Overview
NorthStar Education Partners collaborated with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to design and implement a community of practice for the Math Community and Practice initiative. This initiative focuses on helping students, particularly those who are Black, Latinx, or experiencing poverty, to enjoy and excel in mathematics by the 9th grade.
Objectives
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation partnered with NorthStar to:
- Design Community of Practice: Develop a community of practice that includes three convenings for collaboration and communication among members.
- Equity Principles in Design: Implement a “Design Sprint” where members learn equity principles for every aspect of the educational design process.
- Professional Learning Communities: Develop professional learning communities for sub-teams divided by interest areas to strategize on solving community problems.
- Create Digital Hub: Establish a digital hub for members to trade resources and connect virtually between regular convenings.
- Identify New Organizations: Find new organizations representing diverse perspectives to join the Math Community and Practice.
Partner
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Location: Seattle, Washington
Mission Statement
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives.
Key Activities & Deliverables
Design Community of Practice
- Convenings: Organized three regular convenings for all members to collaborate and communicate effectively.
- Collaboration Tools: Provided tools and frameworks to enhance collaboration among members.
Equity Principles in Design
- Design Sprint: Conducted a “Design Sprint” to educate members on integrating equity principles into the educational design process.
Professional Learning Communities
- Interest-Based Sub-Teams: Established sub-teams based on interest areas to focus on specific community problems and strategies.
- Strategic Planning: Facilitated strategic planning sessions for sub-teams.
Create Digital Hub
- Resource Sharing: Developed a digital hub for resource sharing and virtual connections among members.
- Virtual Collaboration: Enabled continuous virtual collaboration through the digital hub.
Identify New Organizations
- Diverse Representation: Identified and onboarded new organizations with diverse perspectives to join the Math Community and Practice.
Outcomes
NorthStar and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation successfully implemented strategies that have significantly enhanced the effectiveness of the Math Community and Practice initiative. This collaboration resulted in:
- Enhanced Collaboration: Improved collaboration and communication among members through regular convenings and a digital hub.
- Equity-Focused Design: Increased focus on equity principles in educational design through the “Design Sprint.”
- Strategic Problem-Solving: Effective problem-solving and strategizing within professional learning communities.
- Resource Sharing: Enhanced resource sharing and continuous virtual collaboration through the digital hub.
- Diverse Participation: Inclusion of new organizations with diverse perspectives, enriching the community of practice.
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