POWERFUL TEACHING & LEARNING – GRADE TWO
LEARNING MEETING MINUTES
October 13, 2004
Alderwood: Rebecca Lacey Birchwood : Kelly Morgan, Rosi Trowbridge, Roxanne McKee Carl Cozier : Caren Pitsch, Kathy Vielhaber, Valorie McElroy, Richard Long Columbia : Joyce Mosley-Sweeney, Natalie Jude, Chelsea St Claire Geneva : Julia Ritchie, Jamie Gochnour, Stacy McColl Happy Valley : Amy Roselli, Jean Peaco, Susie Holmes-Webb Larrabee : Kelly Glynn, Jennifer Blethen-Pittis, Kelly Kangas Lowell : Sarah Neyman, Amanda Voigt Northern Heights : Lisa Hawes, Debbie Nelson, Kristin Roche Parkview : Cheryl Israel, Cynthia Webley Roosevelt : Jennifer Noyes, Janis Gustafson, Kim Rutledge, Season Coppinger, Russ Nuckolls Silver Beach : Adele Aust, Becky Walstad, Heidi Bush Sunnyland : Kate Nordmark, Kristin Odenthal, Cindy Christenson
Provide an opportunity to learn from and collaborate with peers in order to increase understandings about district curriculum and direction, as well as to incorporate good instructional strategies into lessons and unit design
OBJECTIVES
To stimulate thinking and discussion among teachers about the practical, learning-centered reasons for changes in assessment practices
To prompt reflection about current practice as a foundation for action
NEW LEARNING
The groups recalled the work done in year one and two of the grade level meetings focusing on How People Learn and the Classroom Instruction That Works by Robert Marzano et.al. From these two pieces of research, a group of teachers and administrators have identified 7 instructional strategies for powerful teaching and learning. The first strategy is Ongoing Assessment. The group worked through a process to identify what they currently know and understand about using formative assessment. The group reviewed four articles to prepare for viewing a video and to analyze the use of formative assessment. The articles were
SHARED
Table Leaders Sarah Neyman, Kristin Roche, Cindy Christensen, Jennifer Noyes, Joyce Sweeney, Jean Peaco, Roxanne McKee and Janis Gustafson helped lead discussions for an assigned Grade Level Expectation (GLE) for number sense. Each group charted assessment strategies that could be used by teachers to determine the level of student's understanding for each GLE and to inform their instruction. Teachers shared activities from TERC Investigations, the Assessment Source Book, Scott Foresman – Addison Wesley classroom practices that support ongoing formative assessment for number sense. These charts will be given to the Elementary Math Task Force who are writing a support guide for math. All minutes and work of the Elementary Math Task Force can be read on the District Web Page http://www.bham.wednet.edu/staff/elemmathtaskforce.htm .
ALIGNMENT
Changes on the reading section of the report card were shared. In order to create consistency in marking the report card, teachers will write in the score from the district reading assessment (DRA) and also inform parents at the fall conference of the changes. Fluency is now combined with reading strategies and is no longer a separate box. Teachers received revised pages for their Literacy Guides. The revised pages describe the current District Reading Assessments and timelines. The Second Grade Test (found in the appendix) is to be removed. Second grade teachers follow the DRA publisher's guildelines for administering this assessment.
Questions |
Answers |
Does the District own Kathy Richardson's number talk video? |
Not at this time. However, Roosevelt & Larrabee have the video. |
Ideas for Second Grade field trips? |
The field trips for each grade level are listed in the social studies curriculum guide |
Will the district be providing and training us with appropriate math assessments so we are all on the same page? |
A sub group of the Elementary Math Task Force will identify a district wide math assessment by January. |
When will the district Report Card Assessment piece include more than the add and sub pieces? |
The Math Task Force may look at this issue after they complete their guide development. |
Which TERC units should we be teaching? |
The Math Task Force may look at a possible scope & sequence. |
What is the policy for Second Grade homework? |
Please see Bellingham School District Board Policy 2112 |
SUGGESTIONS/COMMENTS FROM EVALUATION
• We need a Report Card Assessment Piece that allows kids to show and explain their work.
• Forms of assessment that link to our report card for math so teachers are consistent.
• We need some clarification on using Pinnel and Fountas.
• We need more time to talk about report card changes.
• More time to share ideas with each other.