HELPING SCHOOLS IN NEED OF IMPROVEMENT TO
ACHIEVE AND SURPASS THE MATH K-12 AMO’S
Focus on
Learning
Meeting &
Surpassing
AMO
Goals
Building a
Collaborative
Culture
Focus on
Results
“SOMETIMES
THE QUESTIONS ARE COMPLEX AND THE ANSWERS ARE SIMPLE.”
~DR. SEUSS
PREPARED FOR THE FCPS COLLABORATIVE LEARNING TEAM OF
REGION 2 & REGION 3
BY DAN MULLIGAN, FLEXIBLECREATIVITY.COM
DECEMBER 2015
TABLE OF CONTENTS
STUDENT-FOCUSED LEARNING PROGRAM
3
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT FOLDER
4
WHERE ARE WE?
6
THE BIG PICTURE
8
STANDARDS-BASED LESSON PLAN BLUEPRINT
9
ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, PROCESSES, VOCABULARY
11
VALID AND RELIABLE ASSESSMENT
20
CREATING VALID AND RELIABLE ASSESSMENT
22
A FRAMEWORK FOR INSTRUCTIONAL PLANNING
25
PURPOSEFUL USE OF RESEARCH-BASED STRATEGIES
26
CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT FOR LEARNING
28
HELPING STUDENTS DEVELOP UNDERSTANDING
29
HELPING STUDENTS EXTEND AND APPLY KNOWLEDGE
30
COLLABORATIVE LEARNING TEAM
31
DIFFERENTIATED PACING AND FLEX-GROUPING
32
WAITING FOR THE TRAIN
33
HUNT FOR SOLUTIONS
34
CLARIFYING THE TARGET
35
2
3
Student ENGAGEMENT Folder:
For each student, laminate a manila envelope and then slit the
laminated sealed opening with a sharp tool. Fold then glue the
envelope in each student’s interactive notebook.
Suggested items for the SEF:
 A laminated piece of light-colored construction paper – this serves as a simple
whiteboard for students.
 A flannel square or sock – this serves as a dry eraser for the construction paper
whiteboard.
 A dry-erase pen – these are available in thin styles to cause less bulk in the envelope.
 True/Not True/True with Modifications/Unable to Determine (based on
information learned) Hold-Up Cards – These can be used throughout the year as a
quick check.
 Multiple-Choice Hold-Up Cards (ABCD/FGHJ) – These can be used throughout the
year as a quick check.
 Deck of paper-clipped number cards – These cards can be used for hold-ups or to
express ‘comfort’ with a topic.
 A completed appointment agenda – This chart is useful for quickly ‘shaking-up’ a
class. Students are pre-assigned to a series of groups (each cluster having a
designation name.
 The Processing Card (Ready to Share/Still Thinking) – This card is another tool
that students can use to express their level of understanding.
 A laminated hundreds chart – For elementary school and middle school children,
this chart allows you to plan activities that build number sense. For example, students
use a dry-erase pen and the chart to circle common multiples, common factors, prime
numbers, skip count, and other activities that demonstrate number relationships.
 A laminated A – Z Chart – For early childhood classrooms, this chart allows all
students to point to initial, middle, and ending sounds, and to find letters and sounds as
directed by the teacher. For upper-elementary and secondary classrooms, this chart is
a brainstorming strategy that allows students to generate as many words that relate
to the topic as they can that begin with each letter of the alphabet.
 Laminated content-related charts – Examples include a periodic table of elements,
formula pages in secondary math, a timeline, a map, or other grade-level or content
tool that can be used repeatedly.
 A smaller envelope with pieces of scrap paper or index cards – These are used for
Quick-Writes, Quick-Draws, on-the spot Hold-Ups, collecting ideas from peers. They
can be glued into interactive notebooks.
 Bounce Cards – These are useful to elevate thinking in student – student dialogue,
 Think Pad sheet – To capture each student’s thinking…How do you know?
4
GOAL: To create a snapshot of where we currently are compared to
where we want to be. Only then can we determine specific ‘opportunities’
that will get us there.
Likert Scale versus Likert Item
A “Likert scale” is the sum of responses to several Likert items. These items are
usually displayed with a visual aid, such as a series of radio buttons or a horizontal
bar representing a simple scale.
A “Likert item” is a statement that the respondent is asked to evaluate in a survey. In
the example below, the statement, “The checkout process was easy” is a Likert
item. The table as a whole is the Likert scale.
Here’s an easy way to remember the distinction: the “scale” in “Likert scale” refers
to the total sum of all Likert items in the question, not the 1-5 range you see
associated with each item. In our example survey, the scale would be 3 to 15.
In a “good” Likert scale, the scale is balanced on both sides of a neutral option,
creating a less biased measurement. The actual scale labels, as well as the numeric
scale itself, may vary.
This is a very useful question type when you want to get an overall measurement of
sentiment around a particular topic, opinion, or experience and to also collect
specific data on factors that contribute to that sentiment.
You should not use this form of question (or at least not call it a Likert scale) when
the items in the question are unrelated to each other, or when the options are not
presented in the form of a scale.
The following two pages are designed to provide us with a Division/School/Grade or
Course snapshot of opportunities to increase student achievement in 2015 – 2016
and can be edited to provide a better SCHOOL snapshot.
5
WHERE ARE WE?
Teachers in my school:
1.
2.
Identify what students must know, understand and be able to do during planning;
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
1
2
3
4
5
Determine acceptable evidence that will verify students have achieved the desired results;
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
1
2
3
4
5
3. Analyze results of collected evidence to determine what to do next for each student;
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
1
2
3
4
5
Collaboratively plan learning experiences tied to outcomes;
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
1
2
3
4
5
Explicitly identify essential new and background vocabulary;
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
1
2
3
4
5
Use the 5-step process for teaching essential new and background vocabulary;
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
1
2
3
4
5
Use an Essential Question to set a purpose for learning and then guide instruction;
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
1
2
3
4
5
Check for and build background knowledge prior to teaching new content;
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
1
2
3
4
5
Understand ‘research-based instructional strategies;
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
1
2
3
4
5
10. Apply research-based strategies purposefully;
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
1
2
3
4
5
6
11. Actively engage students in learning;
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
1
2
3
4
5
12. Share a common approach to increasing the literacy of each student in our school.
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
1
2
3
4
5
13. Ask second questions to facilitate deeper student thinking;
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
1
2
3
4
5
14. Differentiate support rather than expectations;
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
1
2
3
4
5
15. Facilitate student use of technology to deeply involve students in discovery and research;
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
1
2
3
4
5
16. Are provided specific feedback in their implementation of school identified strategies;
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
1
2
3
4
5
17. Have a commitment to continuous improvement;
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
1
2
3
4
5
18. Gather evidence to assist each other in refining their craft;
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
1
2
3
4
5
19. Focus on results aligned with goals for student learning; and
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
1
2
3
4
5
20. Strive to build positive relationships with all their students.
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
1
2
3
4
5
Based on my responses to these questions, I preliminarily think an opportunity for
my school to focus improvement efforts this year is to:
7
8
9
10
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY:
 Identifying and understanding nonnegotiable essential knowledge, skills,
processes, and vocabulary of lesson/unit
2013 Released Test
11
12
13
doe.virginia.gov
14
15
16
17
18
Searching for Purposeful Opportunities:
ACTION
MY SCHOOL
ACTION
Identify & understand
essential knowledge
and skills (p. 10 – 12)
Identify and engage
students in
essential
vocabulary (p. 13)
Identify and engage
students in essential
processes (p. 14 -15)
Teacher and
student use of
second questions 4
thinking
MY SCHOOL
19
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY:
 Determining what type of assessment will provide valid and reliable evidence
of student mastery
20
21
22
TARGET: SOL 7.5j
23
TARGET: SOL 7.5 a, b, c, f, g
24
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY:
 Creating engaging learning experiences that include:
o Creating an environment for learning
(HINT: frontload the rigor)
 Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback
 Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition
 Cooperative Learning
o Helping students develop understanding
 Cure, Questions, and Advance Organizers
 Nonlinguistic Representations
 Summarizing and Note Taking
 Assigning Homework and Providing Practice
o Helping students extend and apply knowledge
 Identifying Similarities and Differences
 Generating and Testing Hypotheses
Background Knowledge
25
26
27
Creating an Environment for Learning:
These documents are grounded in research-based strategies and depend on the
intended engagement of the learner to be valid and reliable.
28
Helping Students Develop Understanding:
29
Helping Students Extend and Apply Knowledge:
30
Collaborative Learning Team:
31
Differentiated Pacing and Flex-grouping
32
33
Hunt for Solutions
Recording Sheet
Question Page Number Reasoning
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
My Notes
34
35
36