New Courses to be posted October 2, 2023
Campus Without Walls Impact Study
The Campus without Walls (CWW) initiative aims to promote greater equity, access, and opportunity for students to engage in rigorous, relevant, and meaningful curricula and instruction regardless of the students’ neighborhood of residence or assigned school. The goal of CWW is to improve both student academic and nonacademic outcomes.
The CWW Impact Study will expand access to teacher fellowships for up to 30 educators across Massachusetts in spring/fall of 2024. Teacher fellowships are now available and fully funded by a $1.7M grant through the American Institutes for Research® (AIR®) Equity Initiative, which aims to enhance educational opportunities for students who have been historically overlooked and underserved. Participating Teacher Fellows will receive resources to implement CWW courses at no cost, including curriculum, weekly collaboration with a Lead Teacher to support successful implementation, and the opportunity to participate in a monthly Community of Practice hosted by CWW.
Benefits of Impact Study Participation
During the impact study, Teacher Fellows receive
FREE project-based, innovative curriculum to keep and use into the future
Mentorship and ongoing support to implement a minicourse in spring 2024 or fall 2024
$500 honorarium ($50 gift card plus $450 classroom funds)
Recognition on the CWW website and with our partner network as a CWW Alum Teacher Fellow
Priority notification and access to upcoming CWW minicourses.
CWW: Built by Teachers for
Teachers in Massachusetts
CWW is available for Massachusetts teachers of Grades 6–12 and leverages the power of technology to connect classrooms, educators, and students across the state. Specifically, CWW pairs Teacher Fellows with Lead Teachers to implement innovative, project-based, challenging, and culturally responsive minicourses in their classrooms. Teachers share their collective assets, strengthen their networks, and access a larger resource base than what is available when working alone.
Teacher Fellowship Opportunity
CWW is seeking middle and high school teachers from all subject areas who are interested in enhancing their curriculum with an innovative thematic unit, with support from a highly experienced Lead Teacher. Teachers who sign up to be a Teaching Fellow are invited to participate in a study of CWW’s impact on students and teachers. Teacher Fellows participating in the CWW impact study will be selected by lottery to collaborate with a Lead Teacher to implement a 4- to 12-week CWW minicourse in their classrooms in spring 2024 or fall 2024.
CWW Impact Study
AIR is partnering with CWW, along with the CERES Institute for Children & Youth at Boston University and the Rennie Center, to implement and conduct a study of CWW.
The focus of this study is to better understand teachers’ and students’ experiences within the CWW initiative, factors that support effective implementation of CWW, and the outcomes that result from teacher and student participation.
We are not evaluating individual teachers or classrooms; we want to learn from participants how CWW can be an effective model for providing more rigorous and engaging instruction for students.
Research Questions Include:
What factors facilitate or hinder the implementation of CWW?
What is the impact of CWW on instructional opportunities for students?
What is the impact of CWW on student engagement and academic achievement?
A lottery will be used to determine when a Teacher Fellow will begin implementing the CWW curriculum
Half of the participating Teacher Fellows will be selected by lottery to implement the course with Lead Teacher support in spring 2024. The other half will have an opportunity to implement the same or similar course in fall 2024. All Teacher Fellows will participate in data collection in spring 2024.
Data Collection
The study team will ask teachers, school administrators, and students to participate in data collection activities. AIR and CERES will work closely with participating teachers to ensure that the data collection activities are scheduled at appropriate times to avoid any disruption to instruction.
School-based Interviews and Focus Groups.
We plan to interview or conduct focus groups with key constituents of the CWW program, including Teacher Fellows, participating students, Lead Teachers, and school administrators. Interviews and focus groups will take place at the end of each course in spring 2024.
Teacher Fellow and Lead Teacher Survey
Teacher Fellows participating in the study will be asked to complete a short survey prior to and at the end of each course session. Lead Teachers will be asked to complete a survey at the end of the school year. The surveys will ask about teachers’ experiences within the CWW program, instructional activities implemented, and opportunities for collaboration and mentorship.
Student Survey
The study team will work with Teacher Fellows to administer a student survey at the beginning and end of each course session. The survey will ask students about their engagement in school and experiences within the course.
Observations
AIR and CERES will conduct observations of a sample of classrooms during spring 2024 CWW course implementation to better understand the format and instructional approaches associated with the CWW initiative. The study team will work collaboratively with Lead and Teacher Fellows to plan and schedule the observations.
Questions? Please direct inquiries to Debra Rodriguez, Director of Outreach for the CWW Impact Study, at CWWstudy@air.org. Or, fill out an interest form at www.campuswithoutwalls.org/teacherinterestform to secure your spot for one of the CWW Teacher Fellowships (up to 30 fellowships are available).
The American Institutes for Research® (AIR®) is partnering with CWW, along with the CERES Institute for Children & Youth at Boston University and the Rennie Center, to implement and conduct a study of CWW.