TOPIC #1: QUESTIONS

The Evidence Process and Evidence Groups
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Evidence Process developed by Harvard Project Zero and partner schools in Massachusetts is a set of professional practices that supports teachers, administrators, and other members of a school staff in examining and improving instructional practice. The process has a lot in common with other models of collaborative teacher inquiry, such as critical friends groups and teacher-researcher groups. It is significantly different from more typical forms of "professional or staff development," such as courses and workshops, in that it is directed by the questions and concerns of those within the school, not those of the trainer or professor from outside the school.

The heart of the Evidence Process is the regular meetings of Evidence Groups, in which teachers (and other staff) come together to frame important questions about their teaching and their students' learning; use "protocols" to examine and reflect on student work and other evidence from their classrooms to address those questions; and plan for changes in their teaching practice. Evidence Groups, which meet about twice a month, work together on an ongoing basis over a year or more--another difference from more typical professional development activities.

The questions teachers work on in Evidence Groups and in their individual teaching are usually developed near the beginning of the school year. The group uses a simple protocol to identify questions that are relevant to the teacher and the school, and clearly relate to student learning. While teachers tend to stick with one question for a full year, they often revise their question--giving it more focus or adding an dimension.

Some sample questions from Evidence Groups include:

• How much teacher talk is the right amount?
• How do I help my students make wise choices?
• How can I bring creativity back into my classroom (and teach the curriculum frameworks)?