Agenda Item
a. Modern Classroom Project Training & Support Agreement (Not to exceed $150,000)
Summary: Presented by: Champion Michelle Dillard, Chief of Schools, Division of Schools & Leadership
Request: It is requested that the Board of Education approve the contract with The Modern Classrooms Project to provide professional learning and mentorship to DeKalb County School District (DCSD) teachers for an amount not to exceed $150,000.
Why: To further build our instructional staff's capacity and meet our students' unique needs in the classroom, the district seeks to partner with the Modern Classroom Project. The partnership will allow for up to 100 DCSD teachers to engage in a year-long professional learning and mentorship program to improve their instructional practice. The participating teachers will then be able to serve as model classrooms to further expand practices within their building and the district.
Details: The goal of The Modern Classroom Project is to empower educators to build classrooms that respond to every student’s needs. The Modern Classroom Project provides professional learning and mentoring so teachers can build self-paced, mastery-based instructional units leveraging technology to foster responsive, authentic learning based on student needs.
Expected outcomes include:
Teacher Impact:
• Teachers eliminate lectures by creating instructional videos
• Teachers replace one-size-fits-all pacing with flexible structures
• Teachers to assess students on mastery and not completion of tasks
• Teachers have more structure to support Independent Learning Days
Student Impact:
• Students to learn at their own pace with teacher support and guidance
• Students have the time they need to learn while always being challenged
• Students can progress to more advanced material when they are ready
• Students have access to review or make-up lessons as needed
Financial impact: The cost of the Modern Classroom Project will not exceed $150,000 to be paid from 100.1000.530000.00011.7150.9990.8010.020.0000
Contact: Mrs. Michelle Dillard, Chief of Schools, Division of Schools & Leadership, (678) 676-0542
Effective: Upon Board Approval
Status: Approved by the Office of Legal Affairs
Modern Classrooms + Chesapeake Impact
In 2023, the Modern Classrooms Project (MCP) partnered with Chesapeake Public Schools to train
educators across the district to implement a blended, self-paced, mastery-based instructional
model. With support from MCP staff, Chesapeake led a program evaluation of the MCP program in
their district to understand the experiences of early adopters at Hickory MS, Oscar Smith MS, and
Western Branch MS during the 2023-2024 school year. This report summarizes MCP’s impact in
Chesapeake regarding five district-defined goals.
This study uses data from surveys administered to MCP teachers and non-MCP teachers, teacher
focus groups, student surveys, and administrative data to determine MCP impact. Our sample
includes:
32 34 693
implementing teachers comparison teachers students
Goal 1: Improved Student Engagement and Autonomy
Students assigned to an MCP teacher will demonstrate increased engagement and autonomy. We
assessed teacher perceptions of student engagement and autonomy through teacher surveys
including 14 teachers fully implementing MCP in their classrooms and 34 comparison teachers at
the same schools. Teachers reported over the last school year:
MCP Full Implementers MCP Full Implementers MCP Full Imp.
CPS Control CPS Control CPS
Control
Student behavior has improved. Student motivation has improved. Students are more engaged in school.
“ One of the things that I'm really impressed by is the way the students have learned to
self-govern and the classroom culture is a lot more positive and collaborative
than in past years teaching with the more traditional model.
”
- Hickory MS Teacher
“ [MCP] lends itself to no interruption. You don't have a whole group and a class clown
or kids that can't sit still…It's not interrupting my entire class then I have to stop,
address the behavior, and then, okay, where was I? I have to go back.
”
- Western Branch MS Teacher
1
Modern Classrooms + Chesapeake Impact
Goal 2: Personalized Learning Experience
Through participating in MCP, teachers will increase their proficiency in providing personalized
learning experiences. By the end of the first year, all early adopter teachers of the MCP program
will have fully integrated the essential MCP components, including blended learning (instructional
videos), self-paced trackers, and mastery checks. Teacher walkthrough observation data and
teacher survey data show:
Use blended
81% practices in their
classrooms
Use self-pacing
75% practices in their
classrooms
Use mastery -
82% based practices in
their classrooms
Goal 3: Strengthened Teacher-Student Relationships
Participation in MCP will lead to stronger relationships between teachers and students. According to
our student survey, students in classes led by Modern Classrooms teachers say they have better
relationships with their teachers, are challenged by their teachers, and feel their teachers care for
them as individuals.
“ We have the time to find out who
they are, so we can meet them
where they are. With MCP, I
understand that's what's going on
with this kid. Or, this kid's motivated
by this or that.
” - Western Branch MS
Teacher
“ I love the fact that now, I’m just
getting to know their levels a lot
more. Getting to know the kids
better and then I'm more available
to provide the assistance based
on their need. 2
” - Hickory MS Teacher
Modern Classrooms + Chesapeake Impact
Goal 4: Professional Development
In support of the growth in competencies resulting from participating in the Virtual Mentorship
Program, Chesapeake’s Department of Professional and Organizational Development will provide
professional development targeted toward MCP methodologies to train teachers in the Modern
Classrooms Project model within the first year of implementation.
“ This group has been
incredible. I have
borrowed so much stuff
from them into my
classroom that has helped
tremendously. It just
increases my
confidence. And it just
makes you want to keep
going, even when it gets
difficult.
”
- Hickory MS Teacher
Goal 5: Teacher Satisfaction
Educators participating in MCP will express higher levels of job satisfaction. CPS’s goal is to increase
teachers’ perceived job satisfaction and overall career happiness to reduce undesirable behaviors
among students in MCP. Teacher survey data show MCP teachers are more satisfied with their
careers:
MCP Full Implementers MCP Full Implementers MCP Full Implementers
CPS Control CPS Control CPS Control
I enjoy teaching more. I find teaching more sustainable. I feel more optimistic about the
future of education.
MCP Full Impl. MCP Full Impl.
CPS Control CPS Control
I feel like I am part of a movement I intend to continue teaching for 3
towards better education. many more years.
Modern Classrooms + Chesapeake Impact
Student Academic Achievement
In addition to the five goals explored above, we considered the impact of being assigned to a
classroom with an educator implementing MCP. We compared student academic outcomes
(standardized assessments, attendance, and grades) to those students in the same courses but
taught traditionally. We used T-tests to compare averages across the two groups to determine
whether those differences were statistically significant or more likely due to chance. We found the
following:
Key Finding #1: Higher SOL Pass Rates
Students in Math and ELA
classrooms implementing the
Modern Classrooms model had
higher SOL pass rates during the
Spring of 2024. This difference was
statistically significant for both ELA
(t = -3.783, p < .001) and Math (t =
-2.875, p=0.004) SOLs.
(N= 496) (N= 541)
Key Finding #2: Higher Average SOL
Growth (VSS)
Students in 6th-grade math
classrooms implementing the
Modern Classrooms model had
higher average SOL Vertical Scaled
Scores during Fall 2023, Winter
2024, and Spring 2024. This
difference was statistically
significant at each time point.
In 7th grade ELA classrooms
implementing the Modern
Classrooms model, students had
higher average SOL Vertical Scaled
Scores during Winter 2024 and
Spring 2024. This difference was
statistically significant for those two
time points.
4
Modern Classrooms + Chesapeake Impact
Student Academic Achievement
In addition to the five goals explored above, we considered the impact of being assigned to a
classroom with an educator implementing MCP. We compared student academic outcomes
(standardized assessments, attendance, and grades) to those students in the same courses but
taught traditionally. We used T-tests to compare averages across the two groups to determine
whether those differences were statistically significant or more likely due to chance. We found the
following:
Key Finding #3: Fewer Absences
On average, classrooms
implementing MCP had fewer
total absences than the same
classes not implementing MCP.
This difference is statistically
significant (t = 5.36, p < 0.001).
Key Finding #4:Higher Final Grades
Classrooms implementing MCP,
on average, issued more A’s and
B’s (68%) than the same classes
not implementing MCP (57%).
MCP-implementing classrooms
awarded fewer C’s, D’s, and F’s
than non-MCP classrooms. These
differences are statistically
significant.
Recommendations
Less than half of Chesapeake teachers implementing the
Support Rigorous Implementation model use all three components. What are ways CPS and
MCP can leverage resources to encourage educators to
implement the MCP model with fidelity?
Chesapeake’s early MCP adopters are enthusiastic advocates
Leverage Cohort 1 Teacher Leaders for the instructional model. Several are implementing at a
high level and are currently credentialed Teacher Leaders and
Mentors within MCP. How can these advocates be leveraged to
help new implementers?
Early adopters also found the district’s PLCs to be an integral
Foster Teacher Collaboration support and opportunity for collaboration. Continue to
provide these professional learning opportunities with support 5
from MCP.