Curriculum Updates

Updates from Toni Bigham:

Elementary report cards are moving to an electronic format similar to what the middle and high schools are using. There will be a report card for K-2 and one for 3-5.
Math has slipped on EOQ tests. Things to keep in mind:

• How do we reteach skills/concepts that students did understand
• How do we present the information to students?
• Are we using the Math Indicators to make common formative assessments
• Are we using summarizing/note taking at the end of lessons to check if students are understanding what we want them to learn (EQ)? This can be one or two sentences or even a picture for the younger ones.

Assessment Updates:

“We have almost completely neglected classroom assessment in our obsession with standardized testing.”
Dr. Richard Stiggins

Five Myths and Their Consequences

On the teacher evaluation instrument, Standard 4h references using formative assessments to evaluate student progress. CFAs ensure that all students are held to the same level of rigor.

For math, the Week by Week Essentials and Indicators should be the standard for your CFAs.

Math Resources

Formative Assessment Series

NC FALCON is a series of formative assessment professional development online modules that support the implementation of formative assessments in the classroom. This is most beneficial when completed and discussed as a team. WSFCS employees can receive 0.8 credits for completing the modules. See Kim if you are interested in completing the modules.

For more information, check out these sites:

Elementary SCOS (2004)
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/science/scos/2004/

K-12 2004 Units (caution drafts included)
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/science/units/

Links to Essential Standards and Updates (highly recommended)
http://science.ncwiseowl.org/

ACRE Updates (curriculum, accountability,etc)
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/

Get Ready 2012-2013!

The Core Standards for ELA, Math, Social Studies, and Science will all go into effect with the 2012-2013 school year. The Core Standards focus on expectations, not how students get there!
Common Core Standards – Operational 2012-2013
From NCDPI: “The new standards define the knowledge and skills students should have throughout their K-12 education careers so that they will graduate high school fully prepared for college and careers. The standards:
· are aligned with college and work expectations;
· are clear, understandable and consistent;
· include rigorous content and application of knowledge through high-order skills;
· build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards;
· are informed by other top-performing countries, so that all students are prepared to succeed in a global economy and society; and
· are evidence- and research-based.”

Useful links for learning more about the Core!!

North Carolina Adopts Common Core State Standards
Timeline for Change
Common Core State Standards Initiative

Social Studies Update:
Presented by Patti Grant

Everything in the new Core Standards for Social Studies will revolve around the five themes of geography. With reading, math, and science being assessed social studies sometimes gets “the short end of the stick”. Try to integrate the social studies curriculum within your other content areas when appropriate. Take a look at what your curriculum may be…..

Grades K-2

For more information on the 5 themes of geography, visit…

This is a GREAT video! Your students will love it! 5 Themes Rap
An overview of the 5 themes: Overview
Free presentations and PowerPoint: Presentations

Math Updates:
Presented by Debra Gaither/Kim Wesley

Each school was given a copy of the book, Good Questions for Math Teaching: Why Ask Them and What to Ask by Peter Sullivan and Patti Lilburn. The school copy is in Kendra's office. Some highlights…

The Importance of Good Questions
60% of what a teacher says is in the form of questions and most are not planned. Know where you want your students to go by preparing questions. This also helps with differentiation.
Math questions tend to be closed questions (only one answer).
Questions should encourage more than recall of facts to stimulate thinking and reasoning.
Questions should emphasize problem solving, application, and development of a variety of thinking skills.

What makes a good question?
More than remembering facts/skills
More than one answer
Students learn by answering the questions
Teachers learn from each student’s attempt

Using Good Questions in Your Classroom
Choose or create questions appropriate for your class
Questions are designed to promote higher level thinking, problem solving and communication
Post questions
Students know the question prior to instruction
Provide manipulatives
Monitor the students as they work on questions
Students provide responses as they work to answer the questions.

Two Methods to Create Good Questions (pages 7-9 in book)

Method 1: Working Backward

• Identify a topic: money
• Think of an answer: 35 cents
• Make up a question:
  that includes the answer I bought some things at the grocery and got 35 cents change. What did I buy and how much did each item cost?
  
  
  Method 2: Adapting a Standard Question
• Identify a topic: subtraction
• Think of a standard question: 731-256=
• Adapt it to make a good question: Arrange the digits so that the difference is between 100 and 200.
  
  
  From DPI “MATH AND SCIENCE CROSSWALKS”
  
  Attached you will find initial crosswalk documents that compare the current Standard Course of Study to the newly adopted standards. This document is not intended to answer all questions about the nuance of the new standards versus the old but instead to help schools and teachers get a head start on internalizing and planning to teach the new standards.
  Important Note: The current SCoS will continue to be the taught and tested standards in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 school years. We expect the new standards to be taught and assessed in schools for the first time in the 2012-13 school year. Please send our science and math sections any thoughts, feedback, questions and ideas about additional resources that would help you start preparing to teach the new standards.
  
  Math and Science Crosswalks

DIBELS Updates:
Presented by Janie Costello

FYI…

Students that score “green” are considered at least average (50th percentile). Teachers need to look closely at the student’s score to see where in the range of green the student scored. If a student is just barely in the green, continued progress monitoring may be needed.
Students who achieve DIBELS benchmarks have a higher probability of becoming readers.
Poor readers at the end of 1st grade are not likely to catch up.
74% of poor readers in 3rd grade remain poor readers in 9th grade.
Poor readers at the end of 1st grade are more likely to need intensive support by 3rd grade.

2008-2009 School Year (WSFCS)
79.92% of second graders were marked proficient on the K-2 Assessment
55.9% of the same students in 3rd grade were proficient on the EOG Test.

Even though these are two very different types of assessments, be aware of what the standards are for proficiency.

Attached is the 2006 Hasbrouck & Tindal Oral Reading Fluency Data chart. The goal is to have students at the 50th percentile or above. Challenge students to exceed the 50th percentile. The Oral Reading Fluency assessment for DIBELS in first and second grade will give teachers this information. As a side note, Janie said that second graders in Charlotte/Mecklenburg Schools aim for 132-142 correct words per minute (CWPM) at the end of the year.

Oral Reading Fluency chart

Science News:
Presented by Benika Thompson

• Refurbishments kits will hopefully arrive in early April.
• K-5 Pacing and Learning Progression Meeting – Please send Benika any input regarding the science curriculum.
• Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) Lesson Development will begin in April. Contact Benika if you are interested in helping write or critique items.