10-25-07 AT 1 MINUTES
Action Team #1 LogAction Team: #1: Rigor & Relevance (Credit Recovery) Sub-Committee
Date: October 25, 2007
Meeting Location: Room # 124 Start time: 1:53 P.M. / 2:12 P.M. End time: 3:25 P.M.
Leader: Patricia Matson Recorder: Tia Rice
Members Present: Nadia Bouchareb, Bill Churchill, Rita Currier, Patricia Matson, Tia Rice,
Mike Smith, Robert Smith, Sue Vize, Nancy Wolber, Andrew Hains
Topic of discussion: Academic portion of committee: Rigor & Relevance ˆ Andrew provided a background knowledge sheet. PBIS-focusing on Culture & Climate. Why are we looking at HSTW & school reform? Suggested a computer lab for each department; Cory mentioned designating one classroom within department; Wolber suggested a Portable Laptop unit.
PLATO: 20 signed up for Credit Recovery; 18 showed up; 14 may recover the credit. Priority: Math & English - 10 Credit Recovery Portals 16 Skill Bldg Portals (4 Math, 4 Language Arts, 4 English. Discovery, 4 Social Studies, 4 Science) Nancy will look to find a comparable course for science within PLATO. English 11/12 ˆ Semester II will not be offered
K. Miller, J. Elliot, D. Palm will get the training for the Portals. Ask for volunteers to train for it out of each department.
You can access PLATO activities offline for your own use during class. Design a survey for students/teachers that use PLATO. We must collect data. Access learning that takes place so we can make recommendations regarding the program. Wolber questioned our role in regards to using PLATO.
PLATO has higher level thinking; Reading within this program is really important to a student‚s success; All classes are based on a semester
Mike Smith concerned with Alg. A & B as options; they‚ve been added to Credit Recovery. This was a misunderstanding because A & B means first & second semester not A & B ability levels.
Discussion continued about the failure of math in students in the larger population will increase with the mandatory increase to 3 years of Math; when they fail ˆ we don‚t have a place to go.
Recommendation: Create a chemistry & Earh & Beyond; Churchill posed the question ˆ How can we present old ideas to groups again? New idea: How do we meet the needs of the 70% to increase rigor ˆ we need to use more technology to help engage this tech savvy & image heavy population. These are the tools that we need to be successful.
Dr. Anderson ˆ meeting will take place to make up new courses to meet the needs of our students.
Changes to the contract: Do we need to delete the number of hours that students must attend? The class is P/F, but it does not factor into the student‚s GPA. We will keep the 20 hour requirement to eliminate students that fail in order to make failing the regular class less appealing.
Actions taken: Voted to make the recommendation for departmental computer labs; will speak to their departments and gain information for these questions: Would you like a lab? How would you use it? Where can you put it? What software would you need?
Every member needs to have the name of one student/parent to join our Action Team. We are going to need a „real world‰ math.
PLATO labs are available in the library for students that need to use the skill building.
Key Findings:
We‚ve made other recommendations before, but they continue to lack support from the proper people, they fail. But the point was made that it is important to ask and continue to make recommendations. It is part of the process and if we don‚t ask we can‚t receive.
Date of next meeting: __Nov. 29 ____Time: _2:00______Location:__Rm. 124_____________
To Do before next meetings: Who: When:
Speak with departments about the departmental labs.
Tia (English) Rita (Math) Nadia (Fine Arts) Nancy (Science) Dan (Social Studies) Ed (Administrators) Kim (SPED) By next meeting
Ask for volunteers to train for PLATO. Each department needs 2 volunteers in November & December. Tia (English) Rita (Math) Nadia (Fine Arts) Nancy (Science) Dan (Social Studies) Ed (Administrators) Kim (SPED) By next meeting
Survey questions for Credit Recovery questions for Student/Teacher survey. Everyone By next meeting
Inform teacher of skill building PLATO portals for student use. Talk to Kevin about a process.
Trish Matson By the next meeting
Give each committee member and the principal a copy of this log
Action Team #1 ˆ High Expectations (Behavior & Academics)
What is Rigor & Relevance?
Rigor ˆ The teaching of standards based learning, in which student‚s master literacy, numeracy, and content standards across the curriculum based on the learning style and intelligence of individual students. This will mean that teachers will need to differentiate their instruction and assessment. Brain-based learning, the use of portfolios for a unit, and student reflection of their learning will be essential for raising the rigor. It is not teaching more material, assigning more homework, or teaching with one style of instruction.
Relevance ˆ This refers to facilitating learning in a way that motivates students. People do not learn unless they experience what they learn and internalize it. Student ownership of learning and actively engaging students in learning helps to motivate students.
The research has shown that self-directed learning, differentiated instruction and assessment, culturalizing instruction, and project based learning all help students to find school relevant. The bottom line is that students need to be solving real world problems.
If teachers are focused on Rigor and Relevance, what will a teacher‚s classroom management be based on?
First off, the goal becomes helping students to solve their own problems. This is part of instruction and the idea of self-directed learning. Conscious discipline is one approach teachers can take. Secondly, teachers will need to create a classroom community in which students are able to learn based on their learning style, solve classroom problems together, and the teacher is the facilitator in the classroom community. Lastly, the ultimate goal is to help students internalize positive behavior for the real world. This is difficult considering all of the other responsibilities of teaching, but positive reinforcement and positive relationships between the teacher and students are external methods that can create internalization.
What has changed that we need to look at teaching with a different perspective?
Our information technological age has changed the way people work, play, and do just about everything else. These changes have meant that educators must reassess their role from teaching as an expert through direct instruction to facilitating learning in a self-directed learning environment. Students have a wealth of information at their fingertips and teachers need to let students explore and channel information in a way that students are applying their knowledge and making connections to the world around them.
A Brief List of Teacher Resources in the RIHS Library
Rigor Resources
Glasgow (2002), Standards-Based Activities with Scoring Rubrics.
Jensen (2005), Teaching with the Brain in Mind.
Marzano, Pickering, & Pollock (2001), Classroom Instruction that Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement.
Silver, Strong, & Perini (2000), So Each May Learn: Integrating Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligences.
Tomlinson & Strickland (2005), Differentiation in Practice, Grades 9-12.
Relevance Resources
Berman (2008). Performance-Based Learning: Aligning Experiential Tasks and Assessment to Increase Learning.
Costa & Kallick (2000), Activating & Engaging Habits of Mind.
Erwin (2004), The Classroom of Choice: Giving Students what they need, Getting what you want.
Gibbons (2002), The Self-Directed Learning Handbook: Challenging Adolescent Students to Excel.
McCarty & Siccone (2001), Motivating Your Students: Before you can teach them, you have to reach them.
McCombs & Miller (2007), Learner-Centered Classroom Practices and Assessments: Maximizing Student Motivation, Learning, and Achievement.
Sullo (2007), Activating the Desire to Learn
Classroom Management Resources
Landsman & Lewis (2006), White Teachers/Diverse Classrooms.
Robins, Lindsey, Lindsey, & Terrell (2006), Culturally Proficient Instruction.
Rubinstein (1999), Reluctant Disciplinarian.
Tate (2007), Shouting Won‚t Grow Dendrites.
Action Team #1 Log
Action Team: High Expectations (Behavior & Academics)
Date: 10-25-07
Meeting Location: 124/123 Start time: 145pm End time: 255pm
Leader: Andrew Haines Recorder: Dori Van De Sampel (Climate), Tia Rice (Credit Recovery)
Members Present: Ed Veasey, Angela Byrd, Dan Trenary, Charles Butler, Heidi Steger, Lisa Gooch, Kim VanKirk, Teri Grafton, Keeley Hornick, Tammy Ash, Marie, Nadia Bouchareb, Rachel Sweitzer, Mike Smith, Rita Currier, Laura Lundberg, Pat Steger, Trish Matson, Bob Smith, Nancy Wolber, Tia Rice, Dori Van De Sampel, Sue Vize, Bill Churchill, Mark Bollaert, Michele Williams, Cory Williams
Topic of discussion:
A. Terms: Rigor & Relevance- what they mean and how we can better implement them in classroom management and instruction. Also, reflecting on teaching from a different perspective.
B. Resources- Dept. Computer Labs- How will they be used by each dept.?
C. Recruiting parents and students
Climate Discussion:
A. Cafeteria- Is it still a priority? What can we do/ set a goal? (On the whole, kids don‚t care, facilities aren‚t enough for our size)
B. Pride Cards/Celebrations/Reinforcements- How are we rewarding kids for the good stuff and not always punishing for the bad?
Actions taken:
B. Recommendation for Computer Labs voted on by team- Yes- Volunteers from team take it to their departments and ask what the use will be and if it is needed.
Climate Discussion:
A. Show „Trays‰ video as precursor. Roll out electronic version to staff to show in Advisory. Goal is to (1) pick up trays and (2) stray messes. Take care of your tray, your trash, and your table.
B. Ask the staff what they‚re doing in their classrooms.
Key Findings:
I don‚t understand what this should be used for in regards to our discussion right now. No „Research‰ has been done per se.
Date of next meeting: Next short day Time: 145pm Location: 124/123
To Do before next meetings: Who: When:
Departmental Computer Labs
Research & recommend to dept. chairs/meetings Team #1- Nadia (FL/FL), Tia (ENG), Rite (MAT), Dan (SOC), Bill (PE), Nancy (SCI), Kim (SPED) Next meeting
Recruit Parents & Students- get at least one
Team #1 By next meeting
Present to Dr. Anderson suggestion of „Trays‰ video presentation.
Ed Veasey Administrative Meeting 10-26-07
How do you use your Rocky Pride Cards? Email to staff.
Ed Veasey ASAP
Give each committee member and the principal a copy of this log
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