Math IC Map: Eliciting Evidence of Student Thinking (NCTM Teaching Practice #8)

Developing a culture of organizational learning and collaborative communities of practice is among the greatest challenges and goals of any instructional leader – district or building administrator, curriculum specialist, instructional coach, or teacher-leader. The use of reflective tools can guide instructional leaders as they grapple with the complexities of building and sustaining ongoing collaborative learning. This document provides a suite of such tools to help instructional leaders enact and foster systemic change by creating the kinds of district, school, and classroom environments needed to prepare students for success. Regular application of these tools helps leaders determine needs, plan actions, measure the impact of those actions and support others through organizational change.

A change, or innovation, can assume several different configurations that encompass the ideal state envisioned by its designers and different variations arising from user interpretation and experience. Innovation Configuration (IC) maps are descriptive documents that provide clarity by detailing what an innovation should look like in practice. IC maps detail the how and what of an innovation and provide a way to understand the possible progression of behaviors. These maps are useful not only throughout the change process, but also once an innovation is fully implemented and leaders strive to maximize outcomes. IC maps allow educator teams to develop a common understanding of effective behaviors, identify where additional support is needed, and encourage self-reflection and self-assessment. It is important to note that IC maps are not intended as evaluative tools. Instead, they are a means to assess and measure the various forms of innovation implementation and inform goal setting and next steps. Inherent in the productive use of IC maps is the need to openly share their purpose and intent and use results to enhance collaboration in ways that allow all voices to contribute.

This IC map is organized around one of the eight National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ effective math teaching practices – elicit and use evidence of student thinking- and should give instructional leaders purposeful opportunities to pause, reflect, and compare current practice to organizational values and expectations.