Insights into
CA State
Standards
Implementation
2016 – 2017
– from the –
About this sitE
Our Goal
The goal of this site is to share educators’ insights into CA State Standards implementation. We’re compiling findings from multiple research studies that span a range of perspectives and protocols and organizing them into multiple domains in order to understand the state of standards implementation.
Who We talked to
We conducted interviews, surveys and focus groups with thousands of teachers, instructional coaches, principals and district leaders across the state about every facet of the new standards in order to understand the state of standards implementation as completely as possible.
How it's organized
Our findings draw from three research studies examining multiple aspects of standards implementation across different roles. Each aspect of implementation—for example, Instructional Shifts—is organized into a domain, with a page for every domain. Each domain consists of multiple key findings from one or more research studies, with each finding supported by evidence including data visualizations and quotations.
“Full implementation looks like it’s never done. Full implementation looks like it’s always attentive to learning at every level of the system for all the adults and the students. These are deep and profound shifts in not just the standards themselves, so full implementation looks like a never-ending quest to share leadership and to grapple with good debates and with opposing opinions.”
What’s On this page
Overview of Sources
An overview of the research studies we’ve conducted and are drawing from to understand the state of CA State Standards implementation:
- CA District Leader Interviews
- CA Teacher, Coach & Principal Focus Groups
- CA Rand American Teacher Panel (ATP) Survey
Quick View of Findings
A quick view of all our findings, color-coded by source and labled by domain. Click on any finding to learn more. Findings are organized into the following domain:
What's on This Site
Each page is a single domain representing one aspect of CA State Standards Implementation that our research studies were focused on understanding:
Overview of our 2016 – 2017 Research Sources
CA District Leader Interviews
The Center interviewed 45 CA District Leaders across the state, including superintendents, assistant superintendents and directors for curriculum and instruction, and ELA & math coordinators to understand districts’ progress in building professional learning capacity and determining needs. They shared insights into:
CA Teacher, Coach & Principal Focus Groups
The Center conducted focus groups with 80 Teachers, 40 Principals, and 40 Instructional Coaches throughout CA to understand—across multiple roles—perceptions of the value and effectiveness of instructional leadership, professional learning and instructional materials. They shared insights into:
CA RAND AMERICAN TEACHER PANEL (ATP) SURVEY
WestEd surveyed 800 CA Teachers and 1,100 CA Principals to understand how the CA Standards are impacting classroom instruction, professional learning and the needs of teachers and principals as part of the national RAND ATP and American School Leader Panel. They shared insights into:
A Quick View of our Findings
The findings below are labeled by category and color-coded by the research source they’re derived from. Click on any to view the data behind it.
Implementation Approaches
Districts have implemented the math and ELA standards on very different timelines— some starting as early as 2011 and others as recently as 2016. LEARN MORE->
Instructional Shifts
Most district leaders believe that their teachers have grown in mastery from 2015 to 2016, especially in their fluency using instructional strategies for different purposes to meet student needs. LEARN MORE ›
School and District Capacity
Focuses of Implementation Support
In their efforts to build capacity, districts most frequently cited a focus on developing new instructional practices over other types of training and coaching. LEARN MORE->
Professional Learning
Professional Learning Opportunities for School Leaders
When providing professional learning opportunities for school leaders, districts were most likely to report that content focused on opportunities to observe what instructional shifts looked like in authentic classroom settings. LEARN MORE->
Implementation Approaches
Most districts considered adopting new instructional practices a key approach for supporting the new standards. LEARN MORE->
Instructional Shifts
School and District Capacity
Support for School Leaders
When it came to building the capacity of school leaders, districts reported a mix of approaches, including the use of cohort-based learning communities, induction programs, and externally-provided coaching. LEARN MORE->
Professional Learning
Measuring the Effectiveness of Professional Learning
The majority of districts used a qualitative approach to measuring the effectiveness of professional learning, employing walk-through demonstrations to observe how learning opportunities were taking place. LEARN MORE->
Implementation Approaches
Instructional Shifts
Since the implementation of the CA Standards, teachers are reporting shifts in their instructional practices, but more so at the elementary than the secondary level. LEARN MORE ›
School and District Capacity
Barriers to Support for Standards Implementation
The challenge of shifting teacher preparation and practice was the most frequently cited barrier to achieving successful implementation of the standards. LEARN MORE->
Instructional Shifts
Many district leaders believe their teachers know the standards; however, many are still transitioning and developing an understanding of the instructional strategies needed to teach to them. LEARN MORE ›
School and District Capacity
Sources of Support for Standards Implementation
The majority of districts relied on internal expertise to support standards implementation. Most often, they turned to teachers employed in coaching roles and current classroom teachers to lead these efforts. LEARN MORE->
Professional Learning
Professional Learning Opportunities for Teachers
Teachers and district leaders frequently describe professional learning environments that are collaborative and teacher-led. LEARN MORE->
About the Staff and Contributors
Francesca Delgado
Reino Makkonen
Reino led analysis of the California results from RAND’s American Teacher Panel survey for WestEd and this site.
Gary Mobley
Clay Willis
Clay led content development, website development and dissemination strategy for these studies.
