We are here in Cyprus attending the International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement (ICSEI) where we will be presenting our paper entitled, A Capital Investment: The Effects of Teacher Human and Social Capital on Student Achievement in Improving Schools.  This research explores how the relationships and experiences of practitioners in improving schools have a direct effect on student achievement.  This research confirms the importance of increasing teacher longevity in underperforming schools.  Moreover, as the TIDES framework suggests, understanding social relationships through the examination of the patterns of interactions provides valuable insights into the process of improving student outcomes.  Particularly important is supporting new teachers at a site through the development of mutual sharing and collaborative relationships around the district/school’s reform agenda.  To make this more explicit we have included the following relational map of a school from our research.

The network map provides a visual representation of the exchange of knowledge the reform in one of our study schools.  The nodes in this figure are sized by in-degree (larger size indicates more incoming ties) and are colored by achievement rankings.  The color codes reflect the California Department of Education cut scores for achievement: red represents proficient and above (scale score of 350); blue reflects basic (between 300-349 scale score); and the black represents the lowest achievement (scale scores below 300).  In addition, the nodes are 'shaped' by years in school with similar shape meaning same years within the school, diamonds refer to those in the school the longest (13 years and greater); up triangles (8-12 years) and down triangles (less than 7 years).  The lines are sized by reciprocated relationships with thicker lines representing reciprocated relations.

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Welcome to our TIDES Blog!!  In this blog we will be exploring, examining, and sharing the work of our team and partner districts.  We are excited to be a part of the great work in terms of bridging research to practice and using your knowledge, experience, and insight to inform our work.  It is through the combined efforts and exchange of knowledge within our partnership that holds the greatest potential for improving the outcomes for students we serve and developing the schools that meet the needs of 21st century learners.  We envision this blog to be a two-way conversation in which we share and learn from each other about the exciting work happening in your districts, schools, and classrooms.

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