Lessons from Inside the Classroom: Teachers’ Perspectives on the MDC Initiative

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has invested in the development and dissemination of instructional tools to support teachers’ incorporation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) into their classroom instruction. Math experts from the Shell Centre have developed CCSS-aligned formative assessment lessons that teachers can incorporate within their existing mathematics curriculua.Building on A View From the Inside,1 which explored Year One of MDC, this updated booklet shares teacher perspectives on the second year of the MDC initiative. It synthesizes teachers’ reports of the experiences using the Lessons in their classrooms, the supports they received from their administrators and peers, and their impressions about the impact of the initiative on their overall instructional practices and student learning. Throughout the initiative, teacher perceptions and feedback have helped tool developers, professional development providers, and district and school leaders to continue to refine and improve MDC.