WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 29 TH FRENCH DEPARTMENT: BEST PRACTICES

AGENDA: FEBRUARY 29 TH, 2012 TimeActivity 1:45 – 2:00pm Important Dates & Announcements 2:00 – 2:30pm Presentation: French Department Best Practices 2:30 – 3:15pm Departmental Collaboration Time 3:15 – 3:30pm Advisory Preparation

UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES  Saturday, 3/3/12 – 10 th Grade Parent Meeting  Saturday, 3/10/12 – 11 th Grade Parent Meeting  Tues/Wed, 3/13-3/14 – CAHSEE  Monday, 3/19/12 – 10 Week Grades Due  Saturday, 3/24/12 – 9 th Grade Parent Meeting  Mon/Tues, 3/26-3/27 – Q3 Benchmarks

ANNOUNCEMENTS  CAHSEE Updates  10 Minute Rule  Million Word Challenge

This is a regional contest, but only our 9 th grade class will be participating. This is a great opportunity for you to show not just the school, but the entire city that you are a reader and that you want to be recognized for that. #39

What is this all about?

CONSIDER THESE FACTS…. Literacy (being able to read at the proper grade level) is not just a problem at ESAT. It’s a problem everywhere. We can’t be okay with just reading in class during AR. And honestly, we need to read more than 30 minutes everyday if we want to become better readers.

The Million Word Challenge (MWC) runs from February 1 st – April. I haven’t determined the exact finish date yet, but I will tell you before the due date. This is something I wanted to add as an incentive to reading for AR. Rather than just earning a grade for my class, now you have a second goal: to win the challenge! Let’s go over the guidelines.

Frequently Asked Questions: Can I get credit for books I’ve already read? Yes and no. You may only log the books you’ve read beginning in February. Be sure to look closely at your Reading Log or your AR records. For example: This student can only get credit for the Million Word Challenge for these books.

Frequently Asked Questions: Do I have to log my reading on the class Reading Log PLUS the MWC Reading Log? No. Just log your reading on the MWC Reading Log during the competition. Keep in mind that I will be collecting these at the end of the month. For example: Be sure to get a parent signature after you read for your 30 minutes of HW! Any questions?

PD PLAN: WHERE ARE WE TODAY? Individual Reflection on Practice, Journaling, Data Analysis Grade-Level/Department Literacy, Common Policies & Procedures, Peer Consultancy, Rigor Toolkit (Marzano) ESAT Community College-Readiness, Special Education, Ethics & Citizenship

T-P-S In what ways do you incorporate data analysis and differentiation in your practice? Level 3: The teacher draws a specific connection between the student data sources used, the content organization, instructional strategies and grouping in order to meet specific student needs. Level 4: All of level 3 and… The teacher includes specific opportunities for students to use self-assessment data to guide their instructional choices. 1.3 – Use student data to guide planning

BEST PRACTICES - AGENDA Breaking Down the Data (Ms. Marrone) Differentiation and Student Choice (Ms. Eyler) “I think that’s the most helpful thing we can have because we’re seeing what we’re struggling in. When we want to retake something, we know what we need to work on and why.” – French 3 Student

DATA BREAK DOWN Rationale/Purpose: Didn’t have a good idea of what students were really struggling on Wanted to be more clear with ourselves and students with what categories students were proficient in and categories that need further work What it looks like now: Skill categories in the gradebook Tests separated into skill categories Review lessons designed based on areas of concern

OTHER PARTS OF THE REFLECTION Will you retake your any section of the test? YESNO What sections? What section(s) did you do the BEST on? What section(s) do you need to improve on? List some steps you will take to improve your grade in those sections.

INDIVIDUAL STUDENT REPORTS ON GRADEBOOK

HOW DO STUDENTS USE THEIR DATA? Student identify areas that they should focus on in the next unit and when doing review work Students can see where they fall compared to the average Students can opt into differentiated groups

HOW DOES THE TEACHER USE THE DATA? Identify gaps in understanding/skills Allows you to target skill sets for future units Provides info for more effective tutoring sessions

WHAT MIGHT THIS LOOK LIKE IN OTHER CONTENT AREAS? -If you already break your test up into different sections, transition to putting this information in the gradebook by category instead of as an overall grade -May require changing your grading categories Divide test by standards or just general categories like reading comprehension, writing, calculation, etc.

DATA BREAKDOWN (GRADEBOOK) Successes Helps specify skills/questions asked on test Built in data analysis Helps refine instruction Backwards planning unit (roadmap) Students can identify specific target areas for growth (self-monitoring) Students take ownership over their learning. Challenges May mean changing your grading categories in your gradebook Planning tests by category can be time-consuming Difficulty getting sections to have easy numbers to work with Grading more time-intensive Scantron break-down

ROADMAP

MENU CARD What it is: “Menu” with different activities that focus on specific content/skills Students given choice of which items to choose on the menu Menu items broken into three categories based on rigor When to use it: Review at the end of the unit How to use: Need minutes in class

MENU CARD Successes Helps students in multiple areas Increased ability to differentiate for students: advanced students have opportunity to try more challenging assignments, lower-level students get the extra practice they need. Challenges Time-intensive to create Must create many different at activities at many different levels

SENEGAL PROJECT What it is: Culminating project with multiple options for students Students choose assignment option Enrichment Activity

STUDENT CHOICE – SENEGAL PROJECT Successes Students able to choose project activity based on their interests Get to see different strengths of students Challenges Time-intensive Creation of multiple rubrics for different options Review of rubrics with students

THANK YOU, FRENCH DEPARTMENT!

WHAT ARE WE WORKING ON BY DEPARTMENT? Backwards Planning History Work on unit plan packets for students & upcoming assessments Long-term planning for CST’s English Collaborate on upcoming units Math Collaborative planning for CAHSEE Science College-Ready Milestones with focus on lab. French Unpack foreign language standards and create targeted plans for vertical alignment

DEPARTMENTAL COLLABORATION TIME Be back for advisory at 3:15pm!