Our First, Region-Wide Priority for the 2014-2015 School Year is:
Cultivating Academically-Accomplished, Culturally Competent, and Critically Conscious Student Leaders :
“Mississippi students are mastering rigorous content, building critical consciousness and cultural competence and developing their
leaderships skills in and out of their culturally responsive classrooms.”
In the Humanities, we are uniquely poised to ensure this priority is met in service of our teachers and our students acting as forces
for social justice and equity. In fact, we hold the following vision for our Humanities classrooms:
THE HUMANITIES VISION FOR CONTENT
We believe that the Humanities are critical contents in the actualization of Social Justice and Equity in students’ lives. We thus
move students towards Humanities Achievement, Leadership, Critical Consciousness, and Cultural Competence.
As such, we act with the knowledge that every Humanities classroom must aggressively pursue the dismantling of systems of
oppression through the provision of rigorous Humanities content and Culturally Responsive Teaching.
The following document analyzes our progress towards this vision and our first regional priority in the Humanities during Quarter 3 of the 20142015 school year, and proposes our next set of priorities, measures, and strategies for Quarter 4.
This document contains:
Part 1: Goals and Progress to Goals
Part 2: Quarter 4 Priorities and Strategies
Part 3: Quarter 4 Pacing and Other Strategic Levers
Part 1: Goals and Progress to Goals
Priority 1: Engagement With Rigorous Content
Students are engaged in the content because it is rigorous, compelling, and focused around essential questions that bring to light social justice issues. Because
teachers are planning units and lessons that have strong visions of mastery, and that are propelled by essential questions and meaningful texts.
Measures
80% ERC Application Analysis OR Evaluation Synthesis
100% Teachers have EOY Assessment Determined
Progress
Beginning of Quarter 3
End of Quarter 3 (02/25)
Engagement with
Rigorous Content
Not challenged; no
learning
Passive or confused
re: new content
Social
Studies
The
Arts
World
Languages
All
Humanities
0%
14%
14%
10%
25%
21%
7%
18%
Factual recall
42%
36%
71%
50%
25%
29%
7%
20%
0%
0%
0%
3%
Analysis /
application
Evaluation /
synthesis / creation

Engagement with
Rigorous Content
Not challenged; no
learning
Passive or confused
re: new content
Social
Studies
The
Arts
World
Languages
All
Humanities
0%
6%
7%
5%
8%
6%
0%
5%
Factual recall
50%
63%
79%
64%
Analysis /
33%
25%
14%
application
Evaluation /
8%
0%
0%
synthesis / creation
 EOY Assessment Determined: 79%
EOY Assessment Determined: 0%
24%
2%
Potential Causes
-
-
Strengths
A focus on EOY Assessments in coaching, sessions, etc.
Increased collaboration through Extravaganzas, community visits (in
collaboration with TLD Coaches), coaching, and Field Days
Specialized PD around scaffolding, rigor, literacy and writing strategies,
mirrored by rigor emphasis in blog posts – strong HumLeader involvement.
Some CMs embracing Common Core Standards and working with schoollevel colleagues to increase rigor.
Observations of experienced and veteran (non-TFA) teachers in Field Days.
Strategic use of face time with Coaches and CMs (emphasis on planning)
-
-
Areas For Growth
Need consistent, data-driven, EOY-aligned UPs and LPs. Need
HumLeaders to be more explicit when doing this.
LPs not always based in social justice EQs and high-rigor execution.
Peer video coaching under-attended.
Potential misalignment with coaches on rigor and what content
coaching should look like on the cohort level.
SS: Difficulty of DBQs and Primary Sources, especially in US History.
WL: Struggle/lack of clarity to move beyond factual/recall.
Priority 2: Culture of Achievement
Students are “on the hook” for their learning because they are collectively, collaboratively, and fully owning the outcomes of the lesson. Because teachers are
ensuring students are being given ownership of their own learning by facilitating strong collaborative structures around rigorous content.
Measures
70 % COA Interested and Hard-working OR Passionate
100% Classrooms have daily collaborative routines
Progress
Beginning of Quarter 3
Culture of
Achievement
Social
Studies
The
Arts
World
Languages
All
Humanities
Culture of
Achievement
Social
Studies
The
Arts
World
Languages
All
Humanities
Destructive
0%
14%
7%
8%
Destructive
0%
6%
7%
5%
Apathetic or unruly
33%
29%
21%
28%
Apathetic or unruly
17%
25%
0%
14%
58%
21%
57%
45%
50%
31%
57%
45%
8%
36%
14%
20%
25%
38%
36%
33%
8%
0%
0%
2%
8%
0%
0%
2%
Compliant and ontask
Interested / hardworking
Passionate / urgent
/ joyful

End of Quarter 3 (02/25)
Compliant and ontask
Interested / hardworking
Passionate / urgent
/ joyful

Collaborative Structures: 4 out of 13 classrooms observed using daily
collaborative structures.
Collaborative Structures: TBD – not enough classrooms observed to
draw out comparable data
Trends and Potential Causes
-
-
Strengths
Increased collaboration through Extravaganzas, community visits, coaching,
and Field Days – strong HumLeader involvement.
Observations of experienced and veteran (non-TFA) teachers in Field Days.
Innovation Fair at Q3 Extravaganza focused on “Humanizing Humanities
Classrooms” and feedback shared indicates a lot of learning took place –
may not be reflected in current data.
Increased attendance to in-person PDs improving support networks.
Strategic use of face time with Coaches and CMs (emphasis on planning)
-
Areas For Growth
Careful analysis and use of data to plan high-rigor lessons that include
scaffolding and differentiation.
Little attendance of peer-to-peer video coaching
Lack of emphasis in P2-aligned Humanities PD in Q3.
Potential mindsets around student ability to collaborate.
Content and CoA still viewed as separate by some CMs – thus
procedures are not in service of learning.
Classrooms Apathetic/Unruly and below correlated with PD attendance
Priority 3: Using Data to Drive Student Leadership and Teacher Planning
Students are invested in their Humanities-content goals because they see their success as critical to their future leadership, and because they are aware of
their progress. Because teachers are invested in their end-of-year goals and what they represent for students, and thus measuring and sharing progress
towards goals with students and stakeholders.
Measures
100% Progress Known
70% Benchmark Achieved
100% of teachers are sharing data explicitly in their classrooms.
Progress
Beginning of Quarter 3
Progress
Known?
Social
Studies
The
Arts
World
Languages
All
Humanities
Progress
Known?
Social
Studies
The
Arts
World
Languages
All
Humanities
YES
67%
60%
71%
66%
YES
83%
81%
93%
86%
NO
33%
40%
29%
34%
NO
17%
19%
7%
14%


End of Quarter 3 (02/25)

%BA not being measured yet.

Teachers Sharing Data: 4 out of 13 classrooms observed were sharing
data with students.
%BA 44.3%
Teachers Sharing Data: TBD – not enough classrooms observed to
draw out comparable data
Trends and Potential Causes
-
Investment in data increased because of transparency, step-backs, and
Leader Summits by both Humleaders and Jacob.
Increase in teachers stepping forward with testimonies to the value of data
in planning and student relationships.
Jacob community visits focused on working with teachers and TLD Coaches
around data, specifically logistics and sharing with students.
Innovation Fair at Q3 Extravaganza had strong emphasis on data as
humanizing for students – strong HumLeader involvement.
Blog posts and PDs emphasized current data to explain “Why this? Why
now?” and invest teachers.
-
-
No attendees for “Making Goals Matter” in early January means few
teachers have a sense of how to share data with students in complex,
motivating, and empowering ways. .
Inconsistent data collected at the beginning of the year is making it
hard to collect data now and have it be accurate.
Data is still not being used to plan and/or work with students and
increase student leadership – HumLeaders need to emphasize.
CMs not confident using rubrics to conference with students and invest
them in the goals – skills not built at the beginning of the year.
Humanities Team Priority
As we approach the second half of the year, we want to encourage more teachers to lead, collaborate, and support in service of our efforts in the Humanities.
Our vision for the Humanities team is that we are all valuing one another and one another’s content because we can all learn from the unique skills and assets
we bring to this work. We are motivated to work together because we know that teamwork is the only way to bring educational equity to our students.
Measures
CSI and CALI above regional average on Mid-Year Survey
100% teachers share a resource in their content’s resource exchange.
100% participant teachers select “Another teacher (within the TFA
Humanities Team)” as key collaborator in the Humanities Quarter Survey.
Progress
Beginning of Quarter 3
Overall Net
(%Strong - %Weak)
CALI
CSI


Mississippi
44%
7%
Social
Studies
33%
-10%
World
Languages
34%
-13%
End of Quarter 3 (02/25)
Overall Net
(%Strong - %Weak)
CALI
CSI
The Arts
72%
19%

47% of participant teachers selected “Another teacher (within the TFA
Humanities Team)” as a key resource in the Q2 Survey.
3 teachers had shared resources in their content’s resource exchange
at this point in the year.
Mississippi
48%
10%
Social
Studies
57%
-25%
World
Languages
41%
5%
The Arts
46%
19%
83% of participant teachers selected “Another teacher (within the
TFA Humanities Team)” as a key resource in the Q3 Survey.
 10+ teachers lead at Q3 Extravaganza, 30+ attended the
collaborative work time, 4 volunteered to lead Specialized
sessions, 11 teachers shared resources in their content folders.
Trends and Potential Causes
-
-
Humanities Extravaganzas and Leader Summits have shown huge increase
in morale, collaboration, and investment in collective outcomes.
More teachers expressing the value of collaboration to each other, explicitly
sharing resources and communicating needs/collaboration opportunities.
HumLeaders building relationships and showing consistent support.
HumLeaders modeling resource sharing, collaborating, and learning from
others, as well as stepping up their facilitation and design of skill-building
experiences for teachers.
Coaches asking for more specific support from exemplar teachers and
HumLeaders.
Blog posts highlight resources being shared by others, as well as the work
others are doing towards the outcomes.
-
-
Regional vision for Social Studies is not aligned to US History
assessment and curriculum, especially for first year needs.
Just hired Heather as new Music leader – while very successful already,
there is much time to make up for in terms of team-building.
Art teachers are geographically spread out and seem to have many
external commitments that are prioritized above collaboration.
Many teachers still mention institute as not building the necessary
skills for the fall (true across QCES as well as outside).
Teachers feel there was not a prior legacy of resources and mentorship
established to assist with their beginning-of-year development.
Part 2: Quarter 4 Priorities and Strategies
SOLUTIONS:
Team Culture
3 - GOALS
2 - COA
…Planning units and lessons that have
strong visions of mastery, are aligned to a
meaningful EOY summative, and that are
propelled by essential questions and
meaningful texts.
…”On the hook” for their learning
because they believe that the
Humanities matter for their education,
are working towards meaningful EOY
goals, and have the opportunity to do
so in collaboration with their peers.
…Invested in their Humanities-content
EOY goals because they see their
success as critical to their future
leadership, and because they are
aware of their progress towards those
goals.
…Ensuring students are advocating for their
content, are motivated by a meaningful
EOY goal, and are being given ownership of
their own learning by facilitating strong
collaborative structures around rigorous
content.
…Are invested in their end-of-year goals
and what they represent for students, and
thus measuring and sharing progress
towards goals with students and
stakeholders.
Culture
…Engaged in the content because it is
rigorous, compelling, aligned to a
meaningful EOY assessment, and
focused around essential questions
that bring to light social justice issues.
Measures by June 5th, 2015
70 % COA Interested and Hard-working OR Passionate
100% Classrooms have daily collaborative routines
Rigor
1 - ERC
Students are…
Q4 Priorities
Because teachers are…
80% ERC Application Analysis OR Evaluation Synthesis
100% Teachers have EOY Assessment Determined
Same as above


Program tracker data: overall 100% PK, and 100% BA
Teacher-evidence: 100% of teachers are sharing data explicitly in their
classrooms.
 Student-evidence: overall 80% of students can express what their EOY
goal is, and why it matters not only to their future, but to their current
role in the world.

Student-evidence: overall 80% of students can talk about concrete
ways in which their skills have improved
As we approach the end of the year, we want to encourage more teachers to lead, collaborate, and support in service of our collective efforts in the Humanities. In
particular, we want to ensure that our learning over this past year is continued and transmitted to our incoming peers. Our vision for the Humanities team is that
we are all valuing one another and one another’s content because we can all learn from the unique skills and assets we bring to this work. We are motivated to
work together because we know that teamwork is the only way to bring educational equity to our students.



All content groups show a CSI and CALI above the regional average.
100% participant teachers select “Another teacher (within TFA)” as a key collaborator in the final Humanities Quarter Survey.
100% teachers share at least one resource in their content’s resource exchange.
ALIGNED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:
Note: As we design and facilitate this next round of sessions, we should keep in mind the following:
-
By far, our most successful PD has been the Humanities Extravaganza because it provided concrete examples derived directly from our classrooms as well
as ample time to collaborate and share resources.
Our Field Days received very high ratings because they exposed teachers to experienced and/or veteran teachers’ classrooms, as well as the extensive
collaborative time they allowed for.
Our most successful sessions allowed for our teachers to see clear and concrete examples of curriculum and/or pedagogy in action
Our most successful sessions encouraged collaboration among teachers, and a free exchange of ideas.
We now have more volunteers and willing teammates than ever before. Let’s take advantage of it!!!
Teachers are asking for a better beginning-of-year structure for our team, better guidance on cross-curricular collaboration, and advocating for Humanities
content in the age of the Common Core.
Music/Dance
HIGHLY
RECOMMENDED
World Languages
Art
Social Studies
Humanities Extravaganza
May 2nd: A multi-credit experience that will include a “Humanities Innovation Fair” as well as collaborative time
and a sample lesson workshop!
Voices of Social Justice: Unit Initiative in the Humanities
(for 2014 CMs) Planning for Next Year: Vision and Curriculum in the Humanities
Working Towards an End: Using Your Summative to Plan
Celebrating Progress in the Humanities with your Students
MUSIC/DANCE: Field Day
HELPFUL
Book Club: The New Jim Crow and Humanities Instruction (application required)
Culture and the Humanities: Planning for Rigor and Joy in the Humanities
Helping Other Contents: Meaningful Test Prep
Investing Students and Stakeholders in Humanities Goals and Data
PACING:
◄ Feb 2015
Sun
1
Mon
2
HEATHER Music/Dance: Making
Performance
Assessments Fun (6:007:30PM – WebEx)
9
3
NELS - World
Languages: Increasing
Writing in World
Languages (6:007:30PM – WebEx)
10
15
16
JACOB – Investing
Students in Humanities
Goals and Data (6:007:30PM – WebEx)
22
8
29
~ March 2015 ~
Wed
Tue
4
Thu
Apr 2015 ►
Sat
Fri
6
Catalog Uploaded
Humanities Blast
5
CAT – Art: Who Are
They? (6:00-7:30PM –
WebEx)
7
11
12
13
14
17
18
ALI – Writing in Social
Studies (6:00-7:30PM –
WebEx)
19
20
JACOB – Working
Towards an End: Using
Your Summative to Plan
(6:00-7:30PM – WebEx)
21
23
JACOB & SARAH B. –
Planning for Rigor and
Joy in the Humanities
(6:00-7:30PM WebEx)
24
25
JACOB – Helping Other Jacob @ Whole-Team
Contents: Meaningful
Meeting
Test Prep (6:00-7:30PM
– WebEx)
26
Jacob @ TLD Meeting
28
30
JACOB – Multicultural
Unit Planning (6:007:30PM – WebEx)
31
Notes:
JACOB – Working
Towards an End: Using
Your Summative to Plan
(6:00-7:30PM – WebEx)
END OF QUARTER 3
27
REGIONAL SUMMIT
DIGNA – WORLD
LANGUAGES: Pop-Up
Grammar (6:00-7:30PM
– WebEx)
◄ Mar 2015
Sun
Mon
~ April 2015 ~
Wed
Tue
Thu
May 2015 ►
Sat
Fri
1
2
DIGNA – Helping Other
Contents: Meaningful
Test Prep (6:00-7:30PM
– WebEx)
3
4
11
5
6
7
JACOB - Multicultural
Unit Planning (6:007:30PM – WebEx)
8
9
10
12
13
14
15
Jacob @ Whole-Team
Meeting
16
Jacob @ TLD Meeting
17
18
HEATHER – Music Field
Day (Clarksdale)
DIGNA – Multicultural
Unit Planning (6:007:30PM – WebEx)
23
19
20
JACOB – Celebrating
Progress in the
Humanities with your
Students (6:00-7:30PM
– WebEx)
21
ALL – Humanities
Content Leaders call and
Extravaganza Planning
(TIME TBD)
22
JACOB & GABRIELLA –
The New Jim Crow and
Humanities Instruction
(6:00-7:30PM – WebEx)
26
27
28
29
30
JACOB & GABRIELLA –
The New Jim Crow and
Humanities Instruction
(6:00-7:30PM – WebEx)
24
Notes:
25
◄ Apr 2015
Sun
Mon
~ May 2015 ~
Wed
Tue
Thu
1
3
4
10
11
5
JACOB – Planning for
Next Year: Vision and
Curriculum in the
Humanities (6:007:30PM – WebEx)
12
6
JACOB & GABRIELLA –
The New Jim Crow and
Humanities Instruction
(6:00-7:30PM – WebEx)
13
Jacob @ Whole-Team
Meeting
7
8
JACOB – Celebrating
Progress in the
Humanities with your
Students (6:00-7:30PM
– WebEx)
14
15
Jacob @ TLD Meeting
17
18
19
20
ALI – Planning for Next
Year: Vision and
Curriculum in the
Humanities (6:007:30PM – WebEx)
21
24
25
MEMORIAL DAY
26
27
28
31
Notes:
Jun 2015 ►
Sat
Fri
2
HUMANITIES
EXTRAVAGANZA and
LEADER SUMMIT
Dinner as a Humanities
Leader Team TBD.
9
16
ALUMNI INDUCTION
22
23
29
30
◄ May 2015
Sun
Mon
~ June 2015 ~
Wed
Tue
Thu
Jul 2015 ►
Sat
Fri
1
2
3
4
5
LICENSURE POLICY:
Deadline for PD
Completion
6
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Notes:
7
INSTITUTE MOVE-IN
DAY!
BIG DATES
What
Session Drafts Due
NOTE: Please make
sure to include the
PRE-WORK
assignments for the
session in your
session drafts! This is
an essential and
REQUIRED part of
your participants’
engagement with the
session.
Who
Digna (in
collaboration
with Jacob)
Digna (in
collaboration
with Jacob)
Ali
&
Heather (in
collaboration
with Jacob)
Heather (in
When
March 16th
Additional Notes
Draft of “Meaningful Test Prep”
Fear not this close deadline! Jacob will
take care of most of the planning, but will
call you in for feedback and ideas.
March 23rd
If you want to observe Jacob facilitating it
before you do, please attend on 03/24, or
ask him for a recording.
Draft of “Multicultural Unit Plans”
Fear not this close deadline! Jacob will
take care of most of the planning, but will
call you in for feedback and ideas.
March 27th
If you want to observe Jacob facilitating it
before you do, please attend on 03/30, or
ask him for a recording.
Draft of “Vision and Curriculum Planning”
Please call one another to collaborate on
the design of this session – let Jacob know
when so that he can set up a call line and
support you!
March 30th
If you want to observe Jacob facilitating it
before you do, Ali, please attend on
05/05, or ask him for a recording.
Draft of “Music: Field Day”
Facilitate Sessions
Blasts
collaboration
with Jacob
ALL
ALL Humanities
Content
Leaders
Variable
Drafts to Jacob – March 16th
Sent to CMs – March 23rd
See Calendar in Q4 Priorities, attached!
Please include:
-
-
One-By-One
Humanities
Extravaganza
Humanities Leader
Summit
ALL Humanities
Content
Leaders
ALL Humanities
Content
Leaders
ALL Humanities
Content
Leaders
An update on your classroom, with a
problem you are solving by thinking
through the new priorities
Resources/photos/video aligned to that
problem-solving and priority
Request to upload resources to the
document bucket(s)
Updates on upcoming PDs
Complete by March 23rd
After you have submitted, Jacob will
follow up for debrief dates
Jacob will host a team-building and planning
call on April 21st… PLEASE MAKE SURE TO
ATTEND!
Jacob will send out details and logistics
closer to the date.
Attend on May 2nd
Start Planning and Recruiting on April 21st
Attend on May 2nd
Jacob will also be hosting a dinner out after
the Extravaganza for us all to celebrate!
Jacob will send out details and logistics
closer to the date.
OTHER LEVERS AND STRATEGIES
-
Humanities Extravaganza and Leadership Summit
o Purpose: Since this was the highest rated and most successful of our professional development offerings this quarter, we hope to
continue fostering in-person collaboration and teamwork among our Humanities teachers, and to do so with a clear focus around our
Quarter 4 Priorities.
o Strategies/Changes: The Extravaganza will again feature and innovation fair targeted towards starting off the next year right. We will
then have various working protocols to refine vision and build a beginning-of-year toolkit for our contents. We will also have more active
(but specific – this will not be “open doors” this time) recruitment for the Humanities Leadership Summit; we will also host an
Innovation Fair in order to foster cross-content collaboration. This time, it will be more focused on planning for next year, and may
include some work time to start implementing strategies we have already discussed.
-
TLD Coaches
o Purpose: At the end of the day, our TLD Coaches are the most significant and consistent lever for progress in the Humanities: they can
observe classrooms and provide feedback most consistently, and are the ones that can ultimately partner with our teachers and
students towards a broader vision.
o Strategies/Changes: I am going to make a more significant effort to ensure that our TLD Coaches feel included in our PDs, and want to
attend them so they can become familiar with our vision and with the skills our teachers are growing in. I will also ask specific TLD
Coaches if they would like me to attend and support the EOY conversations with Humanities teachers. In addition, I hope to work with
coaches to help their teachers plan for next year, doing small-group work. I hope, also, to attend more coaching conversations and
quarterly conversations with our teachers.
-
Other teacher-leaders within our content
o Purpose: Since opening up our Leadership Summit as well as our Quarter Planning to our teachers and their voices, we have had several
teachers express an interest in supporting and leading our professional development.
o Strategies/Changes: Depending on the focus, the level of interest and commitment, as well as alignment to our priorities, we will be
asking these leaders to step up in a variety of formats: from designing and/or facilitating PDs to leading Innovation Fair Tables or
generating other informal opportunities for collaboration. For instance, we have one teacher who is interested in starting a Humanities
Resource Library, and to set that system up for us. We have a “if you want to help, we’ll ask you to!” policy, and we are so happy to
welcome this enthusiasm.
-
Jacob’s Learning
o Purpose: To constantly increase the scope and quality of our professional development, I need to make sure that I am learning and
developing my own thinking and skills in the Humanities.
o Strategies/Changes: I will be working this quarter to think more about strategic and human-centric design. My current HCD course is
helping me in this, but I hope to increase my efforts towards it as we head into summer development planning and programming as well
as creating a scope-and-sequence for our teachers next year (MUST do).
-
Humanities Blog
o Purpose: To have a consistent place to communicate updates, share resources, and write about thoughts that are directly related to
classrooms in real time. I
o Strategies/Changes: During this quarter, I would like to have 3 guest bloggers to share their thoughts, resources, and current
innovations on the blog. I want to continue using the blog strategically, and in fact increase its importance for Humanities sessions.