POWERFUL TEACHING & LEARNING – GRADE FIVE
LEARNING MEETING MINUTES
October 15, 2004
Alderwood: Jeana Swanson, Elise Mueller Birchwood: Clint Lively, Carolyn Hinshaw Carl Cozier: Bob Winters, Sue Alfawicki, Tom Pollino, Linda Pollino Columbia: Joe Kemmer, Anne Jorgensen, William D. Palmer Geneva : Jaylani Battle, Susan Swank Happy Valley: Mike D'Hondt, Eric Sellereit, Kelli Miles Larrabee: Kara Kisena, J. Leanne Finlay Lowell: Beth Kealy, Leslie Rogers Northern Heights : Beckey Candini, John Livesey,Tom Caldwell, Heidi Mozelewski Parkview : Allison Morris, Tracy Bell Roosevelt : Peter Rasmussen Silver Beach: Gretchen Offutt, Kaylene Flanary, Tara Osborn Sunnyland: Stephanie Horsfall, Brooke Stanton, Gretchen Howard
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 Brooke Stanton, Gretchen Howard, Mike D'Hondt, Carolyn Hinshaw, Elise Mueller, Kaylene Flanary, Becky Candini, Sue Swank and Jaylani Battle 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://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 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 guidelines for administering this assessment.
Questions |
Answers |
What if objectives in TERC are more advanced than EALR's? |
The Math Task Force will look at alignment of GLE and District Curriculum & materials. |
Did the new DRP seem more difficult (lower scores) than before? |
Current data from the fall testing show little difference in scores from previous years. |
What if 3 rd Grade kids are taking the DRA? |
Teachers can write SC in the box and then use the report card comment sheet to explain. |
We are writing IEP's now that carry into 6th grade. How does the 6th grade gate affect IEP students? What do we put in the IEP? |
The Student Success Plan is the larger umbrella and the plan needs to be written for any student who is not at standard. If the student is not at standard in only the IEP area, then the IEP can be augmented to include how the family and student can help. If the student is not at standard in non-IEP areas, then the SSP is written to address those areas. |
We were told just yesterday that if 5th graders are NYAS in Reading, Math or Writing before June 2005, they will have mandatory summer school or cannot move on to regular middle school. I thought that was coming up for 8th to High School but did not know it was true 5th to 6th...this year. Parents don't know this either. With NYAS conferences coming up, does the district have something (notice) I can give to parents. |
We have created a handout that teachers can give parents. What we envision for students at the end of 5th grade: • Summer school will be strongly recommended. It will be free to those students. • The summer school principal will review student progress at the end of the summer and determine the student needs for the next year. • Students not at standard at the start of 6th grade will receive additional support for at least a portion of their day in middle school.
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There was also a question about what is considered for dropping the gate....math? |
We will have a district-wide math assessment selected and in place by January. We are considering the Assess 2 Learn because it matches the EALRs and is in wide use already across the district. |
SUGGESTIONS/COMMENTS