Teaching at Mastery
The charter gets teachers on the same page and cooperating to produce results. What does their approach mean for teaching in "turnaround" schools?
by Benjamin Herold
"I want to be a really great teacher and I want to have someone help me get there. I think that's what Mastery was looking for," says Kallie Turner, 1st grade teacher at Mastery-Smedley.
Just a few months ago, Kallie Turner was limping to the end of her first year as a classroom teacher. Exhausted, she feared that she had failed her students.
"I didn't get them where they needed to be," Turner says of the children at the Louisville public school where she taught last year. "The hardest thing was knowing that I didn't have an answer – and that no one was helping me find that answer."
Fast forward to this October. Suddenly, the 24-year old Turner is running a focused, organized 1st grade classroom in a notoriously difficult Philadelphia school. At any given time, nearly all of her students – many low-income, most Black or Latino, and almost all starting off on the wrong side of the achievement gap – are on task and working hard.
"I wake up every day excited to come to work," says Turner.
What changed?
The Mastery way
The short answer is that Turner now teaches for Mastery Charter Schools, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit that specializes in "turning around" low-performing public schools by converting them to neighborhood charters.
Part of a growing national movement of "No Excuses" schools, Mastery is at the forefront of the current push to redefine effective teaching and produce it at scale in America's toughest schools. Touted by Oprah and President Obama and showered with private donations that supplement what it gets from the state and District, Mastery is the largest provider in Philadelphia's Renaissance Schools initiative.
Mastery starts with identifying what students should know, then "plans backwards" to create a roadmap to ensure student "mastery" of the material. Teachers are flooded with feedback and support, and schools relentlessly analyze student performance data.
These strategies reflect the prevalent thinking about how to run effective schools. But some aspects of the approach – and some parts of Mastery's take on it – have their detractors.
Some educators argue that Mastery draws much too heavily on the state PSSA exam and overemphasizes general teaching techniques meant to be applicable in any classroom. The result, say critics, is a narrowed curriculum and limited opportunities for students to learn through inquiry and discovery.
For Mastery CEO Scott Gordon, though, it's all about "what works" to raise achievement in schools where students are often academically unprepared and "not initially motivated to learn."
Too often, he argues, academic debates about educational theory get in the way of actually helping teachers to teach effectively.
What's most important about Mastery's approach, says Gordon, is not a particular curriculum or educational theory but how it trains and supports staff – what he calls "the commonsense things that all high-performing organizations do."
'Adults working well together'
For Kallie Turner, that means not being left alone to flounder in her 1st grade classroom at Mastery Charter-Smedley Elementary School.
"This year has been almost a complete 180 from my first year," she says. "If something is not going well, someone is going to help me fix it."
Each day, Turner is joined by Jess Corso, who helps teach an extended reading lesson. While Corso works with students who are already digesting whole books, Turner helps a separate group still learning to pronounce letter sounds.
The school's leadership team helped Turner group her students according to their abilities. During a weekly team meeting, she worked with her fellow 1st grade teachers to develop lessons to meet students' varied needs.
Before, "I was keeping track of my students' progress, but I wasn't using [data] to change my teaching strategies," she explained. "Now I know exactly what my kids need, and someone helps me build that information [into my planning.]"
Other schools use similar strategies. The difference is Mastery's ability to get everyone in the school consistently using the same strategy, the same way. Gordon calls this "getting the adults working well together" and says it is fundamental to an effective turnaround.
Comments (23)
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 12/11/2010 - 11:55.
Do students at Mastery study social studies and the arts on a consistent basis?
Submitted by Ben Herold (not verified) on Sun, 12/12/2010 - 12:44.
Anonymous -
Yes. On the day I reported at Mastery Smedley, the first graders I visited with had a social studies teacher in their room for a full period. According to Mastery officials, the school also has art, music, PE, and recess and devotes more time to these efforts than Smedley did previously.
I don't know the full roster of classes offered at Thomas, but I know that history is part of it. If I'm not mistaken, there was previously an AP US History class offered, although its not being offered this year.
Perhaps one of our readers from Mastery can further enlighten us about class offerings?
Submitted by Suzanne Blanc (not verified) on Sun, 12/12/2010 - 21:02.
Interesting story about teaching at Mastery. I have some mixed feelings about the approach that you describe the math teacher using. It's great that the kids were engaged in the algebra lesson and had the confidence to sort through different possible strategies. I wonder how this lesson lines up with the focus on mathematical practices that are assessed in the new Common Core standards. I have a sense that students in the class were focused on procedures, not underlying mathematical reasoning. But maybe I'm wrong, and maybe students at Mastery do learn enough skills and have enough confidence that they can persist and make sense of things when they get to college level math. I'd love to hear what other Notebook readers think.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/12/2010 - 22:51.
Mastery does offer social studies, art, music, technology, science, social and emotional learning, etc. They do offer AP courses in humanities as well. AP Psych, AP US History, AP Geography just to name a few
Submitted by Helen Gym on Mon, 12/13/2010 - 05:57.
Great work going inside the thinking behind a school. Mastery's focus on student engagement as a key measure of student success is encouraging, and its peer support and relatively single-minded mission seems critical for new teachers who have an awful lot thrown at them in their first years.
My only critique is something that Diane Ravitch said recently in a speech to KIPP charter sponsors: Mastery's work is not the norm for charters, and should not be presented as such. It's a functioning model for similar District managed schools and lessons should be drawn from them, particularly school leaders. Not withstanding Mr. Gordon's obvious ambitions about scale, it's the District that needs to take the lead about how to learn from Mastery and begin its own transformation within its schools.
Submitted by Philadelphia Citizen (not verified) on Mon, 12/13/2010 - 15:10.
Good point about Mastery and about scale, Helen. It would be more reassuring if the Renaissance project was not envisioning giving away more public schools to the less effective private providers (such as Young Scholars, Universal, et. al.) It would be more in keeping with the American democratic tradition of public education if the District could learn from Mastery without abandoning more of our schools.
Submitted by MasteryCharterS... on Fri, 01/07/2011 - 11:46.
I am a parent of a 1st grader at Mastery Charter Smedley Campus and she is doing wonderfully, reading on a third grade level, rather advanced I would say! As for anybody who thinks that these kids aren't getting a proper education, I am here to prove you all wrong! My child is getting a wonderful education and will be prepared to enter college someday and she will be staying in the Mastery system! I will not have my daughter or any other child going to Harding Middle School because that school is unfortunately been neglected and looks like a prison on the outside! As for the education they are receiving at Mastery, it is top notch teachers who do that as well as a very active School Advisory Council and a very active Parent Teacher Association, both of which I am members of those groups! If you care about the way your child is being educated and you aren't being fulfilled by the public school system here in Philadelphia, please call Mastery Smedley at 215-537-2523 to enroll your child!
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 06/19/2011 - 04:30.
Gee...at my school we don't have the time to meet as a team. I am sure it would help, as it did in my other district. We have prep teachers out so we don't get to meet. I have never seen such a disorganized district. Let's equalize all the schools before saying one (with more) is better than another.
I would love to see these kids take another test, that involved practical applications...my guess is that they would not be "proficient". One test does not tell all!!!
Didn't I just read that the Saturday attendance is around 50%?
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 06/19/2011 - 10:57.
Excuse me??? what school are you talking about???? It sure is not Mastery Charter Smedley Elementary that you are speaking about! These kids work very hard everyday to achieve what they have achieved! As for the attendance at Saturday school being 50%, you might want to take a look at the information I received at the School Advisory Council Meeting that took place thursday night! Not sure where you are coming from but I can tell your child obviously doesn't go to a very good school in Philadelphia!
Submitted by Maureen J. Kee (not verified) on Sun, 06/19/2011 - 11:00.
I do not believe you are speaking about Mastery Charter Smedley Elementary! Those kids work very hard for all the things they are achieving everyday in school! If your child goes to one of the failing public schools in Philadelphia, then you might want to consider transferring into the Mastery Charter School system for your child to receive a better education that will make them college bound! My daughter graduates in the class of 2022 from Mastery Lenfest Campus!
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 09:12.
The "no excuses" approach is a good one. We can always find reasons for not putting in our full efforts. Self-motivation is the key to implementation of change. I think these charter schools are on the right path.
law
Submitted by Maureen J. Kee (not verified) on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 10:12.
Yes the 'no excuses' approach does work and would also work for the Philadelphia Public School system if they would get their heads out of their butts and put those approaches in place. Instead they would rather waste my tax dollars for high priced executives who probably don't even have their degrees in education in the first place. Second, if the Philadelphia Public School system would focus on the needs of the children first instead of their own needs such as Ms. Ackerman's severence pay of $980,000 plus all her bonuses she received. Third, the students at all of the Mastery schools in the city of Philadelphia are afforded the great chance of attending big-name universities because they groom these children to attend these colleges. Fourth, I really feel that the Public School System in Philadelphia has been failing children for many decades and that is the reason why we have such a huge high-school drop out rate. Fifth, I would like to say that my daughter is in 2nd grade at Mastery Smedley Elementary and is reading on nearly a 5th grade reading level. Guess not many parents whose children are attending school district of philadelphia's schools can say that!
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 10:20.
Are you bringing up your child to share your elitist approach? The problems in Philadelphia public schools are due to decades of underfunding by the state. Just compare how much is spent per child in Philadelphia with schools in the suburbs. Do you see any charters in the suburbs? Of course not, because they have always been better funded than Philadelphia.
Submitted by Joe Kozel (not verified) on Thu, 06/21/2012 - 23:05.
Please do not use the argument that the state has underfunded Philadelphia. Arlene Ackerman and co. did not manage funds or the district correctly and that is where the problem can be found.
Submitted by MasteryCharterS... on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 10:24.
Excuse me??? who said I was a member of the Elite community???? i am a single working mother who is raising a child who is attending one of the Best charter schools in the city of Philadelphia. Stop blaming the state of PA for the funding problems for the school district because that excuse is not holding any water. As for your comment about me being Elitist, that's just plain wrong whoever you are. Anyone who acting Elitist is you and you alone!
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 10:50.
Corbett cut education funding by almost one billion dollars. One quarter of the cut was in Philadelphia. Wealthy school districts only had minor cuts. At the same time he increased funding or prisons by almost one billion dollars. This includes three new prisons some of which are private. In other words, Corbett is providing slave labor for his friends in the private prison industry, just as he is giving tax payer money to his friends in the charter school industry.
There is nothing wrong with wanting your daughter to have a good education in the present crisis. However, to not look at the political reality and realize it is not just due to what you apparently think are lazy teachers, is being elitist.
Submitted by Sandra A. Fields (not verified) on Thu, 08/02/2012 - 08:50.
Corbett does not care about those families who cannot pay for their child(ren) to attend "good" schools. He's preparing to put low income children, especially boys, into these prisons one day. This is what happens when you don't vote in EVERY election, you get politicians who do not care about educating OUR children. I have never missed an election. My parents did not graduate from high school but they could read, understand, and analyze. They read and watched the news and they pushed me to get an education. My parents are both deceased but they lived long enough to see their youngest of 3 graduate from Temple U. Unfortunately, neither lived long enough to see me graduate with a Masters of Early Childhood Education. Quit criticizing Mastery Charter Schools, embrace the schools, celebrate their success with our children, and support them as they continue to prepare our children for college and trade schools.
Submitted by MasteryCharterS... on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 10:57.
Yes this may or may not be true however how does me wanting the best education possible for my child make me elitist???? I do not have any power when it comes to funding for prisons and school districts. As for politics, I am presently involved with the 62nd ward republicans in the city of philadelphia as a committee person. Oh and we wouldn't need new prisons being built if the school district educated the children properly so that they don't wind up in prison.
As for wealthy school districts not having funding cuts, that must be why the real estate taxes go up in the suburbs to pay for your education. What political reality are you referring to??? The last time I checked everytime I go into the voting booth I vote for people and they never get into office. As for Governor Corbett, I voted for him I am proud to say so putting the man down just because he has to make cuts in the state budget is not very fair. Apparently you would rather have people in office who do not have any clue as to how it is to run a city or state. Did you vote for Obama? Apparently you did!
Submitted by Tara (not verified) on Tue, 06/05/2012 - 17:42.
There are sources of revenue that Corbett could be taxing, but he has refused to do so. Pennsylvania had a surplus, so there actually is money that can be used for education. Money pays for more teachers, which lowers class size. Lower class size means children get more individualized attention. Educating children involves more than just sending your child to school. Your child most likely eats properly, gets enough sleep, doesn't live in a chaotic and unpredictable home, and has a support system at home. Those things translate to a child being more successful in school. But we deal with students who
Wealthy school districts had a surplus, which means they could get through recent budget cuts without affecting programs and staff. However, suburban school districts are now facing budget shortfalls for the upcoming school year. They are now cutting back teachers, arts programs, classroom assistants, etc.
It's obscene that Gov. Corbett is proposing giving a company almost a 2 billion dollar tax break in order for a manufacturing plant be built in western PA.
Parents do have power when it comes to how schools use their funding. If parents know how to advocate for their children/schools, then they can get the things that are needed. For example, Penn Alexander was able to get another kindergarten teacher, so the class size is much lowers when compared to other Philadelphia public schools. This happens frequently in the suburbs.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 06/05/2012 - 18:12.
Penn Alexander gets what is wants because it is funded by Penn. Penn is paying for the extra kindergarten class - along with $1300/per pupil more plus many extras. Penn Alexander's catchment is also one of the wealthiest in Philadelphia. So, yes, Corbett needs to tax gas drilling and invest in education but Penn Alexander is not a typical Philadelphia school.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 06/05/2012 - 13:12.
I may be a little late on this, but as an educator, I think that one of the biggest problems in the Philadelphia School District is the fact that everyone feels like they have the answer. In fact, there is no one right answer. Obviously, the Governor is removing funding from schools, and a large portion of it comes from Philadelphia. However, this is not the only reason that Philadelphia schools perform poorly. Dr. Ackerman removed all accountability under her. She wanted to be in charge of everything, and in a district this large, that is simply not possible. So, when there is no student accountability from the district, there is no accountability from principals as long as the "bottom line" is there. When there is no accountability from the schools or parents, the students realize this and do not put in the necessary effort.
These are just a few of the reasons we have problems in the Philadelphia school system. There are plenty more - social, economic, historical, etc. My main point is that we should bring our ideas together, not call each other names and fight over who is "right." The only people who are "right" are the ones working to actually improve the students' education. This includes Mastery Charter schools (but not all charter schools). We have to be realistic, not calling others names in internet comment sections. Go out into the world and try to make the difference you want to see. I know I am.
Submitted by Who's fooling Who? (not verified) on Thu, 08/23/2012 - 14:55.
Every district, school, and teacher focus on engaging 100% of the students during lessons. Mastery is not unique in this approach and is certainly not the most effective. EVERY child geniunely desires for knowledge and Mastery uses that fact to make it appear that they are extremely effective at engaging students. Mastery's teaching model is antiquated, unoriginal, and generates shallow knowledge among the students. The only credit I will give to Mastery is that they create a safe learning environment which allows the students to comfortably engage in learning. However, Mastery falls short in promoting learning for learning sake and not for the sake of high-stakes standardized testing. The type of motivation Mastery uses to promote learning is extrinsic. For example, when explaining the "why" factor of learning a specific skill, Mastery teachers say, "you need to know this in order to score well on the Benchmark or PSSA." The students often ask themselves why test scores matter or mean anything to them. To answer that question, Mastery uses college as explanation for learning or doing well on test. Mastery promotes the message of going to college to their students, but they do not promote the type of learning college students participate in (not direct instruction).
Besides the weak instruction, there is a lack of professional knowledge among the administrators and the CEO. For instance, ask about the types of services Mastery offers to their special education population. While this appears to be a bashing of Mastery, this comment is really meant to encourage people to really think about anything that seems too good to be true. Also, I hope that Mastery staff read this and reflects on what they NEED to do to get better since they are always talking about moving from good to great. Test scores are great, but what about helping students to become critical thinking problem solvers. Test scores are not the only indicators of achievement and learning can be assessed, measured, and identified using different methods.
Submitted by hino bowie (not verified) on Tue, 04/16/2013 - 21:53.
Al Akhbar's new apparent line of following main stream trends of taking every cheap shot at the Syrian regime is becoming very apparent. Al Akhbar has become mere sensationalism deeming the terrorist attack on Aleppo University yesterday unworthy of publishing about in the English website and opting instead to use this unrealistic piece in a country where terrorism is a common place dailly and security have no time to monitor the hundreds of thousands of anti-regime activists. From that piece mocking Syria and Aleppo's destruction through mocking SANA to this, Al Akhbar with its suspected new funding has become another worthless tabloid. Disgrace.
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