ACE Observer Training
Stoudt
For observers new to TNTP and the ACE Instructional Framework
© TNTP 2013
Objectives
By the end of this session, you will:
1
Accurately match observation evidence to performance areas
2
Practice rating in all ACE Framework performance areas
3
Evaluate your own alignment to the master ratings and flag areas for selfdevelopment
/2
Submit Poll Rating For….
Student Engagement
Essential Content
Academic Ownership
Demonstration of Learning
/3
Student Engagement
Developing - 3

Students know and execute the teacher’s routines and procedures for
getting attention, sharing agreement, showing progress, etc. We see a
few redirections to track, which the students execute quickly and do not
detract from lesson pacing.

The teacher uses a positive reinforcement system (points) to incentivize
on-task behavior; students compete between course sections. Students
also start every response by saying “thank you, sir.”

When students are done taking notes, they’re instructed to practice
memorizing the definition of function so that they’re not sitting idle.

Teacher uses humor, fill-in-the-blank, and choral responses to keep
students engaged during the direct instruction portion of the lesson.
/4
Submit Poll Rating For….
Student Engagement
Essential Content
Academic Ownership
Demonstration of Learning
/5
Essential Content
ME - 2

Defining a function actually falls under the Grade 8 standard:
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.8.F.A.1 Understand that a function is a rule that assigns to each
input exactly one output. The graph of a function is the set of ordered pairs consisting
of an input and the corresponding output.

Working with functions is part of the major work of Grade 9; however, the teacher does
not build a conceptual understanding of functions as dependent relationships between
two variables. The independent work shows that students are identifying functions
solely on the basis of whether there are unique X values in the domain. We also don’t
see any graphical examples of functions, which would be necessary to help develop
this conceptual understanding. For this reason, this work is only partially focused on
grade-level standards/expectations.

Activities are aligned to walk students through the components of a function
(dependent variable, independent variable, input/output, one X value for each Y value,
etc.). The do-now is a review of graphing inequalities, which is related to
understanding functions, but the teacher does not explain or explore correct/incorrect
answers.

Because students do not develop a conceptual understanding of functions, this
content is not being addressed at an appropriate level of rigor for Grade 9.
/6
Submit Poll Rating For….
Student Engagement
Essential Content
Academic Ownership
Demonstration of Learning
/7
Academic Ownership
ME - 2

Students work with a partner to memorize the definition of a
function; this is not responding to building on one another’s
thinking, but solely rote memorization.

Students turn and talk to discuss why each of the two examples is
either a function or not a function. All students except the student
closest to the camera on the right engage in conversation.

Students turn and talk again to answer the first sample problem to
determine which example data set is a function.

The teacher conveys content in a didactic manner without giving
opportunity for students to explore the concept, point out what
they notice about exemplar/non-exemplar data sets, etc. In short,
this lesson does not allow students to move beyond
knowledge/recall on Bloom’s.
/8
Submit Poll Rating For….
Student Engagement
Essential Content
Academic Ownership
Demonstration of Learning
/9
Demonstration of Learning
ME - 2

Teacher cold-calls students to identify components of functions based
on his explanations; students mostly answer correctly.

Teacher uses “fill in the blank” frequently to check students’
understanding of vocabulary and keep them engaged – however,
choral responses are one-word and lack rigor.

Teacher does not circulate during turn and talks to listen to student
answers, so in effect his only CFU’s early in the lesson are the choral
responses and few cold-call answers.

Teacher has students snap to indicate the correct answer on the first
group practice problem; 100% of students have the right answer, but
only one student explains why this answer is correct.
/ 10
Master Ratings
Student Engagement
4
Essential Content
2
Academic Ownership
2
Demonstration of Learning
2
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