1. Continuous Improvement Year 2 What’s the Big Idea?

2. Goals of 2013-2014 PD Value vertical alignment Be able to design and deliver content units that incorporate elements of vertical alignment and deep understanding Complete Atlas Stage I for curriculum units within district courses Be prepared to target all Stage I learning goals using well constructed assessments

4. Target Content Curriculum that best supports student learning Target Skills (For Day1) Recognize at least one big idea and associate at least one enduring understanding to it Identify at least one question essential to the understanding of a particular content unit Describe the content and skills required to answer the essential question Use the Atlas Curriculum Database reference page to independently answer many curriculum questions Differentiated by content / interest Writing to Text Expressions and Equations Foreign Language / PE / Art / Computer Tech Instructional Intervention Continuous Improvement Student Learning - Unit1

5. 11-12 Keys to Literacy Think Math Assessment Development (24 baseline samples) 11-12 Continuous Improvement (Teaching) Supervision and Evaluation (SMART Goals & Power Standards ) Keys to Literacy / K-5 Literacy Scope and Sequence Think Math 13-14 Continuous Improvement (Student Learning) The Big Idea Writing to Text (Application of Keys to Literacy & K-5 Literacy Scope & Sequence) Expressions and Equations (Extension of Think Math Literacy & common core alignment) Supervision and Evaluation (Standard I – Curriculum, Planning & Assessment) 3-Years of District Initiatives

6. They still look like a bunch of disconnected pieces, don’t they? Big Ideas Writing to Text Expressions and Equations Supervision and Evaluation

7. Continuous Improvement Big Ideas Writing to Text Expressions and Equations Supervision and Evaluation

8. Enduring Understanding Continuous improvement leads to better performance. Continuous improvement is the big idea. This statement is an understanding of the big idea.

9. Essential Question How do we best sustain continuous Improvement in the current environment? Enduring Understanding Continuous improvement leads to better performance.

10. Student Learning Problems 1.Content retention 2.Performance skills 3.Lack of student motivation & personal responsibility to do their best 4.Behaviors that interfere with learning

11. Essential Question How do we best sustain continuous Improvement in the current environment? Enduring Understanding Continuous improvement leads to better performance.

12. Staff Issues 1.Under recognized for efforts 2.Mandate overload 3.Limited time 4.Limited resources

13. Normal Distribution Most all of us were schooled in a normal distribution world

14. Current BPS Education Mandate: Standards based education Proficient Advanced Grade Level Learning Standard X Learning standards describe educational objectives. Learning standards are concise, written descriptions of what students are expected to know and be able to do at a specific stage of their education. - http://edglossary.org

15. SchoolsGradeELAMathScience ELA Ranking # of Schools ELA % Rank Math Ranking # of Schools Math % Rank Sci Ranking # of Schools Sci % Rank CM37586 18395519.16%10395510.79% 46646 27495528.69%56895559.48% South37573 18395519.16%40095541.88% 47469 15595516.23%18695519.48% SB33153 81795585.55%73695577.07% 45233 50595552.88%76095579.58% BMMS565546249187955.86%54887962.34%30087434.32% 67052 27255449.10%37355167.70% 78143 15646733.40%30346565.16% 886654817146536.77%15146032.83%14145730.85% BHS1094847418235451.41%17735450.00%18434253.80% Massachusetts’ School Rankings for Percentage of Advanced and Proficient Students

17. Essential Question How do we best sustain continuous Improvement in the current environment? Enduring Understanding Continuous improvement leads to better performance.

18. Writing to Text Expressions and Equations Today’s Big Ideas

19. Big Idea Writing to Text Enduring Understanding Writing to text requires writers to comprehend text and respond to that text in proficient writing appropriate for audience and purpose.

20. MA State Anchor Standards for Writing  Argument supported by evidence  Information/explanation  Narrative  Organization and Coherence  Revision and editing  Short and sustained research projects  Integration of information from several sources  Use of evidence from texts, linking reading and writing  Frequent writing for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences  Using technology for collaboration and publishing

21. Relevant special features of the CCSS Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy Emphasis on college and career readiness Intentional coherence between the standards for reading literature and for reading informational text Emphasis on finding good evidence and using it precisely Detailed standards on writing arguments, explanations, and narratives Greater emphasis on reading and writing informational texts and writing arguments Use of technology to conduct research as well as create, refine, and collaborate on writing Standards for literacy in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects Selections from texts to show appropriate levels of text complexity across the grades (Appendix B), and samples of annotated student writing to show the progression of expectations across the grades (Appendix C) Emphasis on increasing text complexity through the grades, as exemplified in the text exemplars of Appendix B.

22. Disciplinary Literacy Heller and Greenleaf (2007) – To become competent in a number of academic content areas requires more than just applying the same old skills and comprehension strategies to new kinds of texts. It also requires skills and knowledge and reasoning processes that are specific to particular disciplines. (p.10) Heller, R & Greenleaf, C.L. (2007). Literacy instruction in the content areas: Getting to the core of middle and high school improvement. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education 22

23. Writing to text requires writers to comprehend text and respond to that text in proficient writing appropriate for audience and purpose. A Related Essential Question What do the most instructionally effective and informative writing to text assignments look like?

24. Today’s “Writing to Text” Task Explore the ELA and content area curriculum resources in the Reference section of our Atlas curriculum site. Use the “Writing to Text” template (page 18) to create a cohesive writing assignment requiring students to make a claim or judgment and defend it. Choose a course topic within one of the following areas: Life Science, Physical Science (incl. Chemistry), History, or Geography Select a Big Idea from that topic Decide on “THE” single question that requires students to make an informed claim or judgment about a central tenet of the big idea Articulate the content and skills necessary to proficiently support the claim or judgment in writing after reading selected texts Enter information into Atlas and report out to the larger group at day’s end Repeat the process if time allows

25. All small groups except groups focusing on Math or Intervention will complete A,B,&C of at least one unit content area for a course and unit of their choice. High functioning groups may have time to attempt more than one. For today, students need to make a claim or judgment and be required to defend it.

26. What are some Big Ideas of Physical Science, Life Science, History or Geography? Let’s work together to find at least one enduring understanding for each Big Idea and then turn that enduring understanding into a question

27. Big Idea Enduring Understanding Expressions and Equations represent real world phenomena and relationships. Expressions and Equations

28. Aligned CCSS Math Progression K12345678 Geometry Measurement and DataStatistics and Probability Number and Operations in Base TenThe Number System Operations and Algebraic ThinkingExpressions and Equations Counting and Cardinality Number and Operations---Fractions Ratios and Proportional Relationships Functions

29. Enduring Understanding Expressions and Equations represent real world phenomena and relationships. 2 / 4 4 divided by 8 A /B

30. Today’s “Expressions and Equations” Task Use any viable procedure to select the group’s Timekeeper (T), Notetaker (N), Reporter (R), Gopher (G) Begin with Standard 1 of your grade level or course in Operations and Algebraic Thinking / Expressions and Equations / Model Algebra I / or Model Geometry (Expressing Geometric Properties with Equations) Research the standard using the math standards resources in the common core standards reference section of Atlas, especially the standards unpacked files.

31. Today’s “Expressions and Equations” Task Use your research to answer the following questions:  The most important concept(s) that students need to understand in order to master this standard are… (This response should go into the content section of a unit in a math course in Atlas)  The above concepts build from the following concepts...  This standard prepares them to understand the following concepts…  (Optional) The most likely conceptual mistakes (as opposed to procedural mistake) a student might make are...  Coming to this grade students should be able to………. (Skills needed before entering this grade or course)  Leaving this grade students should be able to …… (This response should go into the skills section of a unit in a math course in Atlas)

32. Math groups will complete parts A & B of at least one unit content area for an appropriate math course and unit of their choice. High functioning groups may have time to attempt more than one unit. How can this math represent real world phenomena or a relationship?

33. Today’s Task Using the Atlas Curriculum DatabaseAtlas

35. Understandings that transfer to other grades / disciplines Understandings required of this specific course / unit Questions that thread through other grades / disciplines Questions to drive inquiry in this specific course / unit Select the appropriate standards

36. Articulate concepts / knowledge (nouns) here Identify specific words / phrases here Articulate skills (verbs) here Understandings that transfer to other grades / disciplines Understandings required of this specific course / unit Questions that thread through other grades / disciplines Questions to drive inquiry in this specific course / unit

37. Next Step All groups except Foreign Language, Computer Technology, PE, and Art go to their assigned rooms. Explore Atlas and perform the assigned task at least once Be prepared to share out results to the larger groups upon return to the auditorium twice today (See the Grid) Use the survey monkey link sent to your email later today to help inform the process going forward