| Most teachers do not teach in high-performing schools, or in schools that are organized in ways that best support the teaching and learning that occur at the classroom level. It is important, therefore, that all teachers be aware of the things that they can do in their classrooms that support student learning despite what may or may not be occurring at the school or district levels.;Areas of agreement with previous research included teachers building caring, personal relationships with students, supporting their students' self-image, relating instruction to real-life experiences, implementing effective classroom management systems, demonstrating respect for the students, and having and supporting high expectations for students. One area of mismatch was lack of evidence among study teachers of specific attention given to culture, the development of intercultural understanding, language diversity, or differences in communication styles.;This study identified eleven instructional strategies commonly used among its seven effective teachers. One of these, direct instruction, was used by every study teacher in practically every observed lesson, though each teacher in this study demonstrated a unique repertoire of strategies. The study teachers did not make regular use of cooperative learning, project-based learning, or even differentiation, except in the form of one-on-one interactions between teacher and student.;Recommendations were made primarily to institutions responsible for teacher preparation, school districts, and site administrators, to ensure that they support teacher exposure to and development in various aspects of the four themes that emerged from this study: teacher beliefs, structures that frame the classroom experience for success, relationships between students and teachers, and teaching strategies effective in supporting achievement for diverse students in low-income, low-achieving settings.;This study identifies the characteristics and practices of teachers who are effectively teaching students of color and the poor in low-performing public high school settings. Seven effective teachers of English and of mathematics were identified by their quantitative disaggregated achievement data, using "value added" criteria. Data from classroom observations, teacher interviews, and student surveys were used to determine the characteristics of these teachers and their classrooms. |
