Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about the Opportunity Culture initiative. For more information, including many free instructional resources and videos, please visit Opportunity Culture.org.
How did the Opportunity Culture concept begin?
In 2009, Public Impact, a national education policy and management firm, published a paper calling for more teachers to have paid, advanced roles while continuing to teach, in order to reach all students with excellent teaching. In 2012–13, the first two districts in the nation designed their Opportunity Culture models, adhering to the five Opportunity Culture Principles, which call for teams of teachers and school leaders to choose and tailor models to:
- Reach more students with excellent teachers and their teams;
- Pay teachers more for extending their reach;
- Fund pay within regular budgets;
- Provide protected in-school time and clarity about how to use it for planning, collaboration, and development; &
- Match authority and accountability to each person’s responsibilities.
Where are there Opportunity Culture schools?
Why did this district choose Opportunity Culture implementation?
We believe that the teacher in the classroom has the most impact on a student’s performance, and Opportunity Culture implementation gives us a way to recruit, develop, retain, and reward excellent teachers. Teachers consistently say that they long to make more of an impact, have leadership opportunities that do not take them out of the classroom, and be paid commensurate with their level of responsibility and impact on students. Opportunity Culture roles address all of this. We also focus on supporting and developing our teachers, and Opportunity Culture teams make consistent, personalized, on-the-job, weekly or even daily support possible.
How do you know Opportunity Culture roles are good for students?
Research shows large student learning gains associated with Multi-Classroom Leader (MCL) teams. Third-party studies have found that, on average, teachers who joined Opportunity Culture MCL teams moved from producing 50th percentile student learning growth to 77th percentile student learning growth. These gains equate to an extra half-year of learning for students each year, on average—just from having an MCL, who has demonstrated prior high learning growth, lead the team. In one study, the nearly 2,000 English learners taught by Opportunity Culture teams had even larger reading gains—meaning an extra 1.3 years of learning compared with other English learners.
Which schools are participating, and what Opportunity Culture roles do they offer?
This list shows the schools that have implemented Opportunity Culture roles or are in the design process for implementing next year, and the roles they are using:
Thomasville Primary School : Multi-Classroom Leaders for Math and English Language Arts and Reach Associates
Liberty Drive Elementary School : Multi-Classroom Leaders for Math and English Language Arts and Reach Associates
Thomasville Middle School : Multi-Classroom Leaders for Math and English Language Arts and Reach Associates
Thomasville High School : Multi-Classroom Leaders for Math and English Language Arts and Reach Associates
What is the selection process like?
How are these positions created within a school?
A team of teachers and administrators in each school adopts the Opportunity Culture roles that best fit their school’s needs, to reach more students with teachers who have produced high-growth student learning; the team figures out scheduling and how to pay for the roles as well.
How am I supported in these new roles?
Great support is a hallmark of Opportunity Culture schools. Teachers in the Multi-Classroom Leader role get intensive training before the school year begins in how to lead their teams, and all Opportunity Culture staff get on-the-job training and development, and scheduled, dedicated collaborative time for planning, coaching, and support.
Are these positions here to stay long-term?
Yes. The Opportunity Culture Principles require schools to sustainably fund the roles through school budget reallocations, not through temporary grants. We believe these roles will be the new norm in education, and they continue to spread in other states as well. We believe these roles are best for students, providing them with a great education through well-supported, great teachers or teachers on a team led by a highly successful teacher—and we believe these roles are best for teachers and the teaching profession.
What does a day in the life of an MCL look like?
Busy and rewarding! A typical day for an MCL may include direct instruction with students, co-teaching, coaching, modeling instruction for teachers, planning with teachers, and data analysis, observation, and feedback. MCLs are granted much schedule flexibility, but expected to plan their schedules carefully to focus on what will make the most impact on student achievement. To see several days in the life of one MCL, watch this video.
An MCL sounds similar to an instructional coach/facilitator. What’s the difference?
Unlike most coaches, MCLs are fully accountable for the results of all the students assigned to them and their team—and they continue to teach part of the time in some way as well. And unlike many coaches/facilitators, they lead small teams—typically two to five, although advanced MCLs may lead teams of six to eight. This gives them the protected, in-school time to provide the on-the-job guidance, co-planning, help with data analysis, and feedback that is a hallmark of Opportunity Culture support. Additionally, many MCLs help select their teammates, help them advance in their own careers, and help principals lead instructional excellence schoolwide. Finally, additional pay for this advanced role does not depend on grants.
How am I evaluated as an MCL?
MCLs are responsible for the results of all the students on their team. They are evaluated under the state teacher evaluation along with an MCL-specific evaluation.
How is a reach associate different from a traditional teaching assistant/paraprofessional?
The reach associate role is an advanced paraprofessional role. Reach associates take on greater levels of responsibility to support teachers with instruction; they provide release time and support MCLs and TRTs, and tutor and support students in a learning lab or by pushing in or pulling out students from the team’s classrooms, as directed by the MCL. Reach associates, or RAs, free up time for MCLs to work with team teachers and for TRTs to work with more students through small-group or individual tutoring, by supporting students while they work on projects, skills practice, and digital learning, and by supporting the team on other non-instructional tasks. While working with students, reach associates often reteach concepts to students who have not mastered a skill, or extend and enrich instruction for students who are ready to move forward. Reach associates also must have some classroom management skills to supervise students independently. Reach associates do not create lesson plans, but implement plans created by their MCL or team reach teachers. They may provide input for lesson plans based on their observations and data gathered on student performance. The reach associate role may be played by a teacher resident who is obtaining a degree or certification while working, supporting the team while getting on-the-job training from the MCL. (Watch: “A ‘Crucial’ Opportunity Culture Role: Reach Associates Provide Small-Group Tutoring“.)
