National Board Study Group Meeting

1. National Board Study Group Meeting Dan Barber 5th Grade Teacher Irwin Academic Center Dan.Barber@cms.k12.nc.us

2. Tonight’s Agenda: 1) The good, the bad, the ugly 2) Other 3) Assessment Center

3. Assessment Center Prep. Tips: 1) Take the Online Tutorial at: http://www.pearsonvue.com/NBPTS/. You may not be able to download and run the tutorial on school computers. • Print and review your Scoring Guide from http://www.nbpts.org/for_candidates/scoring or from your CD. • Also print Assessment at a Glance from http://www.nbpts.org/become_a_candidate/available_certificates1/choosing_the_right_certi#Overview . Read the descriptions of and scoring rubrics for the six Assessment Center exercises. Each bulleted “characteristic” within a rubric represents an essential component of that exercise. You should expect to be asked a question that closely correlates with every component. Each exercise will consist of multiple questions. Review the released exercises included in Assessment at a Glance

4. Assessment Center Prep. Tips: • Research the pedagogy and content for other relevant grade levels and content areas by borrowing teachers’ manuals, national and state standards, and observing classes. Remember, the Assessment Center exercises will cover the entire age range and content of your certification area/pathway. 5) Review the practice exercise prompts included in Assessment at a Glance and then brainstorm possible question topics for all exercises.

5. Assessment Center Prep. Tips: • 6) Review your responses to practice prompts and have NBCTs and fellow Candidates do so as well. Consider the following: • Did you complete the exercise within 30 minutes? • Did you address all essential components of the exercise? • Will the assessor be able to “see” how you incorporate the Standards into your teaching? • Did you meet all the criteria established in the scoring rubrics? • Did you base your instructional strategies on student assessment information (formal or informal)? • Did you consider student curiosities, interests, and strengths? • Are your strategies and activities clearly related to your goals and objectives? • Do you demonstrate appropriate content knowledge?

6. Assessment Center Prep. Tips: 7) Before time expires, make sure you have addressed all portions of the exercise. Once time expires for a particular exercise, you won’t be able to return to it. 8) Wait until your 30 minutes have expired and the expiration of time will take you to the next exercise automatically. If you happen to finish early and have carefully reviewed your entire response, take a rest for the remainder of the time period.

7. Practice (Literacy – EC/MC/LRLA): Literacy Exercise: Jane Doe knows some basic sight words. She uses phonetic cues of the beginning sounds of words, but often does not use phonetic cues for the other sounds in words. She doesn’t recognize words she has sounded out previously in the passage. She doesn’t self-correct if what she is reading does not make sense. Her oral reading fluency is below grade-level. She writes simple patterned sentences but does not use descriptive words. Jane is interested in animals and often chooses chapter books during free reading time, even though she cannot read these books. 1) Identify two strengths you can build on to remediate Jane’s weaknesses. 2) Explain why you have chosen to build on these strengths. 3) State your goal for Jane and plan an appropriate strategy to improve her reading skills. 4) Identify two resources or materials and provide a rationale for choosing these resources or materials to improve Jane’s reading skills.

8. Practice (LRLA): Stimulus Examine the student prompt, student writing sample, and teacher transcript of student writing below. Student Prompt: A student was asked to write about the following. What can the boy in the story do in the fall? Student Writing Sample: Teacher Transcript of Student Writing: He can fly a kite. 1) Analyze one area of strength and one area of weakness. Provide examples from the student writing sample to support your analysis. 2) Describe in detail the developmental characteristics of this writing sample a) Explain two developmentally appropriate and effective instructional strategies to further the student’s skill in writing development. b) Provide a rationale for how each of the two strategies is connected to the stated strength or weakness.

9. Practice (MC Gen): Scenario Assume that you are the teacher of a group of sixth-grade students. Among the members of your class is the following student: Student Profile Marissa is a popular 11-year-old student who is a perfectionist. She is a straight A student who puts tremendous pressure on herself. She has recently lost weight. Yet, you hear her complain about being fat. You rarely see her eating at lunchtime. The girls in the class look up to her and she often talks about the boys calling her at home. 1) Identify the physical, mental/emotional, and social needs of the student profiled. 2) What three steps would you take to address the needs (physical, mental/ emotional, and social) of the student individually, as well as with the entire class? Include any resources, activities, and/or support persons you would use. 3) Why are these steps appropriate to meeting the needs of the student? Make sure to address the physical, mental/emotional and social well-being of the student.

10. Practice (Math -- EC Gen): Stimulus A kindergarten student is having difficulty with a mathematical concept: 1) Identify the mathematical misconception/difficulty of this student work sample. 2) What fundamental concepts are prerequisites for this student at this grade level in order to learn this skill? 3) Based on real-world applications, state your goal for an instructional strategy or learning experience to help this student. Plan a learning experience or instructional strategy based on this goal that would further the student’s understanding of this mathematical concept. 4) What materials would you use to teach this mathematical concept to this child? Provide a rationale for your choice of materials.

11. Practice (ENS): Stimulus You will find all of the following below: 􀂃 The name of a topic area in science. 􀂃 A brief description of a student. 􀂃 Question(s) the student described has asked you about the topic area. Topic area: Biology; plant growth Student: 8 years old; I.Q. of 60; legally blind Questions: What makes plants grow? How much does a plant grow each day? • 1) • Discuss the science concept that would answer the student’s questions. • Discuss the mathematics concept that would answer the student’s questions. 2) Describe one integrated science and mathematics activity that would clearly engage all students in learning these concepts. 3) Describe two specific modifications/adaptations you would make to this activity for the given student. Explain what the student will be doing and how the modifications/adaptations will promote the given student’s learning of the science and mathematics concepts in the topic area.

12. Practice (Social Studies – MC/EC): • Scenario • Your third-grade class is studying the impact of scarcity on the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services. • Plan an instructional sequence, including multiple instructional strategies, related to this concept. • Include at least three developmentally appropriate and focused learning objectives. 3) Discuss appropriate assessment strategies. Assess both prior knowledge and student learning during this unit. 4) Describe appropriate instructional materials and resources (and the rationale for choosing these materials and resources).

13. Practice (Science – EC/MC): Scenario: Your third grade students are beginning a unit study to build an understanding of the form and function of the skeletal and muscle systems of the human body. 1) What “Big Idea” in Science will you choose to teach this topic. Explain a rationale for choosing this Big Idea. 2) Describe an inquiry activity you will develop to further student understanding of the scientific concept addressed. 3) State your goals for student learning, teacher input, the tools technology, and materials you will use. 4) Explain your rationale for the choice of tools, technology, and materials you will use.

14. Practice (ENL): Scenario In their mainstream literature class, your fourth-grade ESL students are studying the book Little House in the Big Woods. The current chapter of their book is called “Two Big Bears.” Text “Two Big Bears” In the Big Woods the snow was beginning to thaw. Bits of it dropped from the branches of the trees and made little holes in the softening snow banks below. At noon all the big icicles along the eaves of the little house quivered and sparkled in the sunshine, and drops of water hung trembling at their tips. Pa said he must go to town to trade the furs of the wild animals he had been trapping all winter. So one evening he made a big bundle of them. There were so many furs that when they were packed tightly and tied together they made a bundle almost as big as Pa. 1) Given the preceding text, identify and explain four strategies/activities that would support the development of students’ proficiencies in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Identify one strategy/activity for each of the four domains, making specific reference to the text provided in this exercise. 2) Give a rationale that supports the use of each strategy/activity.

15. Assessment Center Tips: 1) You “live” in the world of the hypothetical; put aside any “restrictions” you may currently have and dream grandiose dreams • 2) Assessment center question may include the following components: • Analysis of a student’s current level of performance/proficiency (i.e., identifying misconceptions/errors a child is having, identifying strengths & weaknesses a child is exhibiting, identifying foundational knowledge a child must have in order to grasp a concept) • Goals & Objectivesdevelopmentally appropriate & tied to your analysis • Instructional Sequence • Rationale for your Instructional Sequence • Materials/Tech. you might use (including rationale for its use)

16. Assessment Center Tips (continued): 3) Answer every question & every part of a question. If the question asks for 3 strategies, be sure you are providing 3, etc. 4) 30 minutes per question; My suggestion – use all 30 minutes! 5) Pace yourself – determine how many parts a question has and try to allocate your time accordingly 6) You can answer different parts of a question in what order you please (i.e., you can read through the entire question before answering); however, be careful not to click the “go to next question” button until you have thoroughly answered all parts of a question.

17. Housekeeping/Homework 1) Read over your assessment center exercises, assessment at a glance, and your scoring rubric (“begin with the end in mind”) 2) Practice retired prompts and other practice prompts: http://edtechbytes.com/?page_id=5 Last Study Group Meeting: ???