After working with Penn GSE researchers, Meredith School students take the lead in math class

Before Philadelphia's William M. Meredith School partnered with Penn GSE and the Consortium for Policy Research in Education, most math classes were traditional lectures. But as part of the Ongoing Assessment Project, teachers at the school began reworking their lessons.

Students notice the difference, according to a story in The Philadelphia Tribune.

“We will ask a kid a very open-ended question and the key is to show their thinking," math lead teacher Jessica Tilli told The Philadelphia Tribune.

"You can really see how they’re figuring things out with the methods that they show. We’re using that method for our instruction. We look at their answers and strategies and we figure out where they are in their math understanding and where do we need to push them moving forward."

Since 2014, CPRE researchers have worked with teachers in more than 70 Philadelphia schools. Researchers have used rigorous research methods to identify impacts on teachers’ instructional practices and student performance, and to contribute to our understanding of the unique challenges of implementing education reform in urban schools.

Read the full Tribune story here.