Seoul Foreign Schools Report

Seoul Foreign Schools
Seoul, South Korea

March 2011
600 Corporate Pointe, Suite 1180
Culver City, CA 90230 All Schools Report
www.metiri.com

Table of Contents

Dimensions 21 Introduction 1
Dimension 1: Forward Thinking, Shared Vision 2
Dimension 2: Systems Thinking 4
Dimension 3: 21st Century Skills and Learning Approaches 7
Dimension 4: 21st Century Learning Environments 11
Dimension 5: Teacher Proficiency with 21st Century Learning 16
Dimension 6: Access and Infrastructure 20
Dimension 7: Accountability and Results 25
Student Outcomes/Student Perspectives 28
Student Engagement 29
Classroom Structures to Engage Learners 36

All Schools Report

Introduction
The 1500 students attending Seoul Foreign Fast Facts
School represent approximately 52 nationalities,
making SFS easily the largest and most
well-established international school on the Project:
Korean peninsula. Our students come mainly
Location:
from the expatriate business and diplomatic
community; all must have foreign (non-Korean)
Timeframe:
passports to enroll at our school. The majority of
our students are from the United States, Accomplishment:
followed by the United Kingdom, Canada,
Australia, and Japan. Our graduating class
consists of approximately 85 students each
year, virtually all of whom go on to 4 year
universities in North America and elsewhere
around the world.

D21 Scores: Year 1 (2011)

Dimensions21 (D21)
Dimensions21 provides schools with insights
into the elements required to translate 21st 1: Vision 4.4

Century learning into action. The 7 dimensions 2: Systems
5.0
represent the divergent and innovative thinking it Thinking

takes to ground schools in emergent cognitive, 3: 21st Century
4.4
Skills
social, and neuroscience. Metiri Group
4: Learning
developed metrics that gauge a school or Environment
3.5
district’s progress in establishing 21st Century
5: Teacher
systems of learning. Each dimension is 5.0
Proficiency
calibrated on an 8-point scale:
6: Infrastructure 5.3

7:
3.7
Accountability
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Province

Total School N = 31 Teachers & 0 Administrators

1

Dimension 1: Forward-Thinking, Shared Vision

“The best vision is insight.” Dimension 1 Scores
-Malcolm S. Forbes
Aggregate Chart
Figure D1-1: Summary of weighted scores from teacher
Vision matters. A forward-thinking, shared vision Figure B
and administrator surveys.
serves as a unifying and energizing force of
Dimension 1
change within a school system.
Administrators
It sets the targets to which all curriculum,
instruction, assessment, scheduling, progress
reporting, resourcing, and community
Teachers 4.4
communications are aligned.

The indicators and key questions within this
Aggregate 4.4
dimension include:
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

· A Forward-Thinking Vision for All
Learners. Is there a 21st Century vision for
all learners that defines what it means to be
educated in a knowledge-based, global
society?

Dimension 1 Findings
· A Sound Base in the Learning Sciences.
Does the vision represent current research
Figure D1-2: Percentage of teachers reporting levels
findings from the cognitive, social, and of support for the Seoul Foreign School vision for 21st
neurosciences? Century learning.

· Communication and Commitment. Have
stakeholder groups had a voice in shaping
the vision? Has the jurisdiction
communicated with them about the vision?
Are they generally supportive of and
committed to the vision?

The top chart at the right indicates the current
status of Dimension 1. In order to provide
context to the numeric scores, frequency reports Extremely supportive
Somewhat supportive
58.1%
25.8%

from several of the survey questions follow. In Undecided or don't know 16.1%
Total: 100.0%

some cases the results from the survey
questions will be in tables, in others charts, and
where appropriate, the responses will be cross
tabulated or provide comparisons between
respondent groups such as teachers and
administrators.

2


Figure D1-3: Teachers' ratings of the emphasis (on a scale of 1-8)
of each 21st Century Skill embodied in the school vision.

Social responsibility 4.8

Citizenship in a changing,
5.2
global society

Individual integrity and ethics 5.6

Community connections 3.5

Cultural diversity 4.5

Digital literacy 4.2

Knowledge work and
3.4
entrepreneurship

Lifelong learning 4.8

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

The responses to this question reveal the extent to which teachers see each 21st Century Skill
embedded in the vision. Since most schools are focusing on a subset of these 21st Century Skills, there
may be value in comparing the teachers’ perceptions to the actual wording of the vision, or perhaps the
current emphasis on particular skills by the school or jurisdiction.

3

Dimension 2: Systems Thinking
"Systems thinking is a discipline for seeing Dimension 2 Scores
wholes, recognizing patterns and
interrelationships, and learning how to structure Figure D2-1: Summary weighted scores from teacher
Aggregate chart
those interrelationships in more effective, and administrator surveys (2009)
efficient ways."
- Peter Senge, Schools That Learn Dimension 2

Fundamental to the application of systems Administrators

thinking in education is an openness to
innovation, reinvention, and formative, systemic
change driven by the vision. The indicators and Teachers 5.0

key questions within this dimension include:

· Leadership. Are the school and/or
Aggregate 5.0
jurisdiction leaders leading a
high-performance education system that
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
enables each student the fullest opportunity
to achieve the vision?

· Curricula, Instruction, and Assessment.
Do the jurisdiction learning standards
integrate academic content with 21st
Century Skills? Are curricula, instruction, Dimension 2 Findings
and assessments aligned to provincial
standards? Figure D2-2: Percentage of teachers reporting their
agreement with the statement: Teachers are provided
· Professional Development. Do the school the resources and support to redesign classrooms into
21st Century learning environments.
and jurisdiction provide comprehensive
professional growth opportunities for
administrators, teachers, and other staff,
which build their capacity to advance the
vision?

· Culture of Learning and Innovation. Does
the school or jurisdiction encourage and
support school change that advances 21st
Century learning, and innovative,
educationally sound uses of technology?
Always 16.1%
Sometimes 51.6%
· Policies Supportive of the Vision. Are Rarely
Never
19.4%
9.7%

there established policies that formally Don't know/Not sure
Total:
3.2%
100.0%

establish 21st Century learning and effective
technology use as a required design
element in all strategic planning, school
improvement, budgeting, human resources,
and accountability systems?

The top chart indicates the current status of
Dimension 2. Results from specific questions
follow.

4

The opportunity for high-quality, relevant professional development is critical to any change process. The
following questions provide insights into teachers’ agreements with statements about the professional
development experiences currently made available to them through their school or jurisdiction.

The statements represent characteristics and attributes of high quality professional development
experiences. The reader should note where large percentages of teachers indicate that the statement is
"Never" or "Rarely" representative of their jurisdiction or school’s professional development, and set
targets to improve that situation.


Insert Figure G here
Figure D2-3: Percentage of teachers reporting on their level of agreement about these statements regarding the degree to
which professional development provided by their schools or jurisdiction:

Includes opportunities for teachers to see actual examples of
10% 29% 58% 3%
technology applied to learning in classrooms similar to my own.

Includes opportunities for teachers to see actual examples of 21st
16% 42% 35% 3% 3%
Century Skills applied to learning in classrooms similar to my own.

Allows teachers to practice skills acquired during professional
39% 42% 13% 3%
development in real or simulated classroom settings. 3%

Prepares teachers to discuss specific research or theory upon which
16% 32% 45% 6%
the training is based.

Prepares teachers to assess student work produced with technology. 10% 55% 29% 3% 3%

Prepares teachers to assess student work related to 21st Century
13% 48% 29% 3% 6%
Skills.

Includes time for teachers to work together, and to discuss and plan
16% 42% 32% 6% 3%
for using technology in the classroom.

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Never Rarely Sometimes Always Don't Know/Not Sure

It is important that, as 21st Century Skills are integrated into lessons, it is accomplished systematically
and systemically, so all children are afforded such opportunities, not just those students who happen to
be assigned to classrooms of innovative teachers.

The data in the chart on the top of the next page represent strong indicators as to whether or not your
school or jurisdiction is taking the necessary policy actions that will result in systemic change and
integration of 21st Century Skills and effective technology uses to advance learning.

5


Figure D2-4: Percentage of teachers reporting on their level of agreement about these
Insert Figure H here
statements (systemic integration of 21st Century Skills).

21st Century Skills have been
purposefully incorporated into 25% 58% 17%
learning standards.

21st Century Skills have been
purposefully integrated into curricula 14% 69% 17%
where appropriate.

Our assessments track student
36% 44% 4% 16%
progress with 21st Century skills.

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Rarely Sometimes Always Never

The final chart in this section reports the percentage of administrators in the province who report that
teachers are required to consider innovative approaches to teaching and learning in their classrooms
(see list of innovations in the chart below). These results are strong indicators of the degree to which the
jurisdiction is systemically integrating 21st Century learning and technology across the system.


Figure D2-5: Percentage of administrators indicating their level of agreement with the statement, When
teachers implement jurisdiction curriculum, or design curricula, this school requires that they consider:
Insert Figure I here

6

Dimension 3: 21st Century Skills and Learning Approaches

“For more than half a century, the United States
has led the world in scientific discovery and Dimension 3 Scores
innovation. It has been a beacon, drawing the
Figure D3-1: Summary weighted scores from teacher and
best scientists to its educational institutions, administrator Figure J (2009)
surveys
industries, and laboratories from around the
globe. However, in today’s rapidly evolving Aggregate Chart Dimension 3
competitive world, the United States can no
longer take its supremacy for granted. Nations
Administrators
from Europe to Eastern Asia are on a fast track
to pass the United States in scientific excellence
and technological innovation.”
--Taskforce on the Future of Teachers 4.4

American Innovation

Innovation is fueling the economy of the 21st Aggregate 4.4
Century. Globalization has created new markets
and leveled the playing field citizens of all 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
nations around the world. As society changes,
the skills that citizens need to negotiate the
complexities of life also change. Innovative,
inventive thinking was once required for only a
limited few. Today, and tomorrow, it will be the
currency for success in virtually every field. Dimension 3 Findings
The elements within this dimension include:
Figure D3-2: One of the most critical 21st Century Skill area
is higher order thinking. This chart provides a 2008
· Knowledge Age Literacies. Are students reference point for thinking skills curricula.
acquiring and excelling at the skills needed
to be “literate” in the Knowledge Age? The percentage of teachers and administrators answering
“yes” to the question: Does your school have a formal
curriculum for:
· Inventive Thinking. Are students thinking
critically and creatively as they successfully
solve problems using high tech tools? Teaching critical thinking skills
7%

· Community Interaction. Are students
acquiring such skills? Building creative thinking skills
8%

· Generating Quality Results. Are students
learning to plan, manage, and achieve high Teaching problem solving to 7%
students
quality, impactful results?
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

· Authenticity and Engagement. Are Teachers Administrators

students being assigned rich, authentic work
that engages them and involves
construction of knowledge through
disciplined inquiry, resulting in products that
have value beyond the classroom?

The top chart indicates the current
status of Dimension 3. Results from specific
questions follow.

7

The following charts are purposely matched up. The left-hand column reports current status of initiatives
related to each skill as reported by administrators. The right-hand column charts both teachers’ reports of
relevance of each skill to their content, and teachers’ comfort level with each skill. It is important to
compare not only the level indicated by the administrators and the teachers, but any gaps that exist
between the teachers’ comfort level and relevance level for each skill.

Dimension 3 Findings Dimension 3 Findings

Figure D3-3: Administrators' mean score indicating the Figure D3-4: Teachers' mean score related to comfort
Figure L
degree to which a formal initiative on the 21st Century level with each skill and relevance to their content
skill is underway in their schools (scale 1-8): area:

5.1
Global Awareness Global Awareness 6.5
Digital Literacy

2.5
Scientific Literacy 2.8
Scientific Literacy

5.3
Information Literacy 6.4
Information Literacy

4.1
Multimodal Literacy 5.6
Multimodal Literacy
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Teacher comfort level Relevance to content


Figure N D3-5: Administrators' mean score indicating the
Figure Figure O D3-6: Teachers' mean score related to comfort
Figure

Creativity and
Inventive Thinking

Creativity & 5.7
Innovation Innovation 6.8

Critical Thinking 5.9
Critical Thinking 7.1
Flexibility &
Adaptability Flexibility & 5.5
Adaptability 6.4
Self-direction
5.8
Self-direction 6.8
Systems Thinking
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Teacher comfort level Relevance to content

8

The comparison of administrator and teacher perspectives on 21st Century Skills continues:


Figure D3-7: Administrators' mean score indicating the
Figure P Figure Q D3-8: Teachers' mean score related to comfort
Figure
Effective Communications

Interactive Interactive 5.5
Communication 6.8
Communication

Teaming & Teaming & 5.9
Collaboration 6.6
Collaboration
5.3
Cross-cultural Skills Cross-cultural Skills 6.0

Personal & Social 5.7
Personal & Social 6.4
Responsibility
Responsibility
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8


Figure R D3-9: Administrators' mean score indicating the
Figure
Figure S D3-10: Teachers' mean score related to
Figure
degree to which a formal initiative on the 21st Century comfort level with each skill and relevance to their
skill is underway in their schools (scale 1-8): content area:
High-Quality Productivity

Prioritizing, Planning Prioritizing, Planning and 4.7
and Managing for Managing for Results 6.3
Results

Effective Use of Effective Use of Real-world 3.9
Real-world Tools Tools 6.1

4.4
Productivity Category Productivity Category
5.8

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

It is recommended that the reader identify any gaps that exist between the administrator and teacher
perspectives related to relevance of the 21st Century Skills or between the teacher comfort level and
relevance to content. Such gaps should be addressed through action plans at the jurisdiction and building
levels. Look for opportunities represented by teachers’ indicators for high relevance, but underdeveloped
comfort levels. In these situations the applicable professional development and teacher support can
quickly be leveraged into opportunities that positively impact students.

9

Teachers assign a variety of types of work to students, depending on many factors some of
which are outside of their control. For each of the following categories of student work, teachers and
administrators were asked to estimate the percentage of work that fell into that category. The totals are
more than 100% because of duplication within single assignments.


Figure D3-11: Percentage of work assigned by teachers that falls in the
following categories, as reported by administrators and teachers:
Insert Figure T here

Skill building exercises (worksheets, 41%
problem-sets, etc.)

Applying skills through essays, short-answer 33%
problems or exercises

Written products that summarize content related 30%
to the curriculum (e.g. reports)

Written products that require the creation of 31%
original content

Applying skills to problems that are complex and 37%
emulate work done in the real world

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Teachers Administrators

Two key factors in student engagement are opportunities for student choice and student creativity. The
following chart provides insight into such opportunities in your school or jurisdiction.


Figure D3-12: Percentage of work in classrooms in your school that falls in
the following categories, as reported by administrators and teachers:
Insert Figure U here

11%
Student-designed assignments

59%
Teacher-designed assignments

38%
Technology-based products defined by the teacher

15%
Student-designed, technology-based products

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Teachers Administrators

10

Dimension 4: 21st Century Learning Environments
The learning environment is where the vision Dimension 4 Scores
becomes a reality, where 21st Century learning
comes to life. Figure D4-1: Summary weighted scores from teacher
Figure V
and administrator surveys (2008)
· Alignment with 21st Century Vision. Do
the jurisdiction content, instruction, and Dimension 4
assessment align to 21st Century learning
and academic content standards? Administrators

· Informed Practice. Are educators
establishing learning environments that are
structured as respectful classroom Teachers 3.5
communities where students can work
creatively and productively, places that
motivate, interest, and scaffold students to
think critically? Aggregate 3.5

· Culture of Innovation, Engagement, and 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Collaboration. Are professional learning
teams working together to design and
facilitate collaborative 21st Century learning
activities with students? Are activities
evidence-based? Are students producing
high-quality work that is valued by peers, Dimension 4 Findings
parents, and community?
Figure D4-2: Percentage of teachers indicating
Figure W
· Resources Aligned to 21st Century agreement with the statement: Teachers in the
Learning. Do students have access to a Emerge program know what the school’s expectations
are for student attainment of 21st Century Skills.
wide variety of multimodal resources? Are
these sources accessible inside and outside
the school environment?
Strongly Agree 4%

· Digital Tools: Range of Use. Do students Agree 8%
have the opportunity to use a range of
technologies (e.g., productivity tools, Disagree 14%

visualization tools, research and
Strongly Disagree 6%
communication tools, etc.) to support 21st
Century learning and academic Don't Know/Not Sure 11%
achievement?
Others 56%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
· Assessment for Learning. Is assessment
systematically used to inform practice? Do
Overall
students set learning goals based on
standards? Are they actively engaged in
monitoring their own progress toward those
goals?

· Local and Global Connections. Are there
formal, technology-based structures that
engage stakeholders and learners in
meaningful exchanges, interactions, and
partnerships at the local and global levels?
status of Dimension 4. Results from specific
questions follow.

11

The perceptions of teachers as to the applicability of the use of technology to their specific teaching
assignments provides insights into why some classrooms are integrating technology and others are not.


Figure D4-3: Percentage of teachers indicating the role technology plays in building skills
Insert Figure X here
or proficiencies in their students in the following content areas:
(NOTE: These data reflect responses only from teachers who indicated the subject was applicable to their teaching

Reading 25% 50% 25%

Language Arts 23% 55% 23%

Mathematics 39% 28% 22% 11%

Science 53% 33% 7% 7%

Social Studies 13% 69% 13% 6%

Arts 36% 36% 18% 9%

Health/PE 50% 13% 38%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Insignificant Role Moderate Role Significant Role No Role

n: Reading (28), Language Arts (22), Mathematics (18), Science (15), Social Studies (16), Arts (11), and Health/PE (8).

If all students are to be afforded new opportunities in 21st Century learning and the innovative use of
technologies, all teachers must adopt such use systemically. Otherwise, student opportunity is
determined by which teacher’s classroom a student happens to be assigned. The chart below indicates
the extent to which teachers in your school are systemically implementing evidence-based practices.


Figure D4-4. Percentage of teachers that reported: In my school teachers in the
same grade or subject areas:
Insert Figure Y here

Share little or no common understanding about
evidence-based practices. Teachers decide
8%
individually whether and how they will make
instructional decisions.

Share some common understanding about
evidence-based practices; however, some
32%
teachers implement these uses and others do
not.

Share a common understanding about
evidence-based practices, and there are clear 3%
expectations that such practices will be used.

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

12

The type of instructional strategy used in classrooms can augment, or inhibit, 21st Century learning and
technology use. Highly qualified teachers use a variety of strategies. As a rule of thumb, the reader might
look for a balance of use across the instructional strategies in the chart below, while ensuring that the
strategies that engage learners (i.e., interactivity, inquiry, collaboration) and those that build skills and
meet individual student needs (e.g., differentiation) are all fairly high.


Figure D4-5: Teachers’ ratings (scale 1-8) related to various instructional strategies.
Insert Figure Z here

Direct Instruction (e.g., lecture, didactic questioning, 5.2
demonstrations, guided reading, etc.) 3.7

Inquiry (e.g., guided inquiry, problem-based learning, 5.1
learning from cases, etc.) 6.6

Mediating student thinking through questioning
4.5
strategies, thinking skills, and Habits of Mind
5.9
applications

Experiential learning (e.g., field trips, simulations, 3.9
games, conducting experiments, etc.) 6.3

Collaborative teaming (e.g., students working 5.7
collaboratively on an assigned project, etc.) 6.6

Independent study by individuals or teams (e.g., writing
essays, producing videos, computer-assisted 5.5
instruction, virtual learning, journaling, research 6.0
projects, etc.)
Interactive instruction (e.g., active learning strategies,
4.6
debates, brainstorming, think/pair/share, jigsaw,
5.8
problem solving, conferencing, etc.)

Differentiation of instruction (i.e, multiple approaches to 4.3
learning a single topic) 6.3

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Importance for 21st
Current Use
Century Learning

Students learn in a multiple of venues, many of which are outside the formal school day. Increasingly,
educators are recognizing the value in preparing students to be self-directed in these informal learning
spaces. This helps them ask deep questions and sustain curiosity, as they seek clarity, depth, accuracy,
comprehensiveness, and currency of the topics they are exploring. Informal learning represents
tremendous opportunity for extending students’ exploration and understanding of academic content
beyond the school day.

13

The following chart indicates the importance teachers place on such informal learning and their
perceptions of students’ current use of such.


Figure D4-6: Teachers’ ratings (scale 1-8) related to informal learning strategies.
Insert Figure AA here
Informal learning at school (after 3.1
school activities, 5.0
peer-interactions, etc.)

Informal learning beyond the school day 2.6
(chat, text messaging, student web 5.1
browsing/searching, etc.)

Mentoring or coaching by an adult (e.g., 3.4
parent, teacher, expert, etc.) 4.9

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Importance for 21st
Current Use
Century Learning

Technology use in schools is shifting to more collaborative and innovative uses of Internet resources,
Web 2.0 tools, and multimedia production. The chart below provides insights from administrators as to
current use and importance of such technology uses by students.


Figure D4-7: Administrator ratings of current uses of technology by students in their schools,
andInsertadministrators rating of the importance of such uses to 21st Century learning:
the Figure AB here

Solve real-world problems

Produce print products

Produce multi-media, Web, digital audio,
digital video, or presentation products

Conduct online research

Use drill and practice or tutorial software

Use the Internet to collaborate with
students in your school, district, or local
community
Online communication with experts, peers,
and others

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Importance for 21st
Current Use
Century Learning

14

The Internet has literally linked the individual to social and professional networks 24/7. Those
communication avenues represent opportunities for schools to increase communication with parents,
community, and students. The following chart outlines the current status of your school’s uses of
technology to facilitate such outreach and interaction.


Figure D4-8: Parental or community involvement facilitated by technology.
Insert Figure AC hereThe percentage of teachers that reported:

Parents’ involvement in my students’ schoolwork 23% 48% 29%

Interactions with students’ parents 13% 23% 65%

Students’ work on authentic projects in their local
71% 13% 16%
community

Students’ work on authentic projects outside their
61% 13% 26%
local community

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Technology is not used Occasionally facilitated Strongly facilitated by
for this purpose by technology technology

After a careful review of these data, the reader will want to consider the critical questions listed on the first
page of the section, identify any gaps in your schools performance, and set targets for improvement.

15

Dimension 5: Teacher Proficiency
“On a daily basis, teachers confront complex decisions that rely on many different kinds of knowledge
and judgment and that can involve high-stakes outcomes for students’ futures.”

- John Bransford, Linda Darling-Hammond, & Pamela LePage

The transition to 21st Century requires systemic
action that builds the capacity of teachers and Dimension 5 Scores
administrators.
Figure D5-1: Summary of weighted scores from
· Knowledge and Facility with 21st Century teacher and administrator surveys (2009)
Skills. Are teachers in this school familiar
with the concept of 21st Century Skills and Dimension 5
with the research underpinnings and
practical applications of these skills?
Administrators
· Building 21st Century Skills. Do teachers
in this school have a variety of strategies for
building these skills?
Teachers 5.0
· Designing Rigorous Authentic Curricula.
Are teachers skilled in designing rich
curricula that integrates content, 21st
Century Skills, and technology, which Aggregate 5.0

provides a digital age learning context?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
· Differentiated Instructional Strategies.
Are teachers in this school skilled in
engaging all students in learning through a
variety of teaching and organizational
strategies that are tailored to the needs of Dimension 5 Findings
individual students?

Figure D5-2: The percentage of teachers indicating
Figure AE
· Informed Use of Data and Research. Are
their preparedness in assessing student products
teachers in this school skilled at accessing, Pie chart
created using technology.
organizing, and acting upon available data
to make important decisions about students
and learning?

· Assessment for Learning. Do teachers in
this school have a deep understanding of
the central role of assessment in the
learning process and leverage technology
resources to assess core content and 21st
Century Skills?
Expert 17.2%
· Professional Practice and Productivity. Intermediate 58.6%
Novice 24.1%

Are teachers skilled in the use of technology Total: 100.0%

to support their own professional practices
and do they depend on technology to

status of the province in this dimension. In order to
provide context to the numeric scores, frequency
reports from several of the survey questions are
provided on the following pages.

16

The charts on this page provide teachers’ perspectives on their preparedness to scaffold conceptual
learning, and similarly, their preparedness to do the same for authentic learning. Teachers typically report
higher levels of comfort with the conceptual learning, but, for 21st Century learning, the latter is critical.


Figure D5-3: Teacher preparedness to scaffold conceptual learning.
The percentage of teachers indicating their comfort level in incorporating the following
Insert Figure AF here
stacked bar chart assignments into their teaching and their students’ learning.
types of

Work that requires students to read and
understand content related to your 6% 32% 61%
subject area.

Work that requires students to apply
skills from your content area to 19% 58% 23%
hypothetical problems or situations.

Work that requires students to
demonstrate understanding of the core 6% 52% 42%
ideas within your content area.

Work that is multidisciplinary and
connects skills and concepts from 48% 26% 19% 6%
multiple content areas.

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Somewhat comfortable Comfortable Extremely comfortable Not comfortable


Figure D5-4: Teacher preparedness to scaffold conceptual learning.
The percentage of teachers indicating their comfort level in incorporating the following
Insert Figure AG here
types of assignments into their teaching and their students’ learning.
stacked bar chart

Work that requires students to use
the language and methods
13% 26% 48% 13%
professionals would use when dealing
with the content you teach.

Work that involves students in
applying concepts to real-world 16% 39% 39% 6%
problems.

Work that has an audience outside
26% 26% 32% 16%
the classroom.

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Not comfortable Somewhat comfortable Comfortable Extremely comfortable

If a significant percentage of your teachers indicate a lack of preparedness to scaffold conceptual learning,
your school or jurisdiction will want to provide professional development, modeling, or perhaps peer
coaching. Authentic learning is key to increasing student engagement and deep understanding of
academic concepts.

17

The top chart on this page provides insights into how prepared teachers believe they are in their use of
assessment data and research to inform their decisions. The bottom chart asks about their preparedness
to assess technology-based student products and to use technology for assessment purposes.


Figure D5-5: Teacher preparedness in assessment.
The percentage of teachers indicating their preparedness to inform
Insert Figure AH here
stacked bar chart the decisions and practices using data and research.

Use assessment data to make decisions
7% 17% 59% 17%
about students and learning

Use research to make decisions about
3% 23% 53% 20%
students and learning

Create and implement performance-based
7% 7% 48% 38%
assessments

Providing opportunities for student to
10% 50% 40%
self-assess based on a rubric or standard

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Not yet prepared Novice Intermediate Expert


Figure D5-6:Teacher preparedness in assessment.
The percentage of teachers indicating their preparedness to inform
Insert Figure AI here
the decisions and practices using data, research, and technology.
stacked bar chart

Use technology for analyzing student data 13% 27% 50% 10%

Assess student products created by using
24% 59% 17%
technology

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Not yet prepared Novice Intermediate Expert

Many teachers are not yet experienced in assessing student products that are multimedia based (e.g.,
animation, movies, audio files, simulations, etc.). As technology is integrated into curricula it is paramount
that teachers learn to do so against established standards of content, process, design, and purpose. On
the flip side, teachers need to become accomplished users of the technology to collect, manage, and
interpret a continuous stream of data to inform their instructional decisions. Use these charts to analyze
your staff’s current preparedness, and to set targets for improvement.

18

Finally, the following two charts are the administrators’ perspectives on teacher preparedness across a
broad array of teaching strategies critical to 21st Century learning.


Figure D5-7: Teacher preparedness: 21st Century learning.
Percentage of administrators reporting on levels
Insert Figure AK here
of teacher preparedness related to 21st Century learning
stacked bar chart


Figure D5-8: Teacher preparedness: 21st Century learning.
Percentage of administrators reporting on levels
Insert Figure AL here
of teacher preparedness related to 21st Century learning
stacked bar chart

This dimension on teacher proficiency is one of the most critical. Readers are encouraged to use these
data to chart a course that leads to increased teacher preparedness to teach and learn in 21st Century
classrooms.

19

Dimension 6: Access and Infrastructure
The level of access to technology tools and the Dimension 6 Scores
robustness and reliability of the technology
infrastructure serve as critical foundations for Figure D6-1: Summary of weighted scores from
21st Century learning. The elements of this Figure ??
teacher and administrator surveys (2009)
dimension include:
aggregate
Dimension 6
· Range of Technology Tools. Are a wide
range of technology tools, software, and
environments available to support all Administrators
aspects of teaching and learning?

· Robust Infrastructure. Are the network and
Teachers 5.3
technical infrastructure of the school
sufficient to provide seamless access to all
in the school community?
Aggregate 5.3
· Longitudinal Data System. Are systems in
place to provide all educators in the system 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
with seamless access to the data that they
need to support their professional decision
making?

· Technical Support. Is there adequate
technical support to provide timely
assistance to all users within the system?
Figure D6-2: The percentage of teachers indicating the
Figure ??
· Technology-Ready Facilities. Is the school degree to which technical support is provided with
Pie chart
little or no wait-time.
building well suited to 21st Century teaching
and learning?

· Digital Learning Environments. Where
appropriate, are digital and virtual access to
learning opportunities available to all in the
school community?

· Administrative Processes and
Operations. Is technology leveraged to
ensure well-informed and efficient
administration at all levels of the school and Excellent
Good
6.5%
22.6%
jurisdiction? Adequate
Very poor
38.7%
22.6%
Non-existent 9.7%
Total: 100.0%

· Service Orientation. Are all staff with
responsibilities for infrastructure, technology
deployment, and technical support oriented
toward providing high-quality service? Do
they acknowledge the primacy of the

The top chart indicates the current status of the
province in this dimension. In order to provide
context to the numeric scores, frequency reports
from several of the survey questions are provided
on the following pages.

20

Schools want to be sure that purchased technologies are valued and used by teachers in the classroom.
The two charts on this page provide insights into how administrators', across the province, perceive the
usefulness of various technologies to the teaching responsibilities of their teachers, in comparison to
current availability.

Figure D6-3: Instructional technologies.
Comparision of percentage of administrators' ratings of availability of technology tools
Insert Figure AO here
to their perception of the usefulness of tools.
stacked bar chart

Available = Adequate to Meet Needs or Ubiquitous; Useful = Useful or Very Useful.


Figure D6-4: Technology peripherals.
Comparision of percentage of administrators' ratings of availability of technology tools
Insert Figure AP here
to their perception of the usefulness of tools.
stacked bar chart

Available = Adequate to Meet Needs or Ubiquitous; Useful = Useful or Very Useful.

21

Schools also want to balance their investments in high-speed networks with investments in computers
linked to that network. Imbalances in the direction of the network results in inefficiencies and untapped
potential, while imbalances in the direction of computers result in frustrations due to slow and inadequate
network capacity.


Figure D6-5: Infrastructure.
Percentage of teachers who reported on how each statement applied to their school.
Insert Figure AU here
stacked bar chart

The Internet connection is fast and reliable 100%

Technologies are physically placed for True
61% 39%
maximum convenience and effectiveness Not True

Access to networked files and resources is
84% 16%
convenient and easy to understand

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%


Figure D6-6: Adequacy of level of technology access.
Percentage of administrators who reported in each accessibility category for each item.
Insert Figure AQ here
stacked bar chart

22

As those balances are achieved, the school will want to ensure accessibility to online learning structures
including blogs, wikis, communication systems, online courses, etc.


Figure D6-7: Accessibility to online learning structures.
Insert Figure AR here
stacked bar chart

Just as critical as the high-speed network and adequacy of computer access, is the responsiveness of
technical support available to teachers and administrators.


Figure D6-8: Technical support for technology.
Percentage ofAS here
Insert Figure administrators who reported in each accessibility category for each item.
stacked bar chart

23

Support also includes scaffolding and building capacity of teachers to use technology in their professional
practice. The chart below provides a snapshot of current perceptions of administrators on the extent to
which their teachers' professional use of technology is supported.


Figure D6-9: Support for teacher's professional use of technology.
Insert Figure AT here
stacked bar chart

24

Dimension 7: Accountability
The accountability dimension provides a look at Dimension 7 Scores
the alignment between goals, assessments, and
results. Figure D7-1: Summary of weighted scores from
Figure AV
teacher and administrator surveys (2009)
The indicators include:
aggregate
Dimension 7
· Accountability System Aligned to Vision.
Has the accountability system been
redesigned to ensure that the vision is Administrators
achieved within a prescribed timeframe?
Have policies been rewritten to ensure that
planning, resource allocation, time
Teachers 3.7
investment, curriculum redesign,
professional development, and other
elements of the system are orchestrated to
advance the vision? Aggregate 3.7

· Clarity, Transparency, and
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Consequences. Do educators, students,
parents, and community members
understand what the vision is, why it is
important, and what it means to their
respective roles in schools? Do they
understand what the vision will look like if Dimension 7 Findings
achieved, the assessments used to monitor
progress toward the vision, and the Figure D7-2: Percentage of teachers reporting the
Figure AW
level of their agreement with the statement: Students
consequences associated with failure to
Pie chart
in my classroom are clear about how they need to
achieve incremental milestones toward the demonstrate their skill level with the targeted 21st
vision? Century Skills.

· Comprehensive, Prioritized Funding.
Have the school and jurisdiction analyzed
the full cost of implementing the vision over
time and have they committed sufficient
funds in the short and long term in order to
achieve the vision within established
timeframes?

· Decision Making Informed by Data and
Research/Results. Is the data analysis, in Agree 25.8%
combination with research, appropriately Disagree
Strongly disagree
67.7%
6.5%

informed, and does it contribute to the Total: 100.0%

continuous improvement of the system?

· Results. Are jurisdiction and school making
progress toward their goals?
status of your school or jurisdiction in this
dimension. In order to provide context to the
numeric scores, frequency reports from several
of the survey questions are provided on the
following pages.

25

The frequent use of data to inform instructional practices is critical in meeting all students’ needs. This
chart provides perspectives on the importance of various assessments in informing classroom practices.


Figure D7-3: Assessments informing classroom practices.
Insert percentage of teachers reporting that the following types of assessments
The Figure AX here
barwere “important” or “key” factors in informing their instructional decisions.
chart

District wide assessment 13%

School wide assessment 25%

Provincial assessment

End of course tests 23%

Periodic quizzes and tests 28%

Performance assessments (rubric based) 37%

Technology literacy assessment 11%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

The chart below provides data on the use of such assessments to track students’ attainment of 21st
Century Skills.

Figure D7-4: Assessments of 21st Century learning.
Percentage of administrators who indicated the following methods
Insert Figure A3 here
were routinely used to assess student attainment of 21st Century Skills.
bar chart

Jurisdiction-wide assessment
School-wide assessment
End of course tests
Periodic quizzes and tests
Performance assessments (rubric based)
Technology literacy assessment
Classroom observations
Student self-assessment
Analysis of student products
Student peer reviews
We don’t assess 21st Century Skills
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

26

Student outcomes are ultimately the focus on 21st Century learning and effective technology uses. This
final chart provides the teachers’ perspective on the current level of student expertise with 21st Century
Skills.

Figure D7-5: Percentage of teachers' rating of student level of expertise in 21st Century Skills.
Insert Figure A2 here
stacked bar chart
Global Awareness 3% 41% 55%

Information Literacy 37% 60% 3%

Critical Thinking 60% 30% 10%

Self-direction 6% 42% 48% 3%
No skill
Novice
Interactive Communication 3% 23% 68% 6%
Intermediate
Expert
Teaming & Collaboration 32% 55% 13%

Personal & Social Responsibility 40% 57% 3%

Effective Use of Real-world Tools 3% 59% 38%

Productivity 43% 47% 10%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

School and jurisdiction leaders are encouraged to identify those skills targeted in their short and
long-term goals and set targets to increase the percentage of students in the Intermediate and Expert

27

Student Outcomes/Student Perspectives
by Emerge Research Team: Metiri Group and University of Calgary

Ultimately, the mission of schools is to ensure that students acquire the skills, knowledge, processes, and
dispositions that enable them to meet or exceed state and local learning standards. For increasing
numbers of schools those standards include academic and 21st Century learning goals, goals that will
prepare them to thrive in today’s global, high tech society and workplace.
Metiri's Student Outcomes/Student Perspectives report provides findings related to students, including:

Student Engagement
Student engagement represents actual current levels of engagement as reported by individual students.
Students in your school or jurisdiction completed Metiri Group’s Student Engagement Inventory online.
The data from those surveys were then analyzed and aggregated to report the percentage of students at
five different levels of engagement: Intrinsically Engaged, Tactically Engaged, Compliant, Withdrawn, or
Defiant.

Classroom Structures to Engage Students
This section looks at student perceptions of conditions in the school that have been linked by research to
increases in student engagement. The Metiri Group survey, Classroom Structures that Engage Students
(CSES), asked students in your school or jurisdiction to share their perceptions on characteristics of
learning environments that research indicates are directly related to the level of student engagement in
learning. These characteristics include choice, structure, diversity, intellectual safety, clarity, affiliation,
and authenticity. The student perceptions on these classroom structures were then clustered into three
domains (i.e., content, process, and product) for reporting purposes.

28

Student Engagement
Are your students genuinely interested in the
topics they are studying? Are they highly
Definition of Student Engagement
motivated and committed to learn? Do they
persevere when challenged with complex
Degree to which students are actively
topics? Are they achieving deep, authentic
pursuing deep learning related to
learning? Are they self-directed? Answering
established standards.
“yes” to these questions would suggest that your
students are engaged learners.
The measure of student engagement
comprises:
Unfortunately, many teachers are answering
“no” to these questions. Increasingly, schools
· Cognitive Engagement. A student’s
are finding that students feel alientated from
Investment in the effort required to
their schools, perceiving them as boring or
comprehend complex ideas and master
irrelevant to their lives. As a result, many
difficult skills.
students do just enough to get by, while the
most disenfranchised simply drop out. Across
· Behavioral Engagement. A student’s
the U.S. the drop out rate is 30%, and in some
U.S. urban centers the drop out rate is reaching participation in academic, social, and
50% or more. These students are not being extracurricular activities.
prepared to compete and excel in the 21st
Century. · Social/Emotional Engagement. A
student’s interdependence with classmates,
Teachers’ interest in engagement is often driven academics, teachers, and school.
by the need to ameliorate low levels of academic
performance, inappropriate classroom Based on: Fredricks, J. A., Blumenfeld, P.
behaviors, and/or high numbers of drop outs. In C., & Paris, A. H. (2004).
fact, engagement is influential in all students’
learning trajectories. Emergent research Each scale is important in its own right, but the
identifies student engagement in learning as one three are also interdependent. While it is
of the most powerful factors affecting obvious that the cognitive advances academic
achievement of students at every ability level. achievement, emergent research also indicates
strong correlations between how emotionally
What exactly is student engagement? In his and socially engaged students are with teachers
book, Student Achievement in American and classmates, and how well they do
Secondary Schools, Fred Newmann states that academically and whether they graduate.
engaged learners make a “…psychological
investment in learning. They try hard to learn Levels of Student Engagement
what school offers. They take pride not simply in
The Student Engagement Survey- Part B,
earning the formal indicators of success
created by Metiri, includes a series of questions
(grades), but in understanding the material and
aligned to the cognitive, behavioral, and
incorporating or internalizing it in their lives” (p.
social/emotional elements of the definition. This
2).
report, which is generated from your survey
data, provides your school/jurisdictionwith an
For the purposes of this evaluation report,
overall student engagement score as well as a
student engagement in learning is the active
score on each of the scales (i.e., cognitive,
pursuit of deep learning to accomplish
behavioral, and social/emotional).
established standards. Student engagement
comprises three scales: cognitive, behavioral,
Building off the research of recent engagement
and social/emotional engagement, as described
theorists, a taxonomy of student engagement
in the sidebar to the right.

29

levels was developed to distinguish different agreement with the statement “I do not go to
types of engagement as listed below. school activities after school. I like to leave
school as soon as I can.” Nine items were
· Engaged written to reflect each of the five levels of
· Tactically Engaged engagement for a total of 45 items.
· Compliant Table SE-1 presents a few sample items by
· Withdrawn engagement scale. The engagement level of
students was established by locating the level
· Defiant
with the highest mean across the 9 questions
· Indeterminate
within that category. Students whose responses
were mixed or were <2.5 in all categories were
Using this taxonomy, one would expect an
classified as indeterminate. Table SE-2 shows
engaged student to respond positively to “I like
how the engagement levels differ in terms of
anything I learn about in school.” Similarly, a
commitment and attention.
withdrawn student would rate a high level of

Table SE-1: Examples of statements written for the levels of student engagement

Engaged Tactical Compliant Withdrawn Defiant

 After school, I  I keep a list of  I do just  If I do my  I would never
go to school what I need enough work schoolwork, I participate in
activities so I to do to get a in school to do not care an
can be a good good grade. get by. about the extracurricular
student. grades I get. activity in
 Learning in  After I finish
school.
 I think that kids school is schoolwork, I  I do not go to
who do after important to usually do not school  Most of my
school activities me because check over activities after schoolwork is
get better my parents my work. I'm school. I like junk. No one
grades. want me to just glad to be to leave can make me
get good done! school as do it.
 I always know if
grades. soon as I can.
I did a good job
on my
schoolwork.
When I don't do
as well as I like,
I think about
what I can
change for next
time.

Table SE-2: Attention and Commitment by engagement levels
High Low No Hig h L ow No Diverted
Attention Attentio n Atten tion Commitment Co mmitment Commitmen t Attention
Engaged  
Tactical  
Compliant  
Withdrawn  
Defiant 

30

Seoul Foreign Schools Report

Recomendados

Recomendados

Más contenido relacionado

La actualidad más candente

La actualidad más candente (12)

Destacado

Destacado (20)

Similar a Seoul Foreign Schools Report

Similar a Seoul Foreign Schools Report (20)

Más de Ross

Más de Ross (20)

Último

Último (20)

Seoul Foreign Schools Report