Impact
The Essex County Learning Community is dedicated to engaging in a model of continuous improvement and responding to the dynamic feedback/needs of our member districts. Toward this end, ECLC gathers information from a range of sources in order to reflect upon our work, apply findings, and improve our services to the learning community, as well as Essex County. Participants from ECLC member districts complete exit surveys after each professional development experience in our framework, which are analyzed closely to identify themes, trends, successes, and critiques. We aim to be continually responsive to the needs of the participants and aspire to be constructivist in our orientation.
In addition, we conduct a formal evaluation at the end of each phase among ECLC cohorts, in order to make course corrections, respond to requests for specific kinds of learning, and shape the optimal experience for subsequent phases of the project.
In addition, we conduct a formal evaluation at the end of each phase among ECLC cohorts, in order to make course corrections, respond to requests for specific kinds of learning, and shape the optimal experience for subsequent phases of the project.
Learning Outcomes
To support and build capacity across districts to better serve diverse learners, the ECLC experience was designed to achieve the following outcomes:
“The meetings have been extremely beneficial. The conversations across districts allowed us time to share ideas, thoughts, and strategies. It has also promoted a shared vision to support our students.” - Social-Emotional Topical Group member
What changes in mindset and practice do educators report after participating in the learning community?
Cohort 1 Experience (2018 - 2020)
Using a pre/post survey in 2018 we assessed participant mindsets in a number of areas:
Using a pre/post survey in 2018 we assessed participant mindsets in a number of areas:
- Growth/Fixed mindset
- Inclusion/Separation models for educating students with mild to moderate disabilities
- Awareness of student race, ethnicity and disability status
- Deficit/Asset-based thinking with respect to student culture, language and ethnic background
- Equality/Equity mindset with respect to student opportunities and outcomes
- The learning community approach increases both cross- and within-district collaboration.
- The ECLC promotes positive mindsets and changes in practice among educators to help diverse learners succeed.
- Participants receive more support and resources to better balance the demands of their jobs and the considerable time commitment needed to do this work.
“I am now putting more effort into having students identify their strengths and utilize them to learn and demonstrate what they know. Also students are recognizing areas they need to improve in and working on those areas. Helping students be more self-aware of their strengths and areas they need to improve makes them a part of the process.” - Teacher, Swampscott Public Schools
“I feel this learning community reconfirmed how important it is to include children in the general education classroom.... With changing my teaching, I feel that I am much more culturally aware of what I talk about and/or say. I try to choose a variety or texts, videos and books when I'm teaching so that it addresses cultural issues.” - Teacher, Danvers Public Schools
“For us to come together as a North Shore community is really awesome to build those connections, and I think we should work together more because everyone has such strengths.” - Teacher, Beverly Public Schools
