
Manhattan Strategy Group | 14You can also read
