The document discusses how data-driven professional development (PD) models are improving K-5 math achievement by giving teachers more agency over their learning. It outlines issues like low math scores, lack of teacher math content knowledge and dissatisfaction with traditional PD. DreamBox Learning's digital math program addresses these by providing teachers "just-in-time" math PD modules to deepen their own understanding of concepts students are learning. Analysis found students of teachers who completed more PD modules showed greater growth in math. Administrators saw the flexible, on-demand PD as empowering teachers and a "game changer" for improving student outcomes.

1. Empowering Teacher Agency
How Data-Driven PD Models are Improving
K-5 Math Achievement
Tim Hudson, PhD
Vice President of Learning
@DocHudsonMath
Kelly Urlacher
Sr. Curriculum Designer
@UrlacherMath

2. To improve elementary student
achievement in math, district
administrators must explore
innovative approaches to
professional development that
improve teachers’ understanding
of mathematics concepts.

3. Low Math Scores
2015 NAEP
4th Grade 40% Proficient
8th Grade 33% Proficient
Source: US Institute for Education Sciences
Keeping Administrators & Teachers Up at Night

4. Keeping Administrators & Teachers Up at Night

5. Teacher Support for Personalization
Large majority of teachers don’t feel
supported in their use of digital learning
tools and analysis of student data to
differentiate learning.
Source: Gates Foundation
Keeping Administrators & Teachers Up at Night

6. • Students differ as learners in terms of background experience, culture, language, gender, interests, readiness to
learn, modes of learning, speed of learning, support systems for learning, self-awareness as a learner, confidence
as a learner, independence as a learner, and a host of other ways.
• Differences profoundly impact how students learn and the nature of scaffolding they will need at various points in
the learning process.
• Teachers have a responsibility to ensure that all of their students master important content.
• Teachers have to make specific and continually evolving plans to connect each learner with key content.
• Teachers are required to understand the nature of each of their students, in addition to the nature of the content
they teach.
• A flexible approach to teaching “makes room” for student variance.
• Teachers should continually ask, “What does this student need at this moment in order to be able to progress with
this key content, and what do I need to do to make that happen?”
Key Elements of Differentiation
Leading and Managing a Differentiated Classroom by C.A. Tomlinson & M.B. Imbeau, ASCD, © 2010, pp. 13-14

7. • Extreme learner variation
• Wide range of scaffolding
• All students must succeed
• Need specific and evolving plans
• Understand students AND content
• Be flexible for student variance
• “What does this student need at this moment in order to be able to progress with
this key content, and what do I need to do to make that happen?”
Key Elements of Differentiation
Leading and Managing a Differentiated Classroom by C.A. Tomlinson & M.B. Imbeau, ASCD, © 2010, pp. 13-14

8. Teacher Math Content Knowledge
Teachers with Math Specialization from College:
K-4 3%
5-6 8%
6-8 31%
Source: Michigan State University
Keeping Administrators & Teachers Up at Night

9. 91
Student adds
place values
independently
What is 29 + 72?
Student
doesn’t
regroup the
ones
Student
carries but
double counts
Student
combines
all digits
911 111
2,972

10. Administrators Want PD Support
Only 29% of teachers are highly satisfied with PD.
Principals largely share teachers’ concerns.
Federal PD Funds: $2.6 billion per year
District PD Funds: $8K–$12K/teacher per year
Source: Learning Forward, Gates Foundation
Keeping Administrators & Teachers Up at Night

11. Obstacles to Providing Strong Professional Learning
• Time: Scheduling, Availability & Contractual Restrictions
• Relevant Content: Empowering teachers with PD choices
• Educator Centric: Control over time, place, path or pace
• Funding: Substitutes, teacher time, PD facilitator

12. Low Math
Scores
Teacher Support
for Personalization
Teacher Math
Content Knowledge
Administrators Want
Efficacy & PD Support
2015 NAEP
Math Proficiency
4th Grade 40%
8th Grade 33%
Large majorities of
teachers don’t feel
supported in their use of
digital learning tools
and analyze student
data to differentiate
learning.
Teachers with Math
Specialization from College:
K-4 3%
5-6 8%
6-8 31%
Only 29% of teachers are
highly satisfied with current
PD offerings.
Principals largely share
teachers’ concerns.
Annual PD Funding:
Federal $2.6 billion
District $8K–
$12K/teacher
Source: US Institute for Education Sciences Source: Gates Foundation Source: Michigan State University Source: Learning Forward, Gates Foundation
Keeping Administrators & Teachers Up at Night

13. Components of DreamBox Learning
K-8 Digital Math
Curriculum
Teacher Dashboard
+ Home Connection
MyFlex PD On Demand:
Content-Specific PD
Administrator
Reporting

14. Teacher accesses DreamBox Progress Data
and PD links on the Insights Dashboard
Students complete DreamBox Lessons,
whether Self-Directed or Teacher-Assigned
Teacher uses new, deeper
learning about math concepts to
inform classroom practice
Teacher completes DreamBox
PD Modules to Deepen Math
Content Understanding, Anytime,
Anywhere
© DreamBox Learning

15. • Grades 3-5
• 650 Teachers
• 11,000 Students
• Analysis suggests students demonstrated improved
growth in mathematics when their teacher more
frequently accessed DreamBox Learning PD
Initial Analysis

16. 36%
50%
32%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5
Increased Growth On Grade Level Concepts for Students Whose
Teachers Completed 3 or More PD On Demand Modules

17. Administrator View: “Just in Time” Math PD is a Game Changer
“DreamBox’s PD modules are important for teachers. It
provides them a safe environment to access the information
they need to explore topics they may be unfamiliar with.”
– Jesse, Numeracy Coordinator

18. Professional Development
Lacking Teacher Agency
 Little input from teachers
 Potpourri of topics chosen by system
leaders and principals based on multiple,
often competing, objectives
 Decisions about what teachers need to
know are made by the central office and
school administrators
 Topics are often unrelated to teacher and
student learning
Calvert, L. (2016). Moving from compliance to agency: What teachers need to make professional learning work. Oxford, OH: Learning Forward and NCTAF.

19. What do teachers want in their PD?
Source: Learning Forward, Gates Foundation
• Relevant
• Interactive
• Delivered by someone who understands their
experience and situation
• Sustained over time
• Teachers as professionals
• Delivery Method

20. Professional Learning
Supporting Teacher Agency
 Teacher-identified learning objectives
 Based on data (including observations)
 Focused on teachers’ and students’
continuous growth
 Topics address specific classroom
challenges
 Teachers decide what they need to
learn
Calvert, L. (2016). Moving from compliance to agency: What teachers need to make professional learning work. Oxford, OH: Learning Forward and NCTAF.

21. Teachers as Learners
DreamBox Insights Dashboard
What math concepts are my students
learning right now in DreamBox?
MyFlex PD On Demand
What DreamBox PD is available that will
help me improve my own math
understanding of what my students are
learning?

22. Understanding the
classroom taught
curriculum
• When teaching a math
concept to the whole class
from the pacing calendar,
textbook, or other source, a
teacher can access PD On
Demand modules for that topic
to better understand the math
concepts and more confidently
facilitate classroom lessons for
the topic.
Informing small group
differentiation
• When a small group of
students is simultaneously
working on a math concept in
DreamBox that isn’t being
taught in class, the classroom
teacher can access PD On
Demand modules to
understand the math concepts
and facilitate a strategy group
to discuss the topic.
Providing individual
student support
• When examining student-level
reports to support remediation,
acceleration, or grade level
differentiation, the classroom
teacher can access PD On
Demand modules relevant to
that student’s needs.

23. Two Students. Millions of Self-Directed Learning Paths.

24. The Pacing
Calendar
is Here

25. Teachers Create Data-Informed, Adaptive Assignments
© DreamBox Learning © DreamBox Learning

26. Simple Progress Monitoring for Any Standard
© DreamBox Learning© DreamBox Learning

27. Understanding the Classroom-Taught Curriculum
Link to PD On
Demand Module
for the Assigned
Topic
© DreamBox Learning

28. Understanding the
classroom taught
curriculum
• When teaching a math
concept to the whole class
from the pacing calendar,
textbook, or other source, a
teacher can access PD On
Demand modules for that topic
to better understand the math
concepts and more confidently
facilitate classroom lessons for
the topic.
Informing small group
differentiation
• When a small group of
students is simultaneously
working on a math concept in
DreamBox that isn’t being
taught in class, the classroom
teacher can access PD On
Demand modules to
understand the math concepts
and facilitate a strategy group
to discuss the topic.
Providing individual
student support
• When examining student-level
reports to support remediation,
acceleration, or grade level
differentiation, the classroom
teacher can access PD On
Demand modules relevant to
that student’s needs.

29. Informing Small Group Differentiation
Link to PD On Demand Module for the Topic
Names of Students
Math Topic
Teacher’s Progress Through the PD Module
© DreamBox Learning

30. Understanding the
classroom taught
curriculum
• When teaching a math
concept to the whole class
from the pacing calendar,
textbook, or other source, a
teacher can access PD On
Demand modules for that topic
to better understand the math
concepts and more confidently
facilitate classroom lessons for
the topic.
Informing small group
differentiation
• When a small group of
students is simultaneously
working on a math concept in
DreamBox that isn’t being
taught in class, the classroom
teacher can access PD On
Demand modules to
understand the math concepts
and facilitate a strategy group
to discuss the topic.
Enhancing individual
student support
• When examining student-level
reports to support remediation,
acceleration, or grade level
differentiation, the classroom
teacher can access PD On
Demand modules relevant to
that student’s needs.

31. Enhancing Individual Student Support
Links to PD On
Demand Module
for Student’s
Self-Directed
Topics
© DreamBox Learning

32. Teacher accesses DreamBox Progress Data
and PD links on the Insights Dashboard
Students complete DreamBox Lessons,
whether Self-Directed or Teacher-Assigned
Teacher uses new, deeper
learning about math concepts to
inform classroom practice
Teacher completes DreamBox
PD Modules to Deepen Math
Content Understanding, Anytime,
Anywhere
© DreamBox Learning

33. Teacher accesses DreamBox Progress Data
and PD links on the Insights Dashboard
Students complete DreamBox Lessons,
whether Self-Directed or Teacher-Assigned
Teacher uses new, deeper
learning about math concepts to
inform classroom practice
Teacher completes DreamBox
PD Modules to Deepen Math
Content Understanding, Anytime,
Anywhere
© DreamBox Learning

35. “Technology–enabled innovations have a different
problem… those that provide online content
and learning materials, use basic pedagogy – most
often in the form of introducing concepts by video
instruction and following up with a series of
progression exercises and tests. Other digital
innovations are simply tools that allow teachers to do
the same age-old practices but in a digital format.”
(p. 25)
Digital Content Matters for Students & Adults
Fullan & Donnelly, Alive in the Swamp: Assessing Digital Innovations in Education, © July 2013, www.nesta.org/uk

36. Pop Quiz
3,998 + 4,247 =

37. 304
– 298

38. “How do you teach number sense? A large body of research
has shown that number sense develops gradually, over time, as
a result of exploration of numbers, visualizing numbers in a
variety of contexts, and relating to numbers in different ways.”

39. “How do you teach number sense? A large body of research
has shown that number sense develops gradually, over time, as
a result of exploration of numbers, visualizing numbers in a
variety of contexts, and relating to numbers in different ways.”
True for Both Students AND Teachers

40. “True virtual manipulatives allow more than simply a
viewing of objects on the computer screen. They allow
increased engagement, forcing the user to interact with
dynamic objects. Through this interaction students
have opportunities to make meaning and see
relationships as a result of their own actions. And it is
this interactive engagement with a dynamic
representation that is the key to the knowledge
construction process.”
From Virtual Manipulatives In The K-12 Classroom, Moyer, Bolyard, Spikell, 2002

41. MyFlex PD On Demand: Content Matters
© DreamBox Learning

42. 1. Model different methods for computing
2. Regularly calculate mentally
3. Have class discussions about strategies for computing
4. Make estimation an integral part of computing

43. © DreamBox Learning

44. 52%
33%
46%
36%
50%
32%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5
Increased Growth For Students Whose Teachers
Completed 3 or More PD On Demand Modules
Prior Grade Concepts
On Grade Concepts

45. 0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
30.0
Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5
DreamBoxGrowthPoints
Increased Growth For Students Whose Teachers Completed PD
Modules for Concepts both On Grade Level and at Other Grades
Completed No PD Modules
Completed PD Modules At Grade
Level and At Other Grade Levels
+60%
+42%
+28%

46. Administrator View: “Just in Time” Math PD is a Game Changer
“In addition to giving teachers a quick, easy way to boost and refresh
their own skills throughout the school year, teachers really like the
flexibility of being able to access the PD On Demand modules from
home and in the evenings. That convenience means more teachers
will access it.”
-Natalie, Elementary Mathematics Supervisor

47. Seven Steps to Improve Teacher Agency in PD
Calvert, L. (2016). Moving from compliance to agency: What teachers need to make professional learning work. Oxford, OH: Learning Forward and NCTAF.
1. Make all professional learning decisions only in serious consultation with teachers and principals.
Ensure at least 50% teacher representation on school and district teams that are responsible for
every stage of decision making from planning and data analysis to design, implementation, and
evaluation.
2. Rethink organization of the school day so that educators have time to meet regularly to collaborate
with colleagues to improve teaching and learning.
3. Involve and support teachers in analyzing data and identifying teaching and learning challenges.
4. Establish learning communities where educators solve problems of practice and share
responsibility for colleague and student success.
5. Give teachers choices regarding their professional learning, including who they work with and
where they focus their learning.
6. Ensure that professional learning is for the purpose of continuous growth, not evaluation.
7. Resist the temptation to “scale up” or mandate a particular form of professional learning without
thoroughly examining the context in which it will be implemented. Understand that learners must
want to improve their practice and see how the learning opportunity will help them do so.

48. Seven Steps to Improve Teacher Agency in PD
Calvert, L. (2016). Moving from compliance to agency: What teachers need to make professional learning work. Oxford, OH: Learning Forward and NCTAF.
1. Make all professional learning decisions only in serious consultation with teachers and principals. Ensure at least 50% teacher representation on
school and district teams that are responsible for every stage of decision making from planning and data analysis to design, implementation, and
evaluation.
2. Rethink organization of the school day so that educators have time to meet regularly to collaborate with colleagues to improve teaching and learning.
3. Involve and support teachers in analyzing data and
identifying teaching and learning challenges.
4. Establish learning communities where educators solve problems of practice and share responsibility for colleague and student success.
5. Give teachers choices regarding their professional
learning, including who they work with and where
they focus their learning.
6. Ensure that professional learning is for the purpose of continuous growth, not evaluation.
7. Resist the temptation to “scale up” or mandate a particular form of professional learning without thoroughly examining the context in which it will be
implemented. Understand that learners must want to improve their practice and see how the learning opportunity will help them do so.

49. Q & A
Tim Hudson, PhD
Vice President of Learning
@DocHudsonMath
Kelly Urlacher
Sr. Curriculum Designer
@UrlacherMath

50. DreamBox Learning® K–8 Math
Available in English & Spanish

51. • Eliminate the wall between Instruction & Assessment
• Build Conceptual Understanding & Fluency
• Incorporate gaming protocols in 3 age-appropriate
motivational frameworks to build confidence
• Use dynamic, continuous, and real-time data to create
personalized learning paths
• Empower students with ownership of their own learning
and teachers with powerful instructional data
• Create deeper home-to-school connections to facilitate
more meaningful interactions for educators and families
What We Do: Reimagine K-8 Math for Learners and Learning Guardians

52. Efficacy: Independent Validation from Harvard and SRI, and 40+ Industry Awards
Learn more and see how it works:
www.DreamBox.com/request-a-demo
See all of our awards at dreambox.com/awards

53. Intelligently adapt & individualize to:
• Students’ own intuitive strategies
• Kinds of mistakes
• Efficiency of strategy
• Scaffolding needed
• Response time
DreamBox Lessons & Virtual Manipulatives
2,000+ Lessons available
in English and Spanish!

54. • Designed to enhance instructional practice
• Aligned with instructional goals
• Customized to fit the needs of busy educators
Empower Educators with DreamBox Learning FlexPD™
>>NEW! Introducing MyFlexPD™, revolutionary just-in-time professional development
that’s relevant and immediately actionable

55. Thank you!
Tim Hudson, PhD
Vice President of Learning
@DocHudsonMath
Kelly Urlacher
Sr. Curriculum Designer
@UrlacherMath