Transcript Classroom Visitations

Ohio 8 Coalition
Leadership Council
Meeting the Standards:
Akron Public Schools Curriculum and Instruction
May 5, 2005
Speakers
• Keith Ohnhaus, Teacher, Firestone High School
– [email protected]
• Linnea Gallagher, Teacher, Roswell Kent Middle School
– [email protected]
• Cynthia Harris, Learning Specialist, English Language Arts,
K-12
– [email protected]
• Steve Miller, Learning Specialist, Mathematics, K-12
– [email protected]
• Kathy Sparrow, Ph.D., Learning Specialist, Science, K-12
– [email protected]
• Adam Motter, Learning Specialist, Social Studies, K-12
– [email protected]
Agenda
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Opening Comments
Pacing Guides and Websites
Assessments
Professional Development
Curriculum and Instruction
Classroom Observations
• Working Through Issues
Curriculum Alignment
A closer look at APS Pacing Guides
and web sites
Pacing Guides/Websites
Overview of Pacing Guide
What is the purpose of the Pacing Guides?
• Pacing Guides are the way we have organized the
Standards by Grade level.
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from student perspective (checklists)
from teacher perspective
• They address “when” to teach benchmarks and indicators.
• They offer teachers ideas for “how”, and “why”.
Rationale:
It allows all teachers to be teaching at the same place at the
same time
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Mobility issues
Collaboration
Teachers were primary authors at all grade levels
Teachers Using Websites
Structure/Format
• Strategies from the contents:
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Science
•
Social Studies
•
Mathematics
•
English Language Arts
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Teaching Timelines (Physical Science)
Proposition statements (Physical Sciences)
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OGT Review Guide
Identifying Sources for Instruction (Grade 6)
Student Question Mapping
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Sections to Skip (Pre-Algebra, Grade 8)
Links between the contents (Grade 3)
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Revisions
Pacing Guide/Instructional Guide
Assessments
Assessments
• Stiggins Training
– Training on Assessments FOR Learning
– Training on Assessments OF Learning
• Guskey Trainings
• District Assessment Committee
• Trainings for Principals, Curriculum Leaders,
Staff
District-wide
Assessments
• 6-10 Secondary
– English Language Arts, Mathematics,
Science and Social Studies
– Based on Pacing Guide (Standards)
– 9 week assessments
• 9 week & 27 week Assessments
• Semester Exam & End of Year Exam
District-wide
Assessments
• 6-10 Secondary
– Teacher generated & reviewed
– Scoring Guides generated
• Results reviewed with students
– District results generated
• Network meeting discussions
– Provides accountability
District-wide
Assessments
• K-5 Elementary - English Language Arts
– Reading
• Dibels - Oral Reading Fluency
• Harcourt Reading & Language Skills
– Aligned with State Standards
• 3 times a year
– Writing
• Adding Assessment in 2005-06
• 2 times a year
District-Wide Assessments
• K-5 Elementary - Mathematics
– Three times a year
• Winter, Spring & Fall
– Based on State Indicators
• Chosen from Harcourt items
• Based on number of indicators for each
Standard
– Band Scores developed
– Information disseminated on Internet
Professional
Development
Teaching and Learning Opportunities
Rationale For
Professional Development
• Impact student academic
achievement
• Impact classroom based practices
What We Do
• Plan and implement staff
development in order to affect the
quality of instruction
• Provide current research-based
information and practices to impact
teacher skills/knowledge
What We Do continued…
• Develop materials and secure
resources to facilitate standardsbased classrooms.
Why We Do It
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Promote student focused learning
Promote collaboration among staff
Promote academic rigor
Promote continued learning for staff
Promote the sharing of best
practices and successful teaching
practices/experiences
How We Do It
• District Focus
– Related to district goals and initiatives
• Content Focus
• Grade Level Focus
• Concept and Skills Focus
How We Do It continued…
• Networks
– Middle School (6-8)
– High School (9-12)
– Elementary
• (Primary K-2), (Intermediate 3-5)
Elementary Network
2005
Science and Mathematics
Network
Social Studies and English
Language Arts Network
Scope of Professional
Trainings
• Train-the-Trainers
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Standards Implementation
Textbook Adoptions
Content Literacy
Department Chair Inservices
• Assessment Development
– Grades 6-10
• Pacing Guide Development/Revisions
– K-12
• New Teacher Content Orientation
Samples of Workshops
• Handwriting Course
– Manuscript
– Cursive
• I Know I am a Good Science Teacher, But I Want
to Better!
– Lesson development
– Assessment for Learning Design
• Online Workshop: PBS Teacherline, Math
• Successful Teaching In Urban Schools
• “Inclusion Solutions”
– Strategies for successful partnerships between content
teachers and inclusion specialists (social studies)
Classroom Visitations
Reality Sets In
Classroom Visits
• Feedback Form
– Standards-Based
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Evidence of Standards
What Teachers Are Doing
What Students Are Doing
Classroom Environment
Assessment
– Teacher-generated
• Link to form
Classroom Visits
• Expectations from Teachers
• Challenges
• Feedback
• Follow-up
• Professional Development Needs
Working Through The
Issues
Challenges Ahead
Working Through Issues
– Speed of the Guide
• In the past the teacher got as far as they could.
– What strategies are working to help overcome this?
» Looking at Data to uncover misunderstood
concepts and ideas (Promising Practice)
» Working with teachers regarding pacing has been
very helpful.
» Professional Development Workshops, Networks,
Staff Meetings
• If I have to go faster does this mean I have to skip
meaningful activities and information?
– How do you use your instructional time?
– What content supports the assessment targets?
» Professional Development Workshops, Networks,
Staff Meetings
Working Through Issues
• Differentiation of Instruction
– Pacing Guides have suggested activities that
include many different examples of reaching
learners
– Evidence of Understanding (Assessment element
of the guide) uses differentiation techniques
– Secondary Content Literacy Training for
teachers in the district this year
– Working on Inclusion Models
» Margaret Searle’s Treasure Chest (ODE)
» Summer Workshops and trainings
Working Through Issues
• Rigor and expectations of the benchmarks
and indicators
– APS teachers became very good at OPT prep and
intervention over the years (lower complexity
questions), but the accountability is significantly
different now
– Dialogue now is:
» How do we support student precision in
assessment and deeper understanding of
concepts?
» How do we get students to apply the
knowledge?
» How do we get students to think critically
about what they are learning?
» How do we get teachers to fundamentally shift
how we view assessment, data analysis, and
higher expectations for student learning?
Dissemination of information
is tough enough.......
• How do you get the word out and maintain
consistency to thousands of teachers in
many buildings?
– How do you do this when the subject is...
•
•
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philosophical approaches to learning,
changing values and beliefs about urban education,
higher expectations for teachers and students
performance
– Strategies/products provide a positive focus
for teacher/specialists to dialogue changes.
How is C and I
supporting and
interacting with
the other
systems that are
impacting
teaching and
learning?
Systems Growing and Developing:
ODE Academic Standards, NCLB,
SBE,,Stiggins, Guskey,
Ruby Payne, SIP, Baldrige,
UbD, Victoria Bernhart…
C and I System:
SBE Modules, GCOS,
Pacing Guides, PD,
Observations,
Assessments,
Networks,
Products, etc..
The real challenge
is having C and I
support and mirror
all of our district
efforts in
the area of
impacting
student
achievement.
Other Systems
Growing and Developing:
HSTW,
MMGW,
Tracking and
monitoring SIP,
ODE systems…