Benchmark Assessments and Kaplan Achievement Planner Before the session, walk around and talk to people. When the session starts, introduce yourself and share your professional background. Each slide contains Notes to make your presentation easier.

Benchmark Assessment Dates Subjects Scan Sheets due in the Regiona l Office Reteaching Week for the Traditional Schedule Oct. 30- 31, 2006 English, Math, Science, Spanish November 1, 2006 by 4PM Nov. 13-17 Dec. 18 -19, 2006 Dec. 20 , 2006 by noon Jan. 1-5, 2007 February 20-21, 2007 Feb. 22, 2007 by noon Mar. 5-9 May 21-22, 2007 English, Math, Science May 23, 2007 by noon This is the schedule for administering the benchmark test in high school. This chart shows when to give the test, when the scan sheets are due at the regional office, and the week of remediation/enrichment following the benchmark test.

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Finding Lesson Plans Participants may choose to switch to the Pittsburgh website now, to see what is already available to teachers.

Finding Lesson Plans by Benchmark Data “Select by Data” takes you back to the Performance Overview we just looked at. So we’ll move on to “Select by Standard”

Finding Lesson Plans by Benchmark Data

Finding Lesson Plans by Benchmark Data The performance overview sorts the test questions by topic and shows how students performed on that topic overall. The topics here are linked to Lesson Plans in English and Math. Here are some of the questions that teachers can think about while looking at this report: Which topic had the highest percent of students in the highest category? Which topic had the highest percent of students in the lowest category? What are ways in which you could help your students improve?

Finding Lesson Plans by Topic

Bloom’s Taxonomy Evaluation Synthesis Analysis Application Comprehension Knowledge Ask teachers if they are familiar with Bloom’s Taxonomy (Levels of Cognition). Most likely, all the teachers will be. The reason you bring up Bloom’s Taxonomy is that you want the teachers to be aware that the writers of the lesson plans paid close attention to the different levels of cognition that the Taxonomy delineates. Point out that Bloom’s research many years ago showed that the vast majority of tasks offered to American students were at the lowest level: Knowledge. American education traditionally was focused on the simple recall of information. You might ask teachers to recall a class in which they memorized information and didn’t ever develop a true understanding of what they had learned. Most adults have had this experience somewhere in their schooling. However, it is important to recognize that there are many different levels of learning, and that we, as teachers, have to continually re-evaluate whether or not we are addressing them in our teaching. “So how does the Foundations program address these different levels of understanding?”

Lesson Plans Evaluation SkillVenture Synthesis Analysis Application Comprehension Knowledge SkillVenture uses a concept or skill, in combination with others, to solve a problem or enrich understanding SkillTivity helps students apply a concept or skill in a new context Bloom’s Taxonomy Explain that each concept or skill is addressed at all three levels. SkillBuilder helps students gain knowledge and comprehension of a concept or skill