1. A Day of Collaboration and Growth
Welcome to the Hamilton County District In-service:
A Day of Collaboration and Growth
Have posted as teachers enter the room
Encourage teachers to sit with at least two people that they do not know well.
Start on time!
January 6, 2012

2. Ice Breaker Greet the teachers and introduce yourselves
Each group decided to use their own ice breaker. Be sure to give me a copy of it so that I can post it on the web.
Be sure to have structures/protocols in place that provide equitable talk opportunities for each person. One such protocol is the Go-around. Select the person who will go first (the one who woke up the latest, lives the furthest away, etc.) and then each person will share in a clockwise direction until everyone has shared. After everyone has shared, then open discussion can occur. This helps elevate status issues of one person dominating the conversation.
Go ahead and pass out the Reflections/Important Moments Sheet during this time. It is the Bright Yellow cardstock sheet.

3. Purpose and Vision Create an atmosphere of openness,
collegiality and true professionalism
through:
Shared Norms and Common Language
Promoting Professional Growth through Collaboration
Engaging Students through Research-based Best Practices
Encourage Reflective Practice
Go over this slide. Ask teachers to purposely look for these throughout the day.
Facilitators—Each of these will be represented throughout the day. Below shows where purpose ties into the day. These are just for your information.
Shared Vision and Common Language: Common District-wide Norms, Pacing Guides, and Common Core/State Updates
Promoting Professional Growth: Common Core, strategy sharing, lots of collaborative/networking time built into the day
Engaging Students in Best Practices: Common Core, strategy sharing
Research Based-practices: Common Core
Reflective Practice: Reflection Sheet

4. Structure of the Day 8:30-9:45 Grade Level Session
9:45-9: Break/Transition
9:55-11: Elective Session 1
11:35-1: Lunch
1:05-2: Elective Session 2
2:45-3: Wrap Up and Final Evaluations
3:05-3: Science Leaders Meeting
Briefly go over the schedule for the day.
Be sure to point out that the Science Leader’s Network will have a short meeting at 3:05 in the library. The participants will already have gotten an about this.

5. Secondary Science District Norms
Be respectful of other’s time — Begin and end on time
Maintain an open and safe atmosphere for communication and collaboration
Remain positive, task/purpose-focused, respectful, and courteous
Actively participate and bring requested materials
Share a sense of responsibility for student learning
Be professional at all times
Be the student you want in your class
Be sure that the District Norms poster is visible in the room. These were developed by the science teachers in district-wide PD last year. They will be our common norms at all district meetings and professional development. Each school received one of these at the August in-service. Encourage them to use them in their department and school meetings.

6. Reflections and Important Moments Sheet
Briefly point out that this sheet is to be used as a reflection and notes tool throughout the day.

7. District/State Updates
The state of Tennessee has applied for a waiver from No Child Left Behind that will change benchmarks. The changes have two key elements for our work:
1. The focus is on achievement scores
and reducing achievement gaps
2. Science Grades 3-8 and Biology I
would now become an AYP indicator
The full waiver application is on the home page of the State Education website (
If granted, this waiver will provide some relief from the unattainable upcoming goals of NCLB. Grades 3-8 science and Biology I will now be figured into a “Success Rate” that will then be used to rank schools across the state. A big component of the plan is to reduce achievement gaps between:
White and other races
Economically Disadvantaged and Non-economically disadvantaged
ELL and not-ELL
Students with Disabilities and Regular Education

8. Science Common Core State Standards (CCSS)?
Science content standards are still being
developed (may be in place by Summer 2012)
Science Common Core Framework has been
released
The overall theme (big picture) of these slides is that the Common Core is already here for math and language arts and science is not far behind. Although the content standards for science are not published, there are Science Common Core Standards imbedded in the Literacy ones. Specific content standards may be released as early as the Summer of The Common Core Science Framework has now been officially released and information about it is on our website (

9. Tennessee Common Core State Standards Educator Timeline
School Year
School Year
School Year
School Year
School Year
Curriculum:
Teaching TN
Diploma Project Standards
selected
Transition to TN Common Core
Standards
Curriculum:
Teaching TN
Diploma Project Standards
selected
Transition to TN Common Core
Standards
Curriculum:
Teaching TN
Diploma Project Standards
Curriculum:
Teaching TN
Diploma Project Standards 3-12
K-2 CCSS Implementation
Curriculum:
Teaching TN
Diploma Project Standards
selected
Transition to TN Common Core
Standards
Curriculum:
Teaching TN
Common Core
Standards
Curriculum:
Teaching TN
Diploma Project Standards
selected
Transition to TN Common Core
Standards
For math and language arts, K-1 is in full implementation this year. Second grade will put in as much of the Common Core as possible.

10. PARCC Timeline Development beginsSY
Development begins SY
First year pilot/field testing and related research and data collection SY
Second year pilot/field testing and related research and data collection SY
Full administration of PARCC assessments SY
Launch and design phase
Summer 2015
Set achievement levels, including college-ready performance levels
Note that field test items are set to begin as early as SY.

11. Common Core Science Framework
How is this like or different from what you do now?
Pass out the abstract of the Common Core Science Framework. Give 3-5 minutes of Private Think Time to read and mark on the Framework. Have them read the cover page (Box ES.1) and Pages 1-2 “Why is a K-12 Science Framework Needed?”
Provide 5-10 minutes of small group discussion time around the Framework. Specifically have them discuss “How is this like or different from what we do now?”. To promote equity, select a new person to start the conversation at each group (person sitting closest to the door, person sitting closest to presenter, etc.)

12. Pacing Guides
Pass out the pacing guides for the first two quarters and the Successes/Challenges/Consider Changing graphic organizer. Allow minutes of time for small groups to discuss:
what has worked (Successes),
what has been a challenge (Challenges)
what needs to be considered for revisions in the summer (Consider Changing)
Have the group choose a scribe and record their discussion points on the Graphic Organizer provided. Use it as a Placemat Activity. Allow 3-5 minutes to discuss each category.
*** For any high school groups that do not have a pacing guide, have them do the same activity and let them discuss:
--Order and timing of what they taught first semester (Successes, Challenges, and would Consider Changing
Pass out evaluations (Pink Sheets) during this time. They are to fill these out after every session. It will be the Ticket Out the Door for the last session of the day.

13. Strategy
Sharing
Use some type of protocol to make sure that everyone has a chance to share.
Each group of 4 will share an effective formative practice to their colleagues.
Encourage teachers to utilize their Important Moments sheet to record ideas.