GET REAL! How REAL teachers use MAP results in a REAL Classroom Setting

1. GET REAL!How REAL teachers use MAP results in a REAL Classroom Setting Presenters: Michelle Keltner April Saylor Williamstown High School

2. WELCOME!

3. Who are we? (Real Teachers) • April Saylor • Teaching 12 years • Classes taught: 9th grade English, 10th grade English, 11th grade English, Speech/Communications, Drama • Other: KTIP Mentor Teacher, Calendar Committee, Writing Program Committee, Curriculum Committee, New Standards Committee, Scholarship Committee, 2010 and 2014 Class Sponsor • Michelle Keltner • Teaching 3 years • Classes taught: Journalism/Yearbook, Drama, Arts and Humanities, Communications,9th grade English, 11th grade English, 12th grade English, AP English. • Other: I Coach Academic Team, Dance team, and Direct the School Play • We have: We don’t have: • Reluctant Readers Lots of Money • Gifted Students A 27 hour day • Special Education 5 planning hours • “Regular Ed” kids A magic wand • A willingness to teach All the Answers In Other Words…We are REAL teachers, living in the REAL world!

4. And…Because we are Real Teachers….We Are Forced to change the way we think about teaching.

5. How Does MAP work? • Tests kids multiple times a year to track progress • Finds kids’ exact level of achievement by modifying the questions given (50% Right/50% Wrong) • Allows students to set goals for themselves • Gives teachers a way to look at sub-domains to determine areas of weakness • Is a helpful tool if used properly

6. JUST FOR ME • The “Birth” of “Just for Me Day” • We took time as departments to analyze scores in the FALL • We discussed ways to use these scores to guide instruction throughout the year. • Each department was given the option of working together to create a way to incorporate MAP into lessons (not required) • We determined to use every other Friday to work on MAP data—using the RIT ranges that the students scored in

7. How does JUST FOR ME work? • Every student is at a different level (RIT SCORE) • We use this to develop lessons • We determine which students scored within the same RIT RANGE and “grouped” them. • On the FRIDAY of “Just For Me” we tell students which group that they are in and handout packets with information for their RANGE, only. • THE PACKETS…. • Each packet is developed according to guidelines in the RIT RANGES (we will show you how to access these later.) • The packets are developed by individual teachers/faculty, in order to divide the responsibility • The packets have detailed instructions for students • Activities increase in difficulty (introduce topic, give examples, practice exercises, some BIG IDEA activity to demonstrate that they “Get it”)

8. JUST FOR ME (and YOU) • After students have given in-class time to learning the material, they present to the whole class • Depending on the amount of time that it takes groups to finish, they may present their information to the class that day or on Monday. • Every student benefits from all of the groups • This works for ALL grade levels. • Essentially, students in 8th grade could score in the 11th grade range, and vice versa. • We combine 10th and 11th grade students during our common class times. The students can still receive the same lessons and work on the same skills

9. Why “Just for Me” has worked for US • We were able to utilize faculty for the various RIT bands • The lower RIT bands were addressed by the Special Education Department • The Regular Education teachers addressed the middle RIT bands • The Gifted/Talented Coordinator took the highest RIT band • The Instructional Supervisor took any RIT band not previously taken • Everyone is involved in student learning • Student “buy in” to the Just For Me has been effective…they realize that it is ABOUT THEIR INDIVIDUAL LEARNING • It is True Differentiation • Students begin to understand that they are “good” in some areas and “need work” in others. They aren’t just good at everything—all the time.

10. We realize: Not every school has the faculty who are willing/able to help design lessons Not everyone is ready to start implementing a plan for students—you may still be in the process of looking at MAP data It’s not easy to commit to a new plan—every Friday Making it work for you

11. BUT….it’s worth a try • Why we like JUST FOR ME DAY • The students are motivated and well-behaved • Once the lessons are handed out, we let the students guide their own learning • We now have the materials and we can adjust from year to year, but we don’t have to start over • It’s fun to work together with colleagues on something that matters! • Nothing to grade—we usually give participation credit, as long as students have tried

12. Accessing Score Reports • NWEA Score Report Link: http://www.nwea.org/ Click Teacher Login • We use CLASS BY RIT…but several reports can be used. • This report allows you to click on individual students and see their sub-domain scores

13. SAMPLE Score Report • This looks like what you might see:

14. Then what…..Click on each category…you will bring up the subdomains • If I click on Reading I might bring up the table that looks like this…..

15. How do we use these reports??? • By looking at the sub domains in the last slide…we can see specifically what our kids need help in. • We design lessons, individually, to help these students---but we don’t do it alone • Then, we make it fun! • We share and explain the relevance of everyone being accountable for his/her own learning • KIDS BUY IN!!!!

16. Using Goals—suggestions from Map • If you click on an individual student’s name, it will tell you all about what students in this typical RIT band do/do not, typically, know. • It gives you key words and ideas that they still need to reach the next level. • We use the new vocabulary to guide our lessons • Kids in the upper RIT levels often have no new vocabulary/key concepts…we do ACT prep with them!

17. What we would do differently…. • I would have started earlier • I would have explained to kids what the scores mean • Link it to ACT/SAT where possible (we do) • Going back to do more interactive lessons • I MIGHT make them pretty---in binders with stickers and slip covers…but…probably not. • After all…we are here to show you how REAL teachers use this in REAL classrooms…and we don’t always have time to make everything “pretty”.

18. Where do we go from here? • We plan on improving the lessons/changing the ones that are the least effective • Organizing our materials in a more effective way (labeled boxes or bins, instead of our big, black cabinet) • Adding/adjusting material for time length of 50 minutes • Getting more people involved