1. ReadyGen Brooklyn Elementary School Meeting May 21,2013
Presenters: Maryanne Campagna & Antoinette DiPietro

2. Citywide Expectations 2013-2014
Prepare: Set up to meet higher standards Ensure curricula in Pre-K-9 are aligned to the Common Core Standards in all content areas. (QI 1.1, 2.2) Schools should work toward closing curricular gaps during spring and summer 2013, whether through purchasing and integrating publisher-made materials or by adjusting current materials. Schools must provide dedicated time, resources, and support for reviewing and revising curricula, using Universal Design for Learning to ensure access for all learners.

3. Quality Review Indicator 1
Quality Review Indicator 1.1 Ensure appropriate, engaging, rigorous, and coherent curricula in all subjects accessible for a variety of learners and aligned to Common Core and/or Content Learning Standards.
School leaders and faculty ensure curricula that are appropriate in all subjects aligned to CCLS and/or Content Standards, integrate the instructional shifts and align curricula across grades and subject areas to close the achievement gap and promote college and career readiness in all grades.
B) Rigorous habits and higher order skills are emphasized in curricula and academic tasks are embedded in a coherent way across grades and subjects so that all learners, including ELLs and SWDs, must demonstrate their thinking.
C) Curricula and academic tasks are planned and refined using student work and data so that individual and groups of students, including the lowest and highest achieving students, ELLs and SWDs, have full access to the curricula and tasks and are cognitively engaged.

4. Quality Indicator 2.2 Align assessments to curricula, use on-going assessment and grading practices, and analyze information on student learning outcomes to adjust instructional decisions at the team and classroom levels. A) Across the vast majority of classrooms, teachers use or create assessments, rubrics and grading policies that offer a clear portrait of student mastery of the school’s chosen key standards and curricula, thus providing actionable and meaningful feedback to students and teachers regarding student achievement. B) The school uses common assessments to create a clear picture of student progress toward goals and benchmarks across grades and subjects, track progress, and adjust curricular and instructional decisions so that all students, including ELLs and SWDs, demonstrate increased mastery. C) Across the vast majority of classrooms, teachers’ assessment practices consistently reflect the varied use of ongoing checks for understanding and student self-assessment so that teachers make effective adjustments to meet all students’ learning needs and students are aware of their next learning steps.

5. Quality Review Indicator 4
Quality Review Indicator 4.2 Engage in structured professional collaborations on teams using an inquiry approach that promotes shared leadership and focuses on improved student learning
A) The vast majority of teachers are engaged in inquiry-based structured professional collaborations that has strengthened teachers’ instructional capacity (including CCLS integration), resulting in school-wide instructional coherence and increased student achievement for all learners. B) Teacher teams systematically analyze key elements of teacher work, including classroom practice, as well as assessment data and student work for students they share or on whom they are focused, resulting in shared improvements in teacher practice and mastery of goals for groups of students. C) Distributed leadership structures are embedded so that there is effective teacher leadership and teachers play an integral role in key decisions that affect student learning across the school.
The term inquiry approach is defined by the expectations of teacher teams in 4.2b and across the rubric

6. Danielson’s Framework for Teaching: Component 1e, 3b and 3d
Learning activities and Instruction designed to engage students and advance them through the content
Materials and resources that are appropriate to the learning needs of the students
Intentionally organized instructional groups to support student learning
And a clear and sequenced unit structure to advance students’ learning. 3B
High quality questions/prompts that cause students to think and reflect, to deepen their understanding and to test their ideas against those of their classmates.
Discussion techniques that promote learning through discussion
Teacher uses a range of techniques to ensure all students contribute to the discussion 3D
There is clear assessment criteria that students are aware of and at the highest level had a hand in articulating
Monitoring of student learning that is woven into the lesson
Timely, constructive and substantive feedback that guides students to improve their performance.
Student self-assessment and monitoring of progress
From our work this past year and depending on the components chosen to be evaluated w/ 3012c these areas have always been relevant for purposeful assessment based instruction

7. Periodic Assessment
The DOE’s Periodic Assessment portfolio will continue to help schools transition to the Common Core and meet citywide instructional expectations by providing new assessments and technology for the school year. These new supports will include:
Benchmark assessments aligned to Core Curriculum options in grades 3-8
Transition from Acuity to SchoolNet, an easy-to-use technology platform for assessment and instructional materials management, with data analysis tools
The PA team is working to see how the city and state scope and sequences are aligned. From that work they will decide if there will be one or two benchmark assessments that align with the Scope and sequence.
Common Core-aligned baseline assessments in high school Algebra, benchmark assessments in grade 9 ELA, and benchmark assessments in high school Algebra
You will have an opportunity to attend a webinar for an overview of the complete PA portfolio in June; registration to follow in next week’s Principals’ Weekly. 5-21

8. ReadyGen
1-ReadyGen was developed so that the teachers would have what they need to achieve the shifts required by the NYS Common core Learning Standards
a-balancing Informational and literary texts
b-Knowledge in the Disciplines [science & Social Studies topics that meet NYS Standards]
c-Staircase of Complexity; has to get more complex over time
d-Text-based Answers; making your case from the text you read; higher level thinking skills
e-Writing to Sources; (students are bringing their knowledge from one test to another; substantiating your argument; and writing from/to multiple texts sources [NY Social Studies & Science standards]
f-Focus on academic vocabulary to arm student for complex text
2-ReadyGen focuses on authentic text worthy of close reading
3-It is driven by a research based Scope and Sequence of skills and strategies that are developmentally appropriate [phonics, comprehension and writing, etc.]

9. ReadyGen Components Student's components
Each grade is organized by units of study
[K -2 has Six and grades 3-5 has Four].
Each has a focused topic; the targeted outcome of each unit of study is a core understanding in the unit of study.

10. Each unit of study consists of:
1-Anchor text is usually longer in length--on level, authentic literature; read over the unit of study; within the grade level lexile level. 2-supporting texts (2 in upper grades)- topically related authentic literature within the grade level lexile level. 3-one "supporting text collections" of 5-8 authentic shorter works of different genres [poems, recipes, letters, biographies, primary sources, news articles, etc.] within the lexile grade level band, providing additional topical reading 4-"Sleuth" Close reading workshop support text - include 2 selection per unit [again within the grade level band] the only piece with contrived literature, written especially for the program and within the lexile grade level band. 5-other student materials include: Reader's Writer's Journal 6- Phonics kit/ word work kit is optional

11. ReadyGen Framework
A highly flexible 90 minute period per day- to include reading,writing,speaking and listening.
ReadyGen works within the Balanced Literacy Framework(whole group and small group).
Small group opportunities can be represented through : Shared, guided, and independent reading.
Teacher’s Guide is currently in development, Writing instruction and assessment is embedded throughout the Teacher’s Guide.

12. ReadyGen has a Phonics component which is optional.
Test prep is embedded for each testing grade which will focus on Close Reading and Writing to text evidence.
ReadyGen Assessments include:
Formative assessments throughout the units.
Unit research projects
Performance based tasks
Remediation
Baseline
Unit benchmark
PARCC –like assessment

13. Overview of Grades Take a moment and examine the
“Topic Articulation Plan”.
Look through your grade specific
“Text Sets” for each Unit of Study
Discussion, Questions, & Noticings…

14. Core Curriculum Review Feedback
Read the document and think about additional resources/supports that may be needed to meet all students’ needs within the unit.
Talk to …ReadyGen being a
“Core Curriculum”

15. Preparing for September 2013
Assess your Unit of Study for September using the assessment tool .
Note the strengths and challenges against the CCLS Dimensions.
Next steps for Teacher Teams.

16. Agenda for Elementary School Cohort Day 2:
Next Steps…