Study Visit to the US

One of the ways in which the Trump Foundation strives to expand the circle of five-unit mathematics and science students is by creating partnerships and system-wide support networks for excellence in teaching and learning at scale. Over the past two years, the foundation has collaborated with five school networks – ORT, Amal, AMIT, Darca and Branco-Weiss, to create intervention programs in mathematics and science to increase the teaching capacity and to generate momentum and alignment around the goal of expanding the circle of excellence.

In recent years and as part of their collaboration with the foundation, these five school networks have been deploying in their schools designated management routines and pedagogic tools to support excellence in mathematics and the sciences. They include the formation of school-based communities of practice, personalized learning programs for students, instructional coaching for and by teachers and formative diagnostic assessments. In addition, over the past year, these programs have convened to form a cluster network, which allows them to share knowledge, best practices and challenges and to learn from one other about ways in which to address them.

At this stage, the program directors assume that it would be instrumental for them to learn from the experience of established charter school networks in the United States who have been successfully operating programs for advancing excellence in mathematics and science, with an emphasis on clinical teaching at scale. Therefore, Darca is proposing on behalf of the cluster network, to embark on a 5-day study tour to New York to meet with network program leaders, principals and teachers in schools.

The group will meet with ‘Uncommon Schools New York City’, who have proven success in increasing rates of students studying advanced Math; ‘New Visions for Public Schools’, which provides educators with the tools and training they need for diagnostic teaching and designing solutions to improve instruction; and ‘Success Charter Schools’, the largest and highest-performing free, public charter school network in New York City. They will also meet visit ‘Achievement First’ and KIPP. In meetings and school visits, the group plans to address the following questions:

1. What are the different models for implementing clinical teaching in school networks, with an emphasis on personalized learning plans and analyzing and monitoring student learning?
2. How do the charter networks develop knowledge from teachers’ practice and then disseminate and retain it within their organization?
3. How do they enable access to equal opportunities for diverse student populations in programs of excellence?

Upon their return, the program directors will jointly write a detailed report around these questions, summing up what they have learned including their insights and suggestions for improvements to their own programs and their joint collaborative effort. The report will be shared with the professional community and will be available online free of charge.

* The text presented above shows the grant as approved by the Foundation Board / Grant 237