Nuts and Bolts

1. Nuts and Bolts January 3 and 4, 2013

2. Pontotoc City School District believes LEARNING is a priority, a need, and a desire. To be successful, we must nurture a learning community that allows everyone to participate in trusting, respectful relationships. Together, we are committed to Reaching Higher Levels of Learning.

3. Change Why? • Students are not adequately prepared for college or career with current standards • College and Career Readiness standards require a change in both teaching strategies and learning strategies

4. Survival Anxiety • Cling to old, Increases rigor for teachers and students • Leads to defensiveness and resistance due to pain of having to UNLEARN and RETHINK • Stages • Denial – won’t happen • Scapegoating and Passing the Buck – others fault, I’m retiring • Making Excuses and Guilt – my kids can’t do it, I don’t have time, it’s not developmentally appropriate

5. Addressing Fears As much as we fear the new…we are more afraid of giving up the old Understand it is not only necessary, it is required It is best for students To maintain change there must be a constant push Positive, open communication

6. Specifically, how as a district? Collaboration Professional Learning Communities – learning community with a focus on and a commitment to the LEARNING of all students Using data/results to determine next steps Focus on continuous improvement Continued focused professional development

7. Specifically, how as a teacher? Design units and lessons that require students to think Create opportunities to actively engage all students in each lesson Make good decisions about texts used in class, stressing thematic connections and text complexity Use effective questioning to create discussions WITH and BETWEEN STUDENTS Teach the concept of argument in all content areas

8. Conditions for Successful Implementation

9. ComponentsKnoster, T. , Villa, R., & Thousand, J. (2000) Vision - The “Why are we doing this?” to combat confusion Skills – The skill set needed to combat anxiety Incentives – Reasons, perks, advantages to combat resistance Resources – Tools and time needed to combat frustration Plan – Provides the direction to eliminate the treadmill effect

10. Components for PCSD Vision – Learning Skills – Madeline Hunter’s Lesson Plan Design, Marzano’s 9 Instructional Strategies, CCSS, Bloom’s Taxonomy Incentives – Expectations, Reasons why we do what we do, Data, Importance/Emphasis Resources – Materials, supplies, training Plan – CLI, Direction, Goals

11. Conditions for Successful Implementation

12. Data • State Model • QDI – District 199 (B) Met • DT Cox – 207 (A) - Met • PMS – 197 (B) - Met • PJHS – 206 (A) Met • PHS – 180 (C) – Not Met • Growth – See above • 5-Yr. Graduation Rate – 81.8 • High School Completion Index – 228 • ACT – English 18.9/18.6 Math 19.2/18.3 Reading 19.5/18.9 Science 19.6/18.7 Composite 19.4/18.7 College and Career Ready – 15%/11% (all 4 areas)

13. Data • Federal Model • Attendance Rate – 95% - Met • AMO Subgroup Data – Reading/Language Arts

14. Data • Federal Model • AMO Subgroup Data – Math

15. COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS Over the last few decades, textbook reading levels have decreased. K-12 reading is more narrative in nature than informative, which is what is required in college and the workplace. K-12 reading content is not very challenging. K-12 teachers give students a great deal of coaching and support. Standard says “independently and proficiently” at most levels.

16. COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS To Learn • Adults have to hear it 8-10 times • Kids have to hear it 17-21 times To get a jumpstart on the math, read the summary at the beginning of each grade level. Develop a plan that can be duplicated regardless of the content. Use it consistently. Emphasis on students leaving high school college and career ready.

17. College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards • Literate Individual – at every grade level: • Demonstrate independence • Strong Content knowledge • Respond to varying demands of audience, task, purpose, and discipline • Comprehend, as well as critique • Value evidence • Use technology and digital media strategically and capably • Understand other perspectives and cultures

18. College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards Four Strands • Reading - Literature (RL), Informational (RI) • Writing • Speaking and Listening • Language

19. College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards Reading • Non-fiction reading is important and should be used in all subject areas. • 4th grade – 50% Literary 50% Informational • 8th grade – 45% Literary 55% Informational • 12th grade – 30% Literary 70% Informational Literary Texts – Fairy Tales, Folklore, Historical Fiction, Poetry, Drama, Fictional Novels Informational Texts – Newspapers, Magazines, Technical Manuals, Historical Non-fiction, Science, Biographies

20. College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards Reading Text complexity is important. Students must be exposed to reading above their current reading level to help them grow. Students are expected to use what has been read to answer questions and prove or justify their answers Teachers must ask questions that require students to refer to text to find answers. Inductive reasoning should be required as students progress.

21. College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards Writing • Types and purposes • Arguments are used to support claims using evidence and supporting details. (Persuasive) • Informative/Explanatory writing is used to convey complex ideas. • Narratives are used to develop real or imagined events or experiences, base on text read. 4th grade – 30% - 35% - 35% 8th grade – 35% - 35% - 30% 12th grade – 40% - 40% - 20%

22. College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards Writing Use short and sustained research projects based on specific questions Assess of credibility of resources and integrate information found without plagiarizing Use evidence to support analysis, research or reflections Write over both short and sustained timeframes for a range of tasks, purposed, and audiences

23. College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards Speaking and Listening Must begin in Kindergarten and continue through graduation Must collaborate with others to prepare and present information to an audience Must learn to critique presentations of others Must develop and organize effective argumentative and informative presentations.

24. College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards Speaking and Listening Must use multiple resources, both written and digital Must learn to use language and word choice appropriately Teacher models are very important and students must have the opportunity to practice

25. College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards Language Must demonstrate knowledge of appropriate English when both writing or speaking Must use language to clarify meaning of words and to convey thoughts appropriately Must use language to acquire a wide range of vocabulary, both general and domain specific

26. Common Core State Standards • Reading/Language Arts – Appendix A • Text Complexity • Lexile Level Increases • Reading Standard 10 Progression • Agrumentative Writing • Read-Alouds • Vocabulary Acquisition • Tier 1 – general, everyday words • Tier 2 – general, academic words used in multiple content areas • Tier 3 – content area specific words

27. Common Core State Standards • Reading/Language Arts – Appendix B and C • Text Exemplars by grade level – B • Performance-based tasks – B • Writing Samples – C • Informative • Argument • Narrative

28. Common Core State Standards Assessments Research shows that when curriculum is well articulated and aligned to assessments, and when school leaders monitor the extent to which it is actually covered, the measureable impact – or effect size – of such strategies is 31 percentile points in student achievement. Marzano, 2003

29. Common Core State Standards Assessments Texts worth reading Questions worth answering Better standards demand better questioning Fidelity to the standards

30. Common Core State Standards What’s important in Reading/Language Arts: • Text Complexity Focused Vocabulary – Tiered Vocabulary • Reading and Writing that is grounded in text • Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction What’s important in Math: • Assessed by label – Major – Supporting – Additional • Grades 3-5 – no calculator, fluency • Grades 6-8 – calculator embedded in technology • Grade 8 – scientific calculator • HS – TI-84 embedded in technology

31. Common Core State Standards www.corestandards.org www.parcconline.org www.parcconline.org/samples/item-task-prototypes www.smarterbalanced.org www.achieve.org www.achieve.org/achieving-common-core

32. What Do We Know…. Exposure to high levels of authentic intellectual work are associated with gains in standardized test scores. Students exposed to high quality assessments had 20% higher gains than the national average. Students exposed to low quality assignments had gains 25% lower that the national average. Student demographics were not associated with exposure to quality assignments.

33. Academic rigor is accomplished by increasing the complexity of thinking in course content, instruction, and assessment. Course Content Content Acquisition (Learning Progressions) Appropriate leveled text for the challenge Instruction Activities promoting critical thinking Communication building relevance Applying integrated ideas Application of concepts Promote responsibility Assessment Aligned to instructional targets Engages with academic content Requires extended, elaborated responses

34. What’s next?

35. As a district………….. Collaboration Professional Learning Communities – learning community with a focus on and a commitment to the LEARNING of all students Using data/results to determine next steps Focus on continuous improvement Continued focused professional development

36. As a teacher………… Design units and lessons that require students to think Create opportunities to actively engage all students in each lesson Make good decisions about texts used in class, stressing thematic connections and text complexity Use effective questioning to create discussions WITH and BETWEEN STUDENTS Teach the concept of argument in all content areas

37. How? Close Reading - Deep Reading - Frontload Be strategic with what you do Ask questions that force students to use text Ask text dependent questions Practice – try things to see if they work – SHARE Use exemplars and examples Go slow to teach more Model vocabulary usage Expect ALL students to learn at the highest level

38. Pontotoc City School District believes LEARNING is a priority, a need, and a desire. To be successful, we must nurture a learning community that allows everyone to participate in trusting, respectful relationships. Together, we are committed to Reaching Higher Levels of Learning.