“Those Who Dare To Teach Must Never Cease To Learn”
The P.S. /M.S. 124
Curriculum Handbook
2018-2019
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
(Mahatma Gandhi)
Table of Contents
Vision …………………………………………………………................. page 3
Mission ………………………………………….…………………. ......... page 3
Common Core Learning Standards …………………………………….... page 3-5
NYCDOE Framework for Great Schools ……………………….............. page 5-6
Teacher Evaluation and Professional Growth ………………………..…. page 6-7
Instructional Rounds …………………………………………………….. page 7
Teacher Teams and Inquiry Work ………………………………………. page 7-8
Progress Monitoring………….……………………………….....………. page 8
Writing Samples ………………………………………………………… page 8-9
Bulletin Boards ………………………………………………………….. page 9
Homework Guidelines ………………………………………….….……. page 9-10
Learning Centers ………………………………………….…………...... page 10
Planning and Plan Books ……..……………………………….........…… page 10
Response to Intervention ………………………………………………… page 11-12
Strategies to Support ELLs………………………………………………. Page 13
Rubrics …………………………………………………….………..…… page 14
Technology ………………………………………………………………. page 14
Classroom Portfolios……………………………………………………… page 15
Curriculum Assessments ………………………………………………… page 15
Progress Reports………………………………………………………….. page 15
Report Cards……………………………………………………………… page 15
Academic Intervention Services ……………………….……………….... page 16-17
Referrals to The Pupil Personnel Team…………………………………… page 17-18
Appendices: Instructional Best Practices
Appendix A: The Developmental Lesson ……………………………..… page 18-21
Sample Lesson Plan Template …………………………... page 22-23
Appendix B: Theoretical Foundations of Classroom Practice ................... page 24
1. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) ……………………...... page 25
2. Scales of Cognitive Complexity …………………….…..……. page 26-27
a. Bloom’s Taxonomy ………………………………....…. page 27-30
b. Depth of Knowledge ……………………………......…. page 31
c. Socratic Questions …………………………………….. page 32-33
3. Project-Based Learning ……………………………...…......….. page 34-35
4. Cambourne’s Conditions for Learning …………………......… page 34-35
5. The Principles of Learning ……………………………….… page 36-39
a. Accountable Talk Stems ……………………………… page 38
b. Danielson Rubric for Kids …………………………… page 40
Appendix C: Overview of Curricula …………..………… page 41
a. The Writing Workshop………………………………… page 42
b. Math Questions for Student Reflection ……………… page 43-44
Appendix E: Vocabulary Development Using the Frayer Model .............. page 47-48
Action Plan……………………………………………………………… page 49
VISION
P.S. / M.S. 124 is dedicated to collaboratively creating a positive, nurturing learning environment where all students are challenged academically and are encouraged to be change agents in the world!
MISSION
Our mission at PS/MS 124 is to give every student the opportunity to be engaged in their learning through a rigorous curriculum that is aligned to the Common Core Learning Standards and differentiated to meet the diverse needs of every student. At PS/MS 124 students are held to high academic standards and are committed to serving their communities and the world around them. Our students are provided with rich experiences within the school and outside of the school, which prepares them to compete globally in their colleges and careers.
Monthly Newsletter
A monthly grade newsletter must be developed and sent home to provide parents with information about the units being taught across content areas, assessments, projects, homework, class trips and any other grade-wide or school-wide information that is important
Note: All completed and proofed newsletters must be electronically submitted to Ms. Schmid and your director supervisor by the 25th of every month. They will be reviewed and run off for distribution to the parents. Middle school subject and cluster teachers will collaborate to produce grade level newsletter. Responsibility for each monthly letter will be shared according to a schedule distributed in September.
Showcase of Teaching and Learning
Each grade will collaboratively develop and present a theme to showcase exemplary teaching and learning. The student work to be showcased should reflect the curriculum developed throughout the year as well as student achievements. Grades 7 and 8 will showcase all Exit Projects in science and social studies. These exit projects will reflect student research framed by “essential questions” that demonstrate higher-order thinking and increasing sophistication. Grade 7 and Grade 8 math teachers will showcase real world applications of mathematical content aligned with the Common Core Learning Standards.
COMMON CORE LEARNING STANDARDS
New York State has adopted the Common Core Learning Standards in Mathematics, English Language Arts, and Literacy in History/Social Studies and Science. These content area standards have been clarified and targeted in such a way so as to align with college and work expectations. Built upon the strengths and lessons of current state standards, they include rigorous content and the application of knowledge through high-order skills. These standards provide teachers and parents with a common understanding of what all students across the country are expected to learn and are benchmarked internationally so that all students are prepared to succeed in our global economy and society. Detailed resources and information regarding the CCLS are available on the New York State website: .
CCLS Differ from NYS Learning Standards
The Common Core learning Standards differ from current NYS standards in several key ways:
ELA Differences:
• Standards increase in complexity from K-12, helping to articulate what students need to know and be able to do along this trajectory (This also assists teachers with differentiation as they look across grade levels for tiered task ideas.)
• Literacy-building is viewed as a shared responsibility for all content area teachers.
• Reading of informational text is emphasized.
• There is a focus on steadily increasing students’ ability to understand more and more complex text over time
• Research skills are integrated across standards and grades
• Emphasis is on writing to argue, inform and explain in the upper grades to prepare students for college-level writing
Math Differences:
• Fewer topics, more generalizing and linking of concepts, aligned with how high-achieving countries teach math
• Emphasis on both conceptual understanding and procedural fluency starting in the early grades, with more time allotted to teach and reinforce core concepts from K-12 and some topics taught later.
• Focus on the mastery of complex concepts in higher math through hands-on learning
• Emphasis on mathematical modeling in the upper grades.
Common Core for English Language Arts/Literacy
1. Building knowledge through content rich nonfiction
• Building knowledge through content-rich non-fiction is essential in developing literacy and in mastering the standards. In grades K-5, fulfilling the standards requires a 50-50 balances between informational and literary reading. In grades 6-12 ELA classes place a greater emphasis on specific categories of informational text-literary non-fiction.
2. Reading, writing and speaking grounded in evidence from test, both literary and informational.
• The Standards place a premium on students writing sources, i.e. using evidence from texts to present careful analysis, well defined claims and clear information. The Standards expect students to answer questions that depend on their having read the text with care. The Standards also require the cultivation of narrative writing through the grades that command sequence supported by details for effective argumentative and informational writing. Additionally students should be able to answer a range of text dependent questions where the answers require inferences based on careful attention to the text.
3. Regular practice with complex text and its academic language
• The Standards target the increased text complexity so that all students are ready for the demands of college and careers.
Selected Common Core Standards in Mathematics
All grades will focus on the Standard of Practice: Model with Mathematics and/or construct Viable Arguments and Critique the Reasoning of Others. In addition, grades will focus on the following Domains:
Pre-K-K Operations and Algebraic Thinking
Gr. 1-2 Number and Operations in Base Ten
Gr. 3 Operations and Algebraic Thinking
Gr. 4-5 Number and Operations-Fractions
Gr. 6-7 Ratios and Proportional Relationships
Gr. 8 Expressions and Equations
The standards guide and support the instructional objectives of a lesson and should be reviewed and discussed with your students after the learning objective has been read.
2018-2019
THE FRAMEWORK FOR GREAT SCHOOLS
The Six Elements of the Framework for Great Schools
Rigorous Instruction
Instruction is customized, inclusive, motivating, and aligned to the Common Core. High standards are set in every classroom. Students are actively engaged in ambitious intellectual activity and developing critical thinking skills.
Supportive Environment
The school establishes a classroom and school culture where students feel safe, supported, and challenged by their teachers and peers.
Collaborative Teachers
Teachers are committed to the success and improvement of their classrooms and schools. They have the opportunity to participate in professional development within a culture of respect and continuous improvement.
Effective School Leadership
Principals lead by example and nurture the professional growth of teachers and staff, developing and delivering the instructional and social-emotional support that drives student achievement.
Strong Family-Community Ties
School leadership brings resources from the community into the school building by welcoming, encouraging, and developing partnerships with families, businesses, and community-based organizations.
Trust
Everyone works toward the shared goal of improving student outcomes, preparing students for
TEACHER EVALUATION AND PROFESSIONAL GROWTH
MOTP will be calculated based on the following:
Classroom observations based on all four domains and 8 components of the 2013 Edition of Danielson’s Framework for Teaching. Domains which are 1a, 1e, 2a, 2d, 3b, 3c, 3d, and 4e.
Measure of Teacher Practice HEDI Conversion Chart
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Observations
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• Teachers choose an option in September at an initial planning conference. If a teacher decides not to choose an option, the principal shall make the decision as to which option shall be selected.
• Formal, full period observations require a pre- and post- observation conference. The pre-observation conference may take place at the initial planning conference if the teacher so chooses.
• There is no maximum number of observations.
• At least one informal short observation must be unannounced.
• The principal has the discretion to conduct all informal short observations as unannounced.
• Meetings are not required after every informal observation, feedback can be provided in multiple forms.
• Any evidence seen within the classroom or outside of the classroom (e.g. student work and/or assignments, interactions with parents etc. may be considered by the evaluator and scored on the rubric).
Instructional Rounds
Instructional Rounds based on a problem of practice derived from Danielson’s Framework will be one of the instructional settings used for improving professional practice through collaborative work.
The practice of Instructional Rounds grounds school improvement in the actual interactions between teachers, students, and content, also known as the instructional core. It begins with the identification of a problem of practice which becomes the instructional focus. Instructional Rounds provides a collegial and targeted way of observing academic tasks, collectively reflecting on them and using this analysis to guide instructional practice to the next level.
TEACHER TEAMS AND INQUIRY WORK
The PS/MS 124 Teacher/Inquiry Teams are comprised of groups of teachers, administrators, and data specialists who are experts in using a variety of data, including Predictive Assessments, Instructionally Targeted Assessments, NYS Assessments, and classroom work to make data-informed decisions about differentiated instruction. A focused, grade-wise analysis of student work, including monthly writing samples, Fountas an Pinnell Benchmark Assessments and I- Ready progress monitoring software data will provide teachers and administrators with insight into content mastery as well student progress in developing analytical thinking skills, writing from a critical point of view and how student goals align with the Common Core Learning Standards.
Inquiry Teams will focus on target populations of students who are experiencing similar barriers to success in a specific content area. Teacher Teams will develop and implement differentiated, targeted instructional practices in response to the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data and share this information with the school community in order to improve achievement for all students. Meetings will be held bi-weekly during the UFT approved times on Tuesdays. Each grade-level team will maintain a current Teacher Team binder with sign in sheets, agendas, minutes of meetings, and collaborative meeting rubrics. Teacher Team meetings will focus on analyzing student work/data and developing best practices to support student learning in areas of concern based on findings.
Progress Monitoring
Formative and Summative assessments must be conducted on an ongoing basis and must be used to inform instruction, and to support the individual needs of all students. Teachers in grades K-8 must complete an Action Plan for every student that is not on grade level by the first Monday in October. The student goals within the action plan should be based on a variety of data including but not limited to classroom assessments, Go Math Assessments, writing samples, Fountas and Pinnell Reading benchmark assessments for grades K-5, student conferences, state test data and teacher observations. Teachers must be able to show evidence of how the goal was determined through analysis of the data. Goals should be developed according to the S.M.A.R.T goal format and discussed and reviewed periodically with students.
Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark assessments for grades K-5 will be administered in October, January and May. I Ready ELA and Math Diagnostic Assessments must be administered by September 30th and the End of the Year Diagnostic must be administered by June 9th. Go Math assessments must be used on an ongoing basis to assess student understanding throughout each chapter and unit. At the end of each unit all teachers must administer the Go Math “A” test to all students to assess their understanding of content.
WRITING SAMPLES
Teachers in grades K-8 must submit 9 writing samples, which should represent an overview of the different levels in your class. The writing samples must be aligned with the genre’s specified on the writing unit calendar for the 2018-2019 school year. The writing samples must be submitted to your direct supervisor at the date specified on the writing unit calendar (Writing Workshop Format Appendix C). Writing must be taught using a workshop model and must align with the CCLS for writing. The writing samples are to be submitted to the direct supervisor. Every writing piece must have a Common Core Aligned, content specific rubric. Teachers of all subject areas in grades 7 and 8 shall also submit monthly samples of student writing in the content area as outlined in the appropriate Common Core Learning Standards. All classes are expected to complete a monthly writing samples which are graded by the subject area teacher. A different class set of samples should be submitted to direct supervisor for review at the end of each unit
In September all students in grades 1-8 will need to complete an “On Demand” narrative writing sample that must be completed by September 9th. Every student must have a Writer’s Notebook, Writing in Progress (WIP folder) and Writing Portfolio which must include the final, published writing piece. The WIP folder must be Red, and the Portfolio Folder will be Green.
BULLETIN BOARDS
A bulletin board or hallway display should grab the reader’s attention, spark student interest and extend an invitation to learn. The purpose is to communicate one major point or idea. Bulletin boards in both the hallways and the classrooms are the avenue through which exemplary student work and high-caliber teaching, are displayed. Teachers should refer to the current Bulletin Board Schedule for information on hallway displays.
Elements of an Effective Bulletin Board:
• The task should be on the bulletin board which effectively describes the process leading to the completion of the task.
• A title which is neat and uniform
• It should display the Common Core Learning Standards being implemented.
• It should display the rubric used.
• All student work must include the rubric for the piece as well as specific and targeted standards-based feedback consisting of a “glow” and “grow” written on a post-it and attached to students work productsIt should be well-designed and uncluttered, keeping in mind the principles of balance, symmetry and dynamism.
• It should be colorful and visually interesting, where possible, integrating 3-D elements.
• It should reflect the highest standards of presentation ( nothing frayed, torn, or with grammatical errors, no hand-written teacher signs.)
HOMEWORK GUIDELINES
Homework Policy
• Homework should be consistently reviewed by the teacher for completeness and accuracy so parents know that you are monitoring student work.
• Homework sheets must be provided for students in K-2 and must be submitted to your direct supervisor the Friday before the upcoming week (Appendix A).
• The teacher maintains a marking book tracking homework assignments.
• Vacation assignments address all curriculum areas.
• Homework should be reviewed and signed by the parent.
• All student work must be dated and must have an appropriate heading.
• Homework is assigned on all weekends and holidays.
Student Guidelines for Homework
• Homework serves a sound education purpose and grows out of a school experience. It is not intended as punishment or busy work.
• Homework must be within the capabilities of the individual student who should be motivated to correctly and carefully complete the homework assignment.
• Homework must be intended to enlarge or extend the children’s knowledge and understanding of the concept. Assignments should be inquiry-based to challenge students to think critically and analytically.
• Students should be able to complete homework by themselves though at times assistance and guidance may be needed.
• Homework should be given within a reasonable time frame for completion. Students in the lower grades should not be asked to do homework for more than sixty minutes. In the upper grades, homework time might range between an hour to two hours.
LEARNING CENTERS
All K-5 classrooms are to establish learning centers in order to provide a variety of learning alternatives and media to enhance the development of concepts, themes, topics, skills or student interests. Learning centers provide for student individualization and must be developed for learners with varying abilities, interests, and learning styles. Learning centers can be enrichment centers, skill development centers and exploratory and interest centers. Centers can include:
• Literacy/Writing
• Mathematics
• Science
• Social Studies- Inquiry using primary documents
• Computers
• Art
PLANNING AND PLAN BOOKS
Each teacher is a better teacher when he/she has planned a developmental lesson, which includes learning targets, Common Core Standards, learning activities and a follow-up which reinforces the goals and objectives of the lesson. (See Appendix A) Plan books are to be available for supervisors at all times and should be completed for the upcoming week every Monday. Record your plans so they can be easily followed with complete weekly overviews. Use ample writing space, write legibly and date accurately.
Be sure to make use of all available resources for planning and note them in your plan books. Include all curriculum areas, aligned to the CCLS. Integrate curriculum strands to achieve a unified approach to learning which directly impacts on student achievement. Lesson plans should note how students are grouped for instruction based on supporting data, differentiation and assessment practices/strategies.
RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION (RTI)
Response to Intervention is a multi-tiered instruction and intervention model that promotes early identification of students in need of additional support through evidence and research-based instruction, assessment, and intervention. The RTI model applies to all content areas in all grades and includes behavioral strategies. It supports educational models and strategies designed to close achievement gaps by providing high quality instruction for all students and targeted intervention for students demonstrating patterns of concern. Targeted instruction and intervention techniques are systematically applied at varying levels of student performance, and are differentiated based on the areas of need.
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Tier 1: Core Instruction
• Ongoing universal screening, progress monitoring, and prescriptive assessment to design instruction for all students
• Meets the needs of 80-85 percent of students
• Academic intervention is delivered by the classroom teacher.
Tier 2: Targeted Group Intervention
• Students identified as at-risk, performing below expected levels, or needing specific supports to make adequate progress are provided with targeted intensive prevention or remediation services plus Tier 1 instruction.
• Small, same-ability groups of up to four students
• Curriculum-based, individual, very frequent progress monitoring
• Meets the needs of 10 to 15 percent of students
Tier 3: Intensive, Individual Intervention
• Students who continue to struggle without measurable progress after a period of 12 weeks in Tier 1 and Tier 2 instruction/intervention are provided individualized intervention with extended frequency and duration plus Tier 1 instruction.
• Curriculum-based, individual, frequent progress monitoring
• May or may not be provided through special education
• Meets the needs of 5 to 10 percent of students
RUBRICS
Every assignment must have an appropriate rubric. Rubrics have an instructional value as a self reflective assessment tool for students to improve their work over time and accomplish the following:
• Convey your expectations for students’ work and achievement
• Help to clarify for the students what they need to do to be successful and make it possible for students to identify the attributes of exemplary work
• Help students as they proceed with the development of processes and products
• Help to justify and validate grades
• Rubrics ultimately lead to an overall increase in the quality of the student’s work
There are essential components to remember about rubrics:
• Rubrics should be used to support and assess student work from the beginning to the end of an assessment
• Avoid unclear and negative language when designing the rubric
• Only use the rubric as a scoring tool for “what counts” in a piece of work
• Model how to use rubrics for self and peer assessment so that your students can use them independently
• Familiarize students with rubrics by posting them in the classroom and placing them in notebooks (Sample Rubric Appendix B).
• Give students time to revise their work. Send rubrics home so parents can understand assignments and help with homework.
• Rubrics should be included in portfolios to support and evaluate student learning.
TECHNOLOGY
Email is an essential professional communication tool. All staff members have a DOE email account and are expected to maintain and check their inbox on a daily basis. Computers are available in all classrooms for this purpose.
Technology literacy does not mean simply using computers; it means being competent with a variety of new media in ways that strengthen academics skills, deepen critical and creative thinking, and facilitate cooperative learning and problem solving. Technology is an instructional tool to be integrated into the curriculum by all teachers, in every subject. It supports school improvement and educational reform impacting upon student achievement. Over time, students should progress through skills and applications of increasing complexity and sophistication, from basic familiarity with hardware and programs to full integration with academic assignments.
Classroom Portfolios
All students in grades K-5 will be given a yellow folder to be used for Math portfolios, blue folder for Reading and green folder for Writing. In grades 6-8 students must have a portfolio for every content area. Portfolios must include final work products, rubrics, projects and in class assessments. Refrain from putting more than 10 quizzes or tests particularly if they are just multiple choice or short answer. We encourage you to include tests and quizzes that are aligned to the CCLS and that require high levels of student thinking. Portfolios will be monitored by administrators on an ongoing basis.
Curriculum Assessment
To provide for ongoing evaluation to drive instruction the following should be developed, monitored and will be collected for review by supervisors.
• Student Portfolios
• Conference Notes
• Fountas and Pinnell benchmark assessment data
• Notebooks – Classroom/Homework
• Writing Folders
• Writing Notebooks
• Math Journals
• Computer Task Activities
• Group Projects
Progress Reports/Academic Alerts
Teachers will prepare individual student progress reports/academic alerts for students that are not performing at grade level, approximately every six weeks. The purposes of these reports are to keep parents/guardians informed of their child’s academic growth. The reports can be done electronically or by backpacking or mailing them. Additional information about the design and schedule for these reports will be distributed under separate cover.
Report Cards
The student report card is the official document by which we inform parents/guardians of their child’s progress. This year, all report cards for grades K-8 will be done online in STARS with an additional typed narrative to support student growth. Teachers of grades K-5 write narratives for each student targeting areas that need improvement. Teachers of grades 6-8 will write a narrative for students who are in danger of failing their subject.
All Cluster Teachers will be responsible for maintaining supporting documentation through notebooks and work folders. Cluster Teachers will submit grades to the classroom teachers in a timely fashion. In addition, all Clusters will design and mark midterms.
ACADEMIC INTERVENTION SERVICES
What are Academic Intervention Services (AIS)?
Academic Intervention Services are:
• Specific instructional strategies that address a student’s specific needs in Language Acquisition, English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies and/or Science, which supplement the instruction provided in the child’s regular classes.
• Student support services, which could include guidance, counseling, attendance and study skills, which are needed to support increased academic performance.
How are students identified for Academic Intervention Service?
Students (including general education students, special education students and students with limited English proficiency) who did not meet the required performance levels on elementary, middle and high school State Assessments in ELA, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies as noted:
• ELL – Student outcomes on the NYSESLAT.
• Note: All ELL students here a year or more must take the ELA Test.
• ELA and Math Performance levels 1 and 2 for Grades 3-8 on NYS Standardized Assessments.
• I Ready ELA and Math assessment data
• Fountas and Pinnell assessment data
• Go Math assessment data
• MOSL Performance Assessments
Those Students for Whom No Test Score Exists:
Review the student’s report card, transcripts, test scores from previous years, student work samples, teacher recommendations and/or administer District/locally prepared assessments..
When are Academic Intervention Services to be provided to students?
When possible, service should be provided during the school day during PD periods. However, if such services diminish instructional time and consequently prohibit a student from achieving the State Learning Standards, the services may be provided to students beyond the regular school day and year (i.e., Extended Day Programs, Saturday Academy) only when those services are provided during the day as well.
Other Supplementary Services
• Special Circular #6R Assignment (All small-group instruction for grades K-6 on PD periods.)
• Art/Technology Projects
• Small Group Instruction
• Guided Reading
• I Ready Remediation Program
• Tutoring/Remediation by Certified Teacher
• Student Portfolio
• Specialized Assignments/Homework
• Monitoring Student Progress
Referrals to the Pupil Personnel Team (PPT)
Pre-Referrals
A pre- referral is established when the teacher has concerns about student’s academic and/or social development.
The process of a pre-referral includes, but is not limited to; the collection of data/assessments, strategies implemented in the area of concern, work samples, history of attendance, and a strong understanding of students family dynamics.
Suggested Strategies for Implementation PRIOR to Pre-Referral
Small groups (Domain 1E- Designing Coherent Instruction)
Differentiated Instruction/ classwork (Domain 3C-Engaging students in Learning )
UDL (Universal Design of Learning) (Domain 1E- Designing Coherent
Instruction)
Frequent Assessments (Domain 3D-Using Assessment in Instruction)
Small groups (Domain 1E- Designing Coherent instruction)
Differentiated Instruction/ classwork (Domain 3C-Engaging students in Learning )
UDL (Universal Design of Learning) (Domain 1E- Designing Coherent instruction)
Frequent assessments (Domain 3D-using Assessment in Instruction)
All implemented strategies must be progress monitored and the Tiered approach to RTI utilized. All students must receive Tier 1 Interventions (RTI) within their classroom and their classroom teacher for an average of 6-8 weeks. Data should be collected and include assessments, samples, portfolio assignments and conferring notes. If after 6-8 weeks, little or no progress is made a referral to the Pupil Personnel Team (PPT) should be made.
What is the PPT?
PPT stands for “Pupil Personnel Team” and is a team of individuals who meet on a regular basis to review, discuss and share pertinent information around students who may be struggling academically or behaviorally. The PPT utilizes a multidisciplinary approach to support students exhibiting difficulties academically, socially or both. The overall goal of the PPT is to identify resources, services and supports that exist within the school building and provide them to students before a special education referral is made.
All referrals to the PPT WILL NOT RESULT IN AN EVALUATION. Additionally, all referrals to the PPT does not mean students will qualify for, or receive special education services. All cases are reviewed individually and interventions are identified to meet students’ individual needs.
Pre-Referral Form
All referrals to the PPT must be accompanied by a completed Pre-Referral Form. The Referral Form must include the following information: The nature of the referral (specific examples of classroom challenges), any academic and/or behavioral challenges you observe, their frequency and result; a description of ALL the strategies that were implemented (within the last six to eight weeks) PRIOR to the referral and their results, All contacts made with parents, guardians or others, Anectodals, Work Samples and any other pertinent information necessary to assess the student’s needs.
When possible and should scheduling permit, the referring teacher maybe invited to the PPT meeting to provide further information to the team.
Appendix A
INSTRUCTIONAL BEST PRACTICE STRATEGIES:
THE DEVELOPMENTAL LESSON
“The most significant research finding is deceptively simple: Learning is done by the learner. That is, as teachers we tend to think that our students learn on account of what we do. But that is a mistake: Our students don’t learn because of what we do; they learn because of what they do. Our challenge then, is to design learning experiences for students that are interesting and that yield the learning we desire.” (Danielson, Talk About Teaching!, p.36)
Component 1e of Danielson’s Framework for Teaching addresses the different elements of planning and preparation for effective professional practice. Educators must have a deep understanding of their subject area content knowledge, they must know the strengths and learning needs of their students, they must align these with the CCLS and deliver instruction in ways that cognitively engage and challenge all their students. A well-planned developmental lesson is essential to delivering effective instruction.
Every successful lesson utilizes developmental procedures at times. This is especially true when student thinking must be guided by the superior knowledge and experience of the teacher. The teacher’s role as guide includes recognizing the varying abilities of the students and grouping them effectively, encouraging the shy pupil to respond, preventing the over-eager students from dominating the lesson, providing for understanding by students of all ability levels, and checking on that understanding. The developmental lesson guides the learning process by means of skillful, thought-provoking questions formed by the teacher. Questions are developed to encourage thinking and to stimulate student activity in order to arrive at desired understandings and learning.
Lesson Plans should contain the following elements:
❖ The Essential Question
This frames the lesson within the unit and gives the student insight into the big idea that drives and unites the series of lessons within the unit.
❖ The Learning Targets
Learning targets are the foundation of a student-engaged assessment system. They translate state and Common Core standards into learning goals for lessons, projects, units, and courses, and are written in student-friendly language that is concrete and understandable. Because learning targets must come from teachers’ deep understanding of the standards they need to teach, they are the foundation and the connective tissue of a student-engaged assessment system. All other practices refer back to them. Learning targets, which begin with the stem “I can,” are posted in the classroom and tracked carefully by students and teachers. Because learning targets are written for and owned by students who are striving to say, “I can…,” they are as essential ingredient in the engaged part of student-engaged assessment.
❖ The Motivation (Hook)
The motivation “hooks”, or involves the student in the lesson, arousing interest in the significance of the topic. It utilizes the needs, interests, knowledge and experience of students. Such natural impulses as curiosity, sympathy, and personal interests may serve as the basis for an approach to a lesson. Any of the following devices may provide a good motivation for a developmental lesson: current events, challenging statements, novel questions, personal experiences, cartoons, pictures or charts, a movie or a play, a poem, a demonstration, video, story or anecdote.
❖ Previous Preparation, Knowledge, and Experience
The developmental lesson is often based on students’ previous preparation, knowledge or experience. This may take the form of reading from texts and reference books, consulting newspapers and periodicals, interviewing people, taking an excursion to a place of interest, listening to a radio broadcast, referencing a previous lesson, etc. Developmental lessons are often completed within a single period. However, the teacher and class should establish and understand the relationship of any individual lessons to the overall study of a broad topic or even of the term’s work. In addition, the teacher and class pave the way for understandings to develop in the new lesson by reviewing the student’s prior knowledge, which may help to clarify new learning.
❖ Materials
The developmental lesson uses all types of illustrative materials as aids in the solution of the problem. As the lesson progresses, outlines, key words, and summaries should be systematically recorded. Other visual aids are used when relevant. Maps, pictures, globes, charts, slides, bulletin boards, and the strategic use of technology all play their role in helping to clarify and deepen understandings. Read-aloud, and texts of different levels of complexity should be utilized and listed.
❖ Questions
Skillful questioning is the heart of the developmental technique and is addressed in Component 3b, of Danielson’s Framework. A few broad essential questions are prepared by the teacher to stimulate reflective thinking, to direct problem solving, and to assist the teacher in assessing the thinking of the class at various points throughout the lesson. Essential questions are used to motivate a lesson and to encourage active participation on the part of the entire class throughout the lesson. Lower-level questions assess limited elements of student learning. Higher–level questioning advances student learning. Students need sufficient time to think about and respond to a question or to a classmate’s comments. Teachers should wait three to five seconds between asking a question and calling on a respondent.
Student participation is essential in a developmental lesson. The answers to questions and participation in whole-class or group discussion should show evidence of reflective thinking on the part of students. Accountable talk needs to be ongoing and interactive.
❖ Vocabulary
Content-specific vocabulary, multiple meaning words, as well as challenging words crucial to students’ understanding and appreciation of a text should be noted on the lesson plan and explicitly taught within the lesson. Students need repeated exposure to vocabulary in many contexts and through varied strategies, such as through root words and word parts, graphic organizers such as semantic webs and the Frayer Model (see Appendix E) and contextual clues.
❖ Learning Activities
Classroom assignments and activities must be sufficiently rigorous to promote deep learning. Component 3c of Danielson’s Framework (Engaging Students in Learning) addresses the suitability of materials, activities and grouping of students to maximize learning outcomes. According to Danielson, students are more likely to be engaged in learning when lessons contain multiple correct answers and pathways to find them, student choice, relevance to students’ lives, collaboration, and rigor. Activities and assessments should be designed with Depth of Knowledge principles in mind. (See Appendix B. ) Lesson plans should specify materials and procedures for both teacher and students. It should be clear what the teacher plans to do and what students are expected to do. Student groups should be indicated. Learning activities should be tiered and differentiated, in other words, they must include multiple points of entry for all students according to Universal Design for Learning principles. (See Appendix B)
❖ Summary
The summary at the close of the lesson should clinch the main points and assist the teacher and class in evaluating the success with which the objective and standards were met. Such a summary may be based on outlines developed during the lesson, an oral summary by one of the students or it may take the form of a new problem that evolves from the lesson and requires students to apply the knowledge they developed in this lesson to a new situation.
❖ Assessment
Assessment of student learning must be planned in advance and woven into the lesson. It may take the form of pivotal questions, exit slips, conferences, or any activity specifically designed to reveal students’ understanding and mastery of lesson goals. It should be ongoing and formative, resulting in instructional modifications when necessary. Summative assessments should be aligned with Common Core Learning Standards. Students should be fully aware of the criteria and performance standards by which their work will be evaluated.
A sample lesson plan template with provisions for each of these elements follows on the next two pages.
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|Essential Question: (What is the overarching idea that frames the lesson within the unit?) |
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|Student Grouping/Rationale: |
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|What will the teacher do? |What will the students do?(tasks) |
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|UDL multiple points of entry/representation/assessment (differentiation elements) |
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|Questioning (What questions will I ask students? How will I scaffold my questions so that they are high-level?): |
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|Formative Assessment (How do I know whether students mastered the objective? What checking for understanding techniques will I use?) |
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Appendix B
INSTRUCTIONAL BEST PRACTICES:
THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS of CLASSROOM PRACTICES
1. DIFFERENTIATION OF INSTRUCTION USING THE PRINCIPLES OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING (UDL)
Children learn in a myriad of ways. Their strengths and weaknesses are varied and it is incumbent on the teacher to intellectually challenge and engage all students, all of the time. Differentiated instruction is not an instructional model but rather more of an instructional approach by the teacher. Differentiation depends on meaningful and valid assessment of student learning. The assessment of student learning is an ongoing process that uses data from multiple sources. Teachers must be able to utilize data to guide instructional decisions and set targeted individual and class goals for students using the S.M.A.R.T. goal format.
Planning through the lens of the principles of Universal Design for Learning provides students with multiple points of entry to the lesson as well as multiple modes of representation and tiered assessment. To this end teachers need to:
• Affirm that students have different learning styles, needs, interests and abilities.
• Use ongoing formal and informal assessments to monitor student progress and discern levels of understanding.
• Begin on the students’ present level of performance.
• Design differentiated, tiered assignments to address students’ learning needs.
• Utilize different learning modalities within the framework of your instructional lesson.
• Provide high levels of challenge and active engagement in rigorous, relevant and significant learning.
• Provide specific ways for each student to learn.
• Provide flexibility.
• Recognize that students do not all need to do the same work in exactly the same way.
• Utilize flexible instructional grouping to provide the students with opportunities to learn with others who have similar needs and interests.
• Partner with your colleagues and stream students to other classes for targeted instruction.
|Questions to Guide Our Thinking When Creating |
|Universally-Designed Curriculum |
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|What Common Core Learning Standards for this grade are being addressed? |
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|CONCEPTS TO CONSIDER |
|What concepts do the students need to know --so that they will be able to complete |
|the task/unit successfully? |
|How will I prepare students who have not yet mastered these concepts --so that they |
|will be able to complete the task/unit successfully? |
|What concepts will the student learn after the completion of task/unit? |
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|SKILLS TO CONSIDER |
|What prerequisite skills do the students need to have mastered already --so that they will be |
|able to complete the task/unit successfully? |
|How will I prepare students who have not yet mastered these skills --so that they |
|will be able to complete the task/unit successfully? |
|What new skills will the students have mastered upon completion of the task/unit? |
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|PROVIDE MULTIPLE MEANS OF REPRESENTATION |
|How am I going to ensure that key information is equally perceptible by all students --so |
|that they will be able to complete the task/unit successfully? |
|How am I going to ensure accessibility, clarity, and comprehensibility for all students--so |
|that they will be able to complete the task/unit successfully? |
|How am I going to provide the necessary scaffolds to ensure that all students have access to knowledge and can assimilate new information--so that they will |
|be able to complete |
|the task/unit successfully? |
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|PROVIDE MULTIPLE MEANS OF ACTION AND EXPRESSION |
|Have materials been provided with which all students can interact, navigate, and express |
|what they know--so that they will be able to complete the task/unit successfully? |
|Have I provided alternative modalities for expression, to level the playing field and to allow |
|all students the opportunity to express knowledge, ideas, and concepts in the learning |
|environment--so that they will be able to complete the task/unit successfully? |
|Have I provided necessary strategies and scaffolds to help students plan and |
|develop their work --so that they will be able to complete the task/unit successfully? |
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|PROVIDE MULTIPLE MEANS OF ENGAGEMENT |
|Have I provided alternative ways to engage student interest, ways that reflect inter- and intra- individual differences among students--so that they will be |
|able to complete the task/unit successfully? |
|Have I provided options for students who differ in motivation and self-regulation skills, |
|aptitudes and prior experience --so that they will be able to complete the task/unit successfully? |
2. DESIGNING AUTHENTIC AND RIGOROUS LEARNING ACTIVITIES USING SCALES of COGNITIVE COMPLEXITY
A: Bloom’s Taxonomy
Taxonomy identifies three domains of learning which include cognitive, affective and psychomotor. The focus here is the Cognitive Domain. The cognitive domain involves knowledge and the development of intellectual skills. This includes the recall or recognition of specific facts, procedural patterns, and concepts serve in the development of intellectual abilities and skills. The lower levels of thinking are primarily receptive in nature because the thinker may not even comprehend the facts that are the basis for thoughts. The higher levels of thinking are active because the thinker is doing things with ideas such as analyzing them or creating something new with the ideas.
Blooms Level I: Knowledge
Exhibits memory of previously learned material by recalling fundamental facts, terms, basic concepts and answers about the selection.
Keywords: who, what, why, when, omit, where, which, choose, find, how, define, label, show, spell, list, match, name, relate, tell, recall, select
Blooms Level II: Comprehension
Demonstrate understanding of facts and ideas by organizing, comparing, translating, interpreting, giving descriptors and stating main ideas.
Keywords: compare, contrast, demonstrate, interpret, explain, extend, illustrate, infer, outline, relate, rephrase, translate, summarize, show, classify
Blooms Level III: Application
Solve problems in new situations by applying acquired knowledge, facts, techniques and rules in a different, or new way.
Keywords: apply. build, choose, construct, develop, interview, make use of, organize, experiment with, plan, select, solve, utilize, model, identify
Blooms Level IV: Analysis
Examine and break information into parts by identifying motives or causes. Make
inferences and find evidence to support generalizations.
Keywords: analyze, categorize, classify, compare, contrast, discover, dissect, divide, examine, inspect, simplify, survey, test for, distinguish, list, distinction, theme, relationships, function, motive, inference, assumption, conclusion, take part in
Blooms Level V: Synthesis
Compile information together in a different way by combining elements in a new pattern or proposing alternative solutions.
Keywords: build, choose, combine, compile, compose, construct, create, design, develop, estimate, formulate, imagine, invent, make up, originate, plan, predict, propose, solve, solution, suppose, discuss, modify, change, original, improve, adapt, minimize, maximize, theorize, elaborate, test, happen, delete
Blooms Level VI: Evaluation
Present and defend opinions by making judgments about information, validity of ideas or quality of work based on a set of criteria.
Keywords: award, choose, conclude, criticize, decide, defend, determine, dispute, evaluate, judge, justify, measure, compare, mark, rate, recommend, rule on, select, agree, appraise, prioritize, opinion, interpret, explain, support importance, criteria, prove, disprove, assess, influence, perceive, value, estimate, deduct
B: Depth of Knowledge
Depth of Knowledge is a scale of thinking, or cognitive demand that aligns standards with assessments and tasks. Similar in approach to Bloom’s Taxonomy, it is a way for educators to assess the level at which their learning objectives, activities and assessments are cognitively demanding. Unlike Bloom’s Taxonomy, it is not determined by the verb used or the difficulty of an assignment, but by the context in which the verb is used and depth of thinking required. There are four levels of cognitive complexity:
Level 1: Recall and Reproduction : This requires recall of information such as a fact, definition, term or the performance of a simple process or procedure.
ELA/Social Studies: Activities require only a shallow understanding of a text and often consist of verbatim recall from a reading or simple understanding of a single word or phrase. Some examples from ELA/Social Studies that represent but do not constitute all of Level 1 performance are:
• Support ideas by reference to details in the text.
• Use a dictionary to find the meaning of words.
• Identify figurative language in a reading passage.
• Use punctuation marks correctly.
• Identify Standard English grammatical structures and refer to resources for correction.
• Recall, recite or reproduce information
• Recognize or identify specific information contained in maps, charts, tables, graphs, or drawings.
Mathematics/Science: This includes the recall of information such as a fact, definition, term, or a simple procedure, as well as performing a simple algorithm or applying a formula in a clearly defined series of steps. That is, in mathematics a one-step, well-defined, and straight algorithmic procedure should be included at this lowest level. Key words that signify a Level 1 include “identify,” “recall,” “recognize,” “use,” and “measure.” (Verbs such as “describe” and “explain” could be classified at different levels depending on what is to be described and explained.) Some examples of Level 1 math/science activities are:
• Applying a formula to solve a one-step problem.
• Recall or recognize a fact, term, or property.
• Simple word problems that can be directly translated into and solved by a formula.
• Represent in words or diagrams a scientific concept or relationship.
• Provide or recognize a standard scientific representation for simple phenomenon.
• Perform a routine procedure such as measuring length.
Level 2: Skills and Concepts : This includes the engagement of some mental processing beyond recalling or reproducing a response, such as requiring students to make some decisions as to how to approach the question or problem. More than one mental process or step is required.
ELA/Social Studies:
Standards and items at this level may include words such as summarize, interpret, infer, classify, organize, collect, display, compare, and determine whether fact or opinion. Literal main ideas are stressed. A Level 2 assessment item may require students to apply some of the skills and concepts that are covered in Level 1. Some examples from ELA/Social Studies that represent but do not constitute all of Level 2 performance are:
• Use context cues to identify the meaning of unfamiliar words.
• Predict a logical outcome based on information in a reading selection.
• Identify and summarize the main ideas or events in a reading selection and pertinent details.
• Construct compound sentences.
• Use simple organizational strategies to structure written work.
• Contrast or compare people, places, events and concepts.
• Convert information from one form to another
• Classify or sort items into meaningful categories
• Interpret or explain issues and problems, patterns, reasons, cause and effect, significance or impact, relationships, points of view or processes.
Mathematics/Science:
This includes the engagement of some mental processing beyond a rote response. It requires students to make some decisions as to how to approach the problem or activity. Keywords that generally distinguish a Level 2 item include “classify,” “organize,” ”estimate,” “make observations,” “collect and display data,” and “compare data.” These actions imply more than one step. Sample Level 2 math/science assignments include:
• Interpreting information from a simple graph
• Multi-step problems with simple explanations of thinking
• Explaining the purpose and use of experimental procedures;
• Carrying out experimental procedures
• Making observations and collecting data;
• Classifying, organizing, and comparing data
• Organizing and displaying data in tables, graphs, and charts.
• Describe and explain examples and non-examples of science or mathematical concepts.
Level 3: Strategic Thinking. Deep knowledge becomes more of a focus at Level 3. Students are still required to show understanding of the ideas in the text but they are encouraged to explain, generalize, or connect ideas. Standards and items at Level 3 involve reasoning and planning.
ELA/Social Studies:
Students must be able to support their thinking with details and examples. Items may involve abstract theme identification, inference across an entire passage, or students’ application of prior knowledge. Items may also involve more superficial connections between texts. Students would go beyond explaining or describing “how and why” to justifying the “how and why” through application and evidence. Some examples from ELA/Social Studies that represent but do not constitute all of Level 3 performance are:
• Determine the author’s purpose and describe how it affects the interpretation of a reading selection.
• Summarize information from multiple sources to address a specific topic.
• Analyze and describe the characteristics of various types of literature.
• Use voice appropriate to the purpose and audience.
• Edit and revise writing to produce a logical progression of ideas supported by details and examples.
• Applying concepts to new situations
• Analyze similarities and differences in issues and problems.
• Making connections across time and place to explain a concept or big idea
Mathematics/Science:
These activities require complex reasoning, planning, using evidence, and a higher level of thinking than the previous two levels. In most instances, requiring students to explain their thinking or conjecture in depth is a Level 3. The cognitive demands at Level 3 are complex and abstract. Some examples of Level 3 math/science activities are:
• An activity that has more than one possible answer and requires students to justify their response.
• Drawing conclusions from observations and experimental data
• Citing evidence and developing a logical argument for concepts
• Explaining phenomena in terms of concepts
• Using concepts to solve problems.
• Interpreting information from a complex graph that requires some decisions on what features of the graph need to be considered and how information from the graph can be aggregated
• Identify research questions and design investigations for a scientific problem.
• Solve non-routine problems.
• Develop a scientific model for a complex situation.
Level 4: Extended Thinking. Requires higher-order thinking and deep knowledge. Students are expected to make connections, relate ideas within the content and select or devise one approach among many alternatives on how the situation can be solved.
ELA/Social Studies:
Students are expected to create compositions that demonstrate a distinct voice and that stimulate the reader or listener to consider new perspectives on the addressed ideas and themes. Students should analyze and synthesize information from multiple sources, examine and explain alternative perspectives across a variety of sources and/or describe and illustrate how common themes and concepts are found across time and place. Level 4 DOK assignments often require an extended period of time for completion. Some examples from ELA/social studies that represent but do not constitute all of Level 4 performance are:
• Analyze and synthesize information from multiple sources.
• Examine and explain alternative perspectives across a variety of sources.
• Describe and illustrate how common themes are found across texts from different cultures.
• Write an analysis of two selections, identifying the common theme and generating a purpose that is appropriate for both.
• Illustrate how common themes and concepts are found across time and place.
• Make predictions with evidential support.
• Develop a logical argument.
• Develop solutions to problems.
Mathematics/Science:
Level 4 activities require students to combine and synthesize ideas into new concepts. Some examples of mathematics/science Level 4 activities include:
• Students should be required to make several connections, to relate ideas within the content area or among content areas and have to select one approach among many to solve the problem.
• Designing and conducting experiments
• Based on provided data from a complex experiment that is novel to the student, deduct the fundamental relationship between several controlled variables.
• Conduct an investigation, from specifying a problem to designing and carrying out an experiment, to analyzing its data and forming conclusions.
• Making connections between a finding and related concepts and phenomena
• Critiquing experimental designs.
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|THE SIX TYPES OF SOCRATIC QUESTIONS |
Critical thinking is the process we use to reflect on, access and judge the assumptions underlying our own and others ideas and actions.
Socratic questioning is at the heart of critical thinking and a number of homework problems draw from R.W. Paul's six types of Socratic questions:
|1. Questions for clarification: |Why do you say that? |
| |How does this relate to our discussion? |
| |"Are you going to include diffusion in your mole balance equations?" |
|2. Questions that probe assumptions: |What could we assume instead? |
| |How can you verify or disapprove that assumption? |
| |"Why are neglecting radial diffusion and including only axial diffusion?" |
|3. Questions that probe reasons and evidence:|What would be an example? |
| |What is....analogous to? |
| |What do you think causes to happen...? Why:? |
| |"Do you think that diffusion is responsible for the lower conversion?" |
|4. Questions about Viewpoints and |What would be an alternative? |
|Perspectives: |What is another way to look at it? |
| |Would you explain why it is necessary or beneficial, and who benefits? |
| |Why is the best? |
| |What are the strengths and weaknesses of...? |
| |How are...and ...similar? |
| |What is a counterargument for...? |
| |"With all the bends in the pipe, from an industrial/practical standpoint, do |
| |you think diffusion will affect the conversion?" |
|5. Questions that probe implications and |What generalizations can you make? |
|consequences: |What are the consequences of that assumption? |
| |What are you implying? |
| |How does...affect...? |
| |How does...tie in with what we learned before? |
| |"How would our results be affected if neglected diffusion?" |
|6. Questions about the question: |What was the point of this question? |
| |Why do you think I asked this question? |
| |What does...mean? |
| |How does...apply to everyday life? |
| |"Why do you think diffusion is important?" |
PROJECT-BASED LEARNING
Project-based learning is essential. It is the instructional strategy of empowering learners to pursue content knowledge on their own and demonstrate their new understandings through a variety of presentation modes. Because students are driving the learning, they can draw upon their strengths and create projects that incorporate their own interests, native language, cultural background, abilities and preference for using different types of media.
Effective project-based learning has the following characteristics:
• Leads students to investigate important ideas and questions
• Is framed around an inquiry process
• Is differentiated according to student’s needs and interests.
• Is driven by student independent production and presentation rather than teacher delivery of information
• Requires the use of creative thinking, critical thinking and information skills to investigate, draw conclusions about, an create content
• Connects to real world and authentic problems and issues
3. CAMBOURNE’S CONDITIONS FOR LEARNING
Cambourne’s conditions for learning are used constantly throughout teaching and learning and are demonstrated through the behaviors of the learners, the planning of the teacher, and the environment in which children learn. Teachers must consciously plan to demonstrate a skill e.g. report writing, just as they must carefully plan the environment of the classroom. By considering and reflecting upon the classroom environment, teachers can effectively plan for conditions such as approximation, expectation, and engagement.
Immersion
Students who are learning to read and write need to be deeply involved in both oral and
written language. Immersion refers to creating the print rich environment that makes the
aforementioned possible. There is a wide array of meaningful texts and student work.
The teacher and students refer to the charts and labels as part of their daily life as
readers and writers.
Demonstration
Students need clear and powerful examples of effective reading and writing strategies.
Teachers model these strategies in a variety of contexts so that students can see what
fluent readers, writers and speakers do. These strategies must be explicitly modeled
repeatedly by the teacher who uses them in a variety of contexts and at different times.
Expectation
Effective teachers have high expectations for all students. Teachers must communicate
both implicitly and explicitly that their students can be fluent readers and writers. The
classroom culture must be centered among high expectations for all students.
Responsibility
In a successful classroom everyone shares the responsibility for success. Thoughtful
teachers are careful not to create dependent students who rely on the teacher for
correction and decision-making. As students begin to take responsibility for their
learning, they make more informed decisions during independent reading and writing.
Approximation
Literate classrooms provide a risk-free environment for students to take incremental steps
when learning and practicing new strategies. Teachers must allow students the time and
opportunity to practice and master skills as they are taught. Making errors is part of the
learning process, and students need the opportunity to learn from their mistakes and work
through them.
Use
Students need multiple opportunities to practice new strategies. The more opportunities
students get to use their skills, the larger their repertoire of usable skills becomes.
Honing skills also assists students in expansion of their prior knowledge.
Response
In effective classrooms, students get supportive and accurate feedback from their teacher.
Teachers need to assist students in expanding their prior knowledge. Students need to learn how to respond effectively. As students develop a self-assessment process, they learn how to respond constructively to the work of their peers.
Engagement
Ongoing opportunities to speak, read and write provide multiple opportunities for
students to practice and gain fluency. The active involvement helps students understand that they can be effective speakers, readers and writers, which directly impacts upon their independence. Engagement is an essential factor in all parts of teaching and learning. If the learner is not engaged, then there is little opportunity to construct new understandings.
4. THE PRINCIPLES OF LEARNING
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Organize for Effort
• A clear, high minimum set of standards that every student is expected to meet is established in each subject.
• All students are taught a curriculum that prepares them to meet the standards.
• Additional instruction and learning time is provided for students who need it in order to meet the standards.
• When there are special learning opportunities, a willingness to do the work is the primary admission criterion.
• Students are responsible for completing academic work that has been specified and negotiated.
• There are specified bodies of work that students must accomplish by the end of key stages of schooling.
Clear Expectations
• Standards that include models of student work are available to and discussed with students.
• Students judge their work with respect to standards.
• Intermediate expectations leading to the formally measured standards are specified.
• Families and community are informed about the accomplishment standards children are expected to achieve.
Accountable Talk
• A substantial portion of instructional time involves students in peer or teacher led talk related to the concepts delineated in the standards.
• Talk must be accountable to:
o The learning community
o Accurate information
o Standards of evidence
o In instructional discussions teacher and students:
• Press for clarification of proposals and challenges
• Recognize and challenge misconceptions
• Demand evidence for claims and arguments
• Interpret and use each others’ statements
• Build on the ideas of others
•
Please see chart on the next page for samples of accountable talk stems.
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Recognition of Accomplishment
• Frequent and regular occasions for recognizing student accomplishment linked to standards are established.
• Recognition events mark real accomplishment – meeting a standard or intermediate expectation.
• Enough clearly demarcated progress points are set so that all students experience recognition and celebration of their accomplishments periodically.
• Families and other community members who matter to students participate in celebrations and recognition events.
• Employers and colleges recognize and ask for evidence of academic accomplishments of high school students.
Fair and Credible Evaluations
• Exams and tests are referenced to standards and designed to be studied for. These exams and tests are valid when students are directly prepared to take them.
• Exams, tests and classwork are graded against absolute standards, not on a curve.
• A reporting system exists that makes it clear to students and their parents how they are progressing toward expected standards.
• Assessments validly test the full range of adopted standards.
• Curriculum and assessments are aligned.
• “Public accountability” assessment instruments and “instructional assessments” are aligned.
Academic Rigor in a Thinking Curriculum
• Commitment to knowledge core.
• High thinking demand.
• Active use of knowledge.
Socializing Intelligence
• Students are acquiring and using strategies for learning and problem-solving.
• Students are acquiring and using strategies for appropriately getting and giving help in learning.
• Staff communicates to all students that they are already competent learners, and are able to become even better through their persistent use of strategies and by reflecting on their efforts.
• Classroom practice holds students accountable for using learning, problem-solving, and helping strategies.
• Students are persistent when working on challenging problems.
• Students regularly expect to do “better than before.”
Learning as Apprenticeship
• Students create authentic products for authentic audiences.
• Student products meet publicly agreed upon standards of quality.
• Experts from within the school or from the community critique and guide student work.
• Learning strategies and thinking are overtly modeled and discussed.
|Danielson For Kids |
|Component 3b: Student Rubric for Questioning and Discussion Proficiency |
|Target Areas |Ineffective - Level 1 |Developing – Level 2 |Effective- Level 3 |Highly Effective- Level 4 |
|Questions |I answered only yes/no or |I was challenged to answer open ended |I took time to think and answer |I took time to think and answer |
| |one word answer questions. |questions which required some thought but |open-ended questions and justified my |open-ended questions and justified my |
| |[pic] |did not always respond or did not always |thinking. |thinking. I asked/created my own |
| | |explain my thinking. |[pic] |questions. |
| | |[pic] | |[pic] |
|Discussion |I had discussions only with |I was invited to, but did not respond to |My responses allowed my teacher to |My responses allowed my teacher to build|
|techniques |my teacher and did not speak|my classmates’ ideas. |build on and use my answers |on and use my answers effectively. I was|
| |to my peers. |[pic] |effectively. I was able to discuss |able to discuss without teacher |
| | | |without teacher involvement. [pic] |involvement and I helped to extend and |
| |[pic] | | |enrich the discussion. |
| | | | |[pic] |
|Participation |I attempted to dominate the |Only a small number of classmates |I was one of many students who were |I was one of many students who were |
| |discussion or sat through |participated in the discussion. I was not|actively engaged in the discussion. |actively engaged in the discussion and I|
| |the lesson without being |one of them. |[pic] |made sure that all voices were heard |
| |involved through the lesson.|[pic] | |during a discussion. |
| | | | |[pic] |
| |[pic] [pic] | | | |
Appendix C:
OVERVIEW OF CURRICULA
ELA
Print Rich Classrooms
• The skill and genre that the class is working on should be posted.
• Rubrics should be posted.
• Many examples of student writing, with appropriate teacher feedback should be on display.
Reading Notebooks
• All students should have a reading notebook
• All students in grades K-6 must have a reading log listing the “Just Right” books read and include a short summary for each book.
• Every student should know their reading level and given books at their level to read in class and at home.
• Grades 2-6 doing homework reading contracts should have a separate notebook or folder.
Reading Strategy Program/Balanced Literacy Framework
• Plan and implement interdisciplinary instruction to include the skill of the week
• Spiral strategies
• Reinforce reading skills in informational text utilizing Reading In The Content Area
• Conference with students during guided reading and independent reading.
• Assign reading homework in grades K-8
Writing Program
• Follow the Writing Workshop format in teaching writing (brainstorming ideas, choosing a seed idea, developing a seed idea, drafting, revising, editing and publishing)
• Every writing lesson must include a mini lesson and a teaching point
• Students should be given an opportunity to write independently daily
• Utilize various graphic oorganizers to support students in organizing their ideas during the writing workshop
• Student writing samples should be published at the end of each unit
• All reading contracts must include a writing component
Writers Workshop Structure
| |Time |
|Component |(Approximately 45 minutes) |
| | |
|Connection: |2 |
| | |
|Teaching: |10 |
|Demonstration: | |
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|Active Engagement: | |
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|Link: |1 |
| | |[pic] |
|Small Group Strategy Lesson (3-4 Students): |10 | |
| | | |
|Individual conferencing (2-3 Students): |5 | |
| | | |
|Mid-Workshop interruption/emphasis: |2 | |
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|Partnerships/Small Groups: |10 |
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|Share- (Final Summary): |5 |
Six Week Unit of Writing Sample Structure
|Component |Time Frame |
|Brainstorming |1 Week |
|Choosing a Seed Idea |1-2 Days |
|Developing a Seed Idea |1- Week |
|Drafting |2 Weeks |
|Revision |1 Week |
|Editing |2-3 Days |
|Publishing |1 Day |
MATH
Using Manipulatives in Math: An Essential Strategy
Manipulatives provide a strong basis for conceptual understanding and should be used as often as possible to aid concept development. Students need more than paper and pencil activities to achieve success. Keep in mind what you want to achieve by using manipulatives.
Planning
Before beginning with manipulatives ask yourself:
• What materials do I have available? Do I have enough?
• How do I plan to pass these materials out to the students?
• How do I plan to collect these materials once I’ve used them?
• How do I plan to store these materials until I use them again?
What a Math Class Should Look Like
A math classroom should provide practical experience in mathematical skills that are a bridge to the real world of jobs and adult responsibilities. This goes beyond memorization into a world of reasoning and problem solving. Sounds good, but how will I recognize a good math classroom when I see it?
Look for these changes from the traditional classroom, and if you see them, you will be looking at a classroom that is preparing the students for the world outside of school.
What are the students doing?
1. Interacting with each other, as well as working independently.
2. Having rich discussions
3. Working diligently to solve real life problems
4. Working in partnerships/ small groups
5. Responding to critical thinking and engaging questions
6. Generating thought provoking questions
Ten Principles of Thinking Mathematics
• Build from intuitive knowledge.
• Establish a strong number sense through counting, estimation, use of benchmarks, mental computation skills and understanding the effects of operations.
• Base instruction on situational story problems.
• Use manipulatives and other representations to represent problem situations, and then link concrete and symbolic representations.
• Require students to describe and justify their mathematical thinking.
• Accept multiple correct solutions, and when appropriate, more than one correct answer.
• Balance conceptual and procedural learning.
• Use a variety of teaching strategies.
• Use ongoing and new types of assessment to guide instruction.
• Adjust the curriculum time line.
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SOCIAL STUDIES
The New York City K-8 Scope and Sequence & Passport to Social Studies are a comprehensive resource and curriculum that integrate national standards, the New York State Social Studies Core Curriculum (content, concepts, key ideas, understandings and performance indicators), the Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS) and the New York State K-8 Social Studies Framework. The following Framework elements are highlighted:
Key Ideas, the central organizing feature for each grade, represent the essential and enduring content understandings that should be the focus of teaching and learning for each grade.
The six social studies practices of gathering, using and interpreting evidence, chronological reasoning and causation, comparison and contextualization, applying geographic reasoning, understanding economics and economic systems, and engaging in civic participation.
Each yearly course of study is organized around a suggested time frame for core content (units of study) guided by essential questions. Teachers can use the document to focus on planning coherent instruction that considers relevant skills, practices and knowledge objectives for deep historical understanding.
For students in grades K-8, the social studies content should be integrated with the relevant CCLS by utilizing the standards for reading informational text, writing informational text, speaking/listening and language standards and the standards for Literacy in History and Social Studies (grades 6-8).
The link for the Social Studies Scope and Sequence for K-8 as well as the Passport To Social Studies Curriculum are below:
SCIENCE
New York State Learning Standards for Mathematics, Science, and Technology (MST)
In March of 1996 the New York State Board of Regents adopted the New York State Learning Standards for Mathematics, Science, and Technology (MST).This adoption included seven standards with four of the standards comprising the process skills and three of the standards covering specific content. Currently, all NYC schools follow the New York State Learning Standards for Mathematics, Science, and Technology (MST) and the NYS assessments in science are developed based on these standards. The standards are as follows:
Standard 1 – Analysis, Inquiry, and Design
Standard 2 – Information Systems
Standard 3 – Mathematics
Standard 4 – Science
Standard 5 – Technology Education
Standard 6 – Interconnectedness: Common Themes
Standard 7 – Interdisciplinary Problem Solving
The New York State Education Department followed with the development of Core Curriculum resource guides in Elementary-level Science (Grades K-4), Intermediate-level Science (Grades 5-8) and Commencement-level Science (Grades 9-12) in Chemistry, Earth Science, Living Environment, and Physics. The core curriculum resource guides consist of the content standards, the key ideas, and the performance indicators with major understandings.
The P.S. /M.S. 124 Science Program emphasizes a hands-on, inquiry-based approach to learning. Students will learn to communicate their thoughts, use appropriate scientific language, and demonstrate their understanding of science skills and procedures. This is consistent with a national focus on the integration of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) which emphasizes providing opportunities for students to become immersed in a variety of hands on/minds on learning experiences that are interesting, stimulating, and relevant to students’ lives.
Middle school students engage in more in-depth study of the natural world, culminating in seventh and eighth grade exit projects. Accelerated eighth graders complete the Living Environment program for NYS Regents credit. Middle school curricula should include components aligned to the Common Core Reading Standards for Literacy in Science.
In conjunction with the prescribed science units supplemental science materials and manipulatives, including class sets of science stories, are available aligned to your grade-level standards.
The link for the Science Scope and Sequence for K-5 is below:
THE ARTS
The Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in the Arts: PreK-12 provides a standards-based, rigorous approach to teaching the arts.
The Link for the Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in the Arts for PreK-12 is below:
Appendix E
VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT USING THE FRAYER MODEL
(Source: Adolescent literacy website: )
Top of Form
Background
The Frayer Model is a strategy that uses a graphic organizer for vocabulary building. This technique requires students to (1) define the target vocabulary words or concepts, and (2) apply this information by generating examples and non-examples. This information is placed on a chart that is divided into four sections to provide a visual representation for students.
Benefits
This instructional strategy promotes critical thinking and helps students to identify and understand unfamiliar vocabulary. The Frayer Model can be used with the entire class, small groups, or for individual work. The Frayer Model draws on a student's prior knowledge to build connections among new concepts and creates a visual reference by which students learn to compare attributes and examples.
Create and use the strategy
Pre-select a list of key vocabulary from a reading selection. The Frayer Model should be explained and a graphic organizer provided to each student. Then direct students to complete the template individually, in small groups or as a whole class. Model the type and quality of desired answers for the specific concept.
1. Review vocabulary words or concept list with the class before students read the selection.
2. Have students read the assigned text and carefully define the target concepts. Have students complete the four-square chart for each concept.
3. Ask the students to share their conclusions with the entire class. These presentations may be used to review the entire list of new vocabulary or concepts.
Further reading
The link below models how to use the Frayer Model graphic organizer in mathematics.
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Frayer Model Graphic Organizer
Please note:
Staff will be held responsible for the information contained in this handbook. Updates to this handbook will be provided as needed during the year.
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Sample Lesson Plan Template
Teacher’s Name:
Date: Class Subject
Accountable
Talk
Fair and
Credible
Evaluations
Academic
Rigor in a
Thinking Curriculum
Learning
As
Apprenticeship
Socializing
Intelligence
Recognition
of
Accomplishment
Clear
Expectations
Organize
For
Effort
The Principles of Learning
Definition
Examples
Non-examples
Facts
Word/Concept
................
................
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