POWERFUL TEACHING AND LEARNING-GRADE K
LEARNING MEETING MINUTES
Alderwood: Jenny Medcalf, Debora Haney, Paula Jacobsen, Jamie Smith, Jennifer Woods Birchwood : Kathy Leathers, Mikel Panagos Carl Cozier : Janet McElroy, Cheryl Kirklie Columbia : Leanne Littech Geneva : Linda Young, Blossom Neece Happy Valley : Jill DeJong, Kathy Shore, Sheila Clark Larrabee: Jan Nelson Lowell : Diane Tjomsland, Anne Franzmann Northern Heights : Kyle Stefani, Cheryl Isaacs Parkview : Paula McGrath, Tiffany Knudsen, Mary Hatch Roosevelt : Susan Plummer, Jean Abbott, Julie Craddock Silver Beach : Ann Stevenson, Michelle Jacobs, Maggie Van Dewren, Kristy Youtsey Sunnyland : Nina Richardson, Supriya Mookherjee, Charm Miller-Davis, Cathy Hansen
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
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 Diane Tjomsland, Susan Plummer, Kathy Shore, Julie Craddock, Paula McGrath, Charm Miller-Davis, Ann Franzmann and Kyla Stefani 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 as well as classroom practices that support ongoing formative assessment for number sense. The charts have been typed and sent out to each grade level. The typed charts will also be given to the Elementary Math Task Force who are writing a math support guide. 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 newly revised pages for their Literacy Guides which describe the current district reading assessments and timelines. The second grade reading test in the Appendix is to be removed. Second grade teachers will follow DRA publisher guidelines.
Questions |
Answers |
I thought the screen for letter sounds was only in winter/spring. When did we add Fall? Do we agree that it stays? |
This was a decision made by the Kindergarten Screen Committee. The new district kindergarten committee currently being formed may revisit this issue. |
When are At Risk Conferences? Are we consistent? |
This decision is made at each site, as described in district guidelines. |
Will K report card be changed to record DRA score? |
The kindergarten report card has a box where teachers record the DRA level. |
SUGGESTIONS/COMMENTS FROM EVALUATION FORMS
• Very useful
• We need a continuum for November, March and June for report card descriptors in reading, writing, and math
• I think we need more time to talk about issues that Kindergarten teachers have.
• This was a lot of information for 3 hours