AP Vertical Teaming Bear Creek High School Bear Creek K-8 Carmody Middle Bear Creek High School

The primary goal of the vertical team strategy is to enhance all students’ achievement.

The Pre-AP Vertical Team Goals To develop an understanding of math and respective roles to ensure growth To explore/share approaches to instill analytical thinking and communication skills necessary for academic success To create assessments and identify evidence of understanding To find ways to ensure that each student is being challenged

Effects Foster grade-level participation that bridges the middle school grades and high school grades Increase the quality of instruction by improving communication between teachers and updating their knowledge of math curriculum, instructional strategies and assessment techniques All students can perform at high academic levels Early development of skills and acquisition of knowledge will prepare students for higher level engagement in advanced mathematics

Meeting Ideas Identify external curricular forces Explore concept development Focus on content across the (math) curriculum Big picture view of the curriculum Focus on assessment (Acuity, CSAP, ACT) Focus on literacy (iRead, iWrite, iLearn) Focus on difficult topics to teach or learn Notation coordination Focus on student understanding of content across the curriculum Vocabulary across the curriculum Periodic review of team goals

Teaming and Collaboration All Students prepared for College, Careers, and Citizenship Bear Creek High School + Bear Creek K-8 + Carmody Middle School

The Problem Isolation! Teachers working alone Schools working independently Assumptions: “If only they would have taught students to…” Confusion Students learning new terms, encountering disjointed practices, and uneven expectations

How…Re-thinking Vertical Alignment & Transitions Existing Instructional Practices Support Structures Community Resources Technology Assessments

Assessment Tools Acuity is a computer-based test that measures how students are progressing throughout the year in meeting the expectations of the Colorado State Standards. CSAP is designed to provide a picture of how students in the state of Colorado are progressing toward meeting academic standards and how schools are doing to ensure learning success of students. The Colorado ACT is an assessment of 11th grade students to determine their level of college readiness.

Looking at Our Own School’s Data What trends do you see in ACT scores? see in ACUITY scores? What trends do you see in CSAP scores? What trends do you see in AP?

Data Drives Practice… The vertical team uses a continuous improvement model based on results. The team reviews achievement data. The team reviews personal successes of both staff & students The team identifies areas of growth and helps students keep focused on their academic goals.

Requires Standardized Testing Curriculum Alignment Vertical Teaming TIGHT FIT (no slack)

Guaranteed Viable Curriculum Gather data for incoming students to develop profile Form study groups to look at curriculum alignment (vertical and horizontal) to identify gaps Align current courses to content standards Starting Principal Walk-throughs on web, Principal has to design ways for others to accomplish

What is curriculum all about? iRead iWrite iSolve iLearn

Critical thinking A cylindrical container 60 cm long with a diameter of 40 cm is lying on its side. a. If the container is full with a liquid, then the volume is_________________ b. What is the volume of the liquid if the container is not full, the depth of the liquid is 15 cm?

Right Triangle Trigonometry Inverse Trigonometric Functions A cylindrical container 60 cm long with a diameter of 40 cm is lying on its side. a. If the container is full with a liquid, then the volume is_________________ b. What is the volume of the liquid if the container is not full, the depth of the liquid is 15 cm? Pre-Algebra Algebra I Geometry Algebra II Pre-Calculus radius diameter circle circumference pi area of circle   Base right cylinder altitude area of base volume arcs arc length sector of a circle degree measure area of the sector chord minor arc segment of a circle right triangle Right Triangle Trigonometry sine cosine tangent Inverse Trigonometric Functions

Tammy Maccalous BC Calculus teacher At Bear Creek High School Enrollment in 1997: 5 students Enrollment in 2007: 90 students

Joe Otero Differential Equations teacher At Bear Creek High School Enrollment in 2005: 7 students Enrollment in 2007: 15 students

Tammy has stated “vertical teaming has been the key component to increasing the number of students enrolling and succeeding in BC Calculus.”

What we liked best was . . . Group activities, i.e., opportunity to share experiences; ask questions; discover areas that need more attention; challenging each other; synthesizing.