Presented by Ava D. Rosales, Ph. D. Instructional Supervisor May 18, 2011 Miami Dade College, Kendall Campus

1. Miami-Dade County Public SchoolsDivision of Mathematics, Science and Advanced Academic ProgramsScience Department Chairperson’s DialogueRamping-up Teaching and Learning#4 Presented by Ava D. Rosales, Ph. D. Instructional Supervisor May 18, 2011 Miami Dade College, Kendall Campus

2. Welcome and Introductions • Agenda Overview • District Updates • Instructional Strategies and Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (NGSSS) Resources • Miami Dade College Sharing Activity: • On the Chart Paper, make three columns • NGSSS Awareness • NGSSS Support • NGSSS Needs • Complete the Chart • Share-out in auditorium main session

3. Norms • Participate Actively • Ask questions • Learn by doing • Set your own learning into action • ______________________________ Bathroom and Electronic Devices

4. Agenda

5. Goals for the Session • Reflect on professional development provided to support NGSSS transition and teaching and learning • Examine the use of data with an “explicit-reflective” approach • Share issues/concerns and solutions/strategies regarding student achievement with the NGSSS • Explore available resources: District, Institutes of Higher Education, and State

6. Using the FCAT 2.0 Test Item Specifications, identify the implications for the following clusters: • Nature of Science • Earth and Space Science • Physical Science • Life Science Mapping the NGSSS Benchmarks

7. District UpdatesThe Year in Review and What’s new for 2011 - 2012

9. Work in progress

12. Mapping the Benchmarks Grade 6 • Curriculum has foundational benchmarks • L – hierarchy of life, cells, body systems • Not repeated beyond grade-level • E – weather, climate and atmosphere • P – forces and change in motion, speed Grade 7 • Curriculum has foundational benchmarks • E – Earth’s evolution, plate tectonics, layers of Earth • P – Radiant Energy • Not repeated beyond grade-level • E – Earth structures • P – energy transfer, transformations, • L – evolution, heredity, interdependence of living things

13. Comments from Classroom Teachers • Moving from hands-on to minds-on • Addressing the “explain” in the 5Es • Sixth and seventh grade crunched for time at end of year with all the field trips • Administrative support in implementing NGSSS (i.e., grade level placement) • Assessments administered and not scanned • Real-world connections for content retention • Everyone on same track • Change and change for teachers’ thinking

14. Available District Assessments Grade 8: Interim Assessments (2011 – 2012: under design) Grades 6 and 7: Resource Tests (found in Edusoft Benchmark Exams

15. FCAT 2.0 Assessed Benchmarks

16. Historical Benchmark Analysis http://curriculum.dadeschools.net/schoolperformancereports.asp

17. Average Percent Correct

19. Pacing Guides by Quarter in Learning Village

20. General Science Strategies Shared with Principals • Encourage teachers to actively improve their science content knowledge to become proficient in their grade-level NGSSS. • Monitor the implementation of inquiry based, hands-on activities/labs addressing the necessary benchmarks. • Monitor the use of scientific writing (e.g., Power Writing/Lab Reports, Conclusion writing, Current Events, etc.) • Monitor the implementation of HOTS and questioning strategies. • After each assessment (monthly or interim), conduct data disaggregation of test results to identify benchmarks with unsatisfactory and satisfactory performance. Identify students’ performance within those categories and develop differentiated instruction activities to address the different needs through remediation and enrichment activities. Also conduct mini-assessments and utilize results to drive instruction. • Encourage students to participate in science fair activities, SECME, and other types of science competitions.

21. Building Teacher Content Knowledge • Annenberg Media - Learner.org • Discovery • Science podcasts • JASON Science • NSTA library and professional development ($ - membership) • College courses ($$, some free)

22. Middle School Science Strategies • Schedule grade 8 students taking Earth/Space Science Honors and/or Biology Honors into the same homerooms /advisement periods for review of the FCAT 2.0 Annually Assessed benchmarks. • Incorporate advisement period activities to help students develop appropriate social and academic coping skills. • Monitor the implementation of reading informational text and writing in science. • Monitor the implementation of Formative Assessment Probes and higher-order questioning/discussions. • Monitor teacher collaboration for vertical and horizontal alignment of instruction. • Fair Game Principle in FCAT 2.0 (6-8)

23. Interim Assessments Pending2011 – 2012 • Grades 5, 8 and Biology • Baseline, Fall and Winter • Parallel test format – all benchmarks assessed each test

24. FCAT 2.0 Updates • Baseline 2011 – 2012 • Test Item Specifications available • All FCAT 2.0 items written to the 2008 Standards • Comprehensive assessment based on benchmarks from grades 6 – 8 • Benchmarks of similar content grouped together • All benchmark groupings are annually assessed (AA) • All items will be multiple choice

25. FCAT 2.0 Updates (cont’d) Reference Sheets • Items requiring an equation will have the equation included with the item: a reference sheet is not needed and will not be provided • A periodic table and a calculator will be provided.

26. FCAT 2.0 Updates (cont’d) • Sample test materials will be written to the 2008 Standards • FCAT Explorer and Florida Achieves will be revised and aligned to the 2008 Standards • Reporting Categories • Nature of Science – 19% • Earth and Space Science – 27% • Physical Science – 27% • Life Science – 27%

27. FCAT 2.0 Updates (cont’d) • Length of test: 60 – 66 questions • Administration time, achievement levels, and cut scores have not been finalized • Achievement Level Descriptions will be written in August 2011 • Standard setting to determine cut scores for achievement levels will be held in Fall 2012

28. Senate Bill 4 Implementationhttp://www.fldoe.org/BII/sb4i.asp Technical Assistance Paper: http://www.fldoe.org/BII/pdf/SB4-Final2.pdf Sample content: A. MIDDLE GRADES PROMOTION REQUIREMENTS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

29. New: Success Measures Websitehttp://www.fldoe.org/successmeasures/ • Success Measures Pathway Tool is a good resource for parents, teachers and students • Provides a clear understanding of the materials students are expected to learn and the new state assessments designed to measure that learning.

30. Resources • Curriculum and Instruction • http://curriculum.dadeschools.net/ • Instructional Technology (Examview Item Bank) • http://it.dadeschools.net • Florida Department of Education http://www.fldoe.org/ • FCAT Resources - http://fcat.fldoe.org/ • Florida Standards and Course Descriptions http://www.floridastandards.org/ • Florida PROMiSE http://flpromise.org/ • Gizmos http://www.explorelearning.com

31. Follow-up • Completion of the Action Plan document accompanied with sign-in sheet andagenda from science department meeting indicating that the information was sharedback at the school site School Mail Code: 9628 Attn.: Dr. Ava D. Rosales

32. Where the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards Can Take Our Students • Broadcom Masters • http://attachmentManagerFiles.dadeschools.net/getFile.ashx?id=N2IucsbyYp7FvRL~!uphRRXPKKgTNxRmXYoX9N4/4mDeYQe1BCVfxsl4aUNegPT7R&app=AttachmentManager

33. Dr. Ava D. Rosales, Instructional Supervisor SECME Coordinator arosales@dadeschools.net 305-995-4537