DIFFERENT WAYS OF KNOWING

Evidence of positive effects on student achievement
Year introduced in schools		1989
Number of schools		412
Support developer provides schools
First-year costs      with new staff      with current staff reassigned		$84,000 No Change
= Strong	= Promising		= Marginal
= Mixed, Weak		? = No Research

OVERVIEW

The goals of Different Ways of Knowing are to raise academic achievement and improve students' attitude toward school. The developer advocates building on the "multiple intelligences" of students, to develop their skills in various domains (e.g., logic and mathematics, language, social skills, and artistic skills). According to the developer, the approach is built around a variety of research bases, including: cognitive research, the effects of early and sustained intervention, and research on motivation and classroom environments. In addition, the approach is based on research that supports using thematic, integrated instruction and incorporating artistic experiences. The approach is designed to serve students in kindergarten through seventh grade.

Different Ways of Knowing is an approach that attempts to combine three elements—a philosophy of education, a curriculum, and professional development activities. The education philosophy emphasizes positive expectations for students, thematic and interdisciplinary instruction, active student participation, early intervention, and parent involvement. The curriculum, which is organized around history and social studies, seeks to integrate the arts, literature, science, math, and technology. Professional development activities, involving a three-year course of study for instructional staff, are designed to foster professional growth and community building.

Different Ways of Knowing was developed in 1989 by the Galef Institute, a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to comprehensive school reform. The developer field-tested Different Ways of Knowing in more than 500 classrooms over four years; the approach now is used in more than 412 schools in California, Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, and Washington.

EVIDENCE OF POSITIVE EFFECTS ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

Strength of the Research Base. The research base for Different Ways of Knowing is promising. Four studies on student achievement outcomes were reviewed for this report; all were considered sufficiently rigorous to report findings here. The studies included a district study spanning several years, a study of four schools, analysis of data from 84 Kentucky schools, and a set of three subsidiaries in Kentucky. All of the studies were conducted independently (although the developer helped researchers secure funding in several cases). Most of the studies have detailed information on implementation as well. More than 89 elementary schools were examined in these studies, including schools in a variety of locations.

Effects on Students. The four rigorous studies with data on student achievement show evidence of mixed effects for the approach. The strongest gains were in language arts, where students gained 8 percentile points for every year that the school used the approach. Reading achievement improved in Different Ways of Knowing schools according to one study, and declined slightly according to another study. Demonstration schools, known to be especially well implemented, show higher reading score gains than other schools. Mathematics achievement improved in Different Ways of Knowing schools, especially demonstration schools, according to three studies. Different Ways of Knowing students score higher (on both pre- and post-tests) in social studies than comparison students, but the advantage might not be due to the approach; except in the study on demonstration schools, comparison students gained more.

Finally, a study of schools with Title I schoolwide funds found that schools in which over 75 percent of teachers used Different Ways of Knowing had higher average gains than those in which a smaller percentage of teachers used the approach. However, when all types of schools were examined, schools in which 75 percent of teacher used the approach had gains similar to those of schools in which a smaller percentage of teachers used the approach.

CENTRAL COMPONENTS

Organizational Change, Staffing, and Administrative Support. Different Ways of Knowing promotes instructional practices that should require little change in school organization or staffing. However, support from district and school administrators is considered essential, to ensure that there are sufficient funds for professional development and to ensure that teachers have flexibility for planning and collaboration with other teachers. Schools are encouraged to have a liaison at the school or in the district central office to work with Different Ways of Knowing staff. The developer prefers to work with several schools in a district, to ensure long-term, collaborative support from the district.

Curriculum and Instruction. At the heart of Different Ways of Knowing are instructional strategies that are designed to build on students' existing knowledge and skills and to promote interaction among students. Students are encouraged to engage in hands-on activities (e.g., interview people and conduct research projects). The developer provides teachers with a planning guide that includes content to be covered, based on standards of achievement; instructional strategies (e.g., ideas for group and individual learning activities); and resources for students (e.g., children's literature, reference documents, historical search guides for student research).

According to the developer, lessons are built around themes, integrating history and social studies with the visual and performing arts, literature, writing, mathematics, and science. The developer believes that infusing arts across all disciplines ensures that instruction is accessible to all students.

Supplies and Materials. The developer provides instructional staff with curriculum modules that are aligned with state standards in history and social studies. Teachers are encouraged to choose their own pathways through the curriculum modules, based on the needs of their students.

The developer also provides instructional staff with a variety of materials, including planning guides on interdisciplinary instruction and strategies for teaching at-risk students. In addition, the developer provides a library of thematically organized and culturally diverse children's literature and reference books; historical documents, maps, videos, and other related media; and literature detailing "best practices" in all subject areas.

Scheduling and Grouping. Different Ways of Knowing does not require a particular method of classroom grouping (e.g., homogeneous or heterogeneous), but the developer encourages schools to include students with special needs in the regular classroom.

Monitoring of Student Progress and Performance. Different Ways of Knowing advocates continuous monitoring of student performance. The developer believes that there are different ways for students to demonstrate their understanding, and encourages multiple methods of assessment, including demonstrations of student ability through written, oral, artistic, dramatic and physical expression, as well as through portfolios of student work.

Family and Community Involvement. Different Ways of Knowing emphasizes involvement of family and community. Teachers are encouraged to see their work in school as integrated with home and community activities. The curriculum guides teachers and students in classroom and community-based problem-solving, which are developed to help students see a clear link between school, community, and future career opportunities. In addition, Different Ways of Knowing schools organize Parent Nights, where parents participate in hands-on activities to experience firsthand what and how their children are learning.

SUPPORT THE DEVELOPER PROVIDES SCHOOLS

Professional Development and Technical Assistance. The developer supports a wide range of school and district planning and training. Each school is matched with an interdisciplinary support team on the developer's staff, including teachers experienced in classroom implementation of the approach. The team, led by a Site Implementation Coach, facilitates all professional development, including on-site and online coaching. Coaches provide monthly site visits, which include demonstrations of instructional methods, observation and debriefing, support with classroom management, assessment, and other classroom strategies. Over time, schools are expected to develop internal capacity for these functions. Additional assistance is available as needed.

Other professional development activities include an annual three-day summer institute for instructional staff, administrators, parents, and community members. A variety of optional three- to four-day workshops offer training in the teaching strategies associated with Different Ways of Knowing. An interactive Web site (www.dwoknet.galef.org) also is available to help deliver coaching and assistance, as well as to allow educators to share information as they implement the approach.

Implementation Requirements and Schools' Experiences. Schools must agree to a number of conditions before becoming a Different Ways of Knowing school. Specifically, they must: (1) commit to working with Different Ways of Knowing for multiple years; (2) allocate time for professional development; (3) attempt to integrate reform initiatives, curriculum programs, and family programs at the classroom level; (4) work to integrate the program's philosophy and practices into their reform plans; (5) build an evaluation plan; (6) design a process for sustaining and spreading successful practices; and (7) designate school community and district advisory teams to work closely with the developer and participating schools.

Coaches and site facilitators support the continual assessment and review of Different Ways of Knowing implementation. The developer works with schools and districts to tailor an evaluation and documentation plan to meet individual school needs. Developer involvement continues for three to five years and is geared to building a school's capacity to sustain the approach.

The research on implementation indicates that the approach does affect the instructional strategies of teachers. For example, one study showed that Different Ways of Knowing teachers tended to use more "student-centered" instruction (e.g., student-initiated discussion), integrate more than one subject in lessons, and employ more "hands-on" activities.

One study suggests that the approach is difficult to implement fully, however, finding that in 173 of 272 schools using Different Ways of Knowing in Kentucky, less than 75 percent of school staff were involved in implementing the approach.

COSTS

The first-year cost of adopting Different Ways of Knowing is $84,000. This cost covers professional development, including staff release time, and other services provided by the developer.

The average fee for Different Ways of Knowing is $35,000 per school for each year of the three-year implementation. Other expenses include release time for professional development (an average of three days in the summer and four days during the year) and teachers' time for curriculum planning, study groups, and on-site coaching sessions. Schools located outside regions with many Different Ways of Knowing schools should allow for additional travel costs. Any desired independent evaluation, additional leadership training, pre-service partnerships with local universities and colleges, or summer school support would add to program costs.

The developer works closely with schools and school systems to identify diverse funding sources and secure public as well as private funding sources.

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