Science Update Academy 2012

1. Secondary Science UpdateAcademy 2012 Jennifer Wilhelm Coordinator for Elementary Science Elementary

2. Agenda • Science Content Updates • Curriculum Documents • Assessment Documents • Materials • Life Threatening Allergies • Professional Development • Science Fair • Mission of the Science Department • A Vertical Look: Building the Foundation for Success in Science • Data Analysis • Breakthrough Goal

3. Science Content Updates Location: The Elementary Curriculum Planner • Curriculum • Aligned curriculum documents to pacing of new calendar. • Note: Future curriculum work during 2012-2013 will include the development of curriculum documents that reflect specificity in the content standards, including the creation of a Vertical Alignment Document (VAD). • Instruction • Lesson content and sequence has minimal changes. • Changes reflect tighter alignment to content and performance standards. • Assessments • Changes reflect tighter alignment to content and performance standards.

4. Curriculum Documents Year at a Glance Pacing Guide

5. Assessment Documents Correlation Between Report Card Assessment Calendar Competencies and TEKS

6. Elementary Curriculum Planner Curriculum Documents are Located in the Curriculum Overview Tab

7. materials • Purchasing Consumables • Non-consumables are campus materials…not grade specific materials. • Goggles and Aprons • More will be ordered for campuses that need them. • K-2 TEKS “__.1 Identify and demonstrate safe practices as described by the Texas Safety Standards during classroom and outdoor investigations, including wearing safety goggles, washing hands, and using materials appropriately. • 3-5 TEKS “__.4 Use safety equipment as appropriate including safety goggles and gloves.”

8. Life Threatening Allergies • Senate Bill 27 amended the Texas Education Code • We must do our due diligence to provide ALL students with a safe learning environment. • We must ensure that students with allergies at risk for anaphylaxis / life threatening allergies (LTA) are not exposed to materials that would promote a reaction.

9. Life Threatening Allergies • Only food materials specifically referenced in MISD curriculum and instruction documents may be used during learning experiences. • Allowable materials noted in science lessons and on the document: Food Items and Living Organisms Utilized in MISD Science Curriculum • Document notes if items will be consumed during the learning experience • Absolutely no peanut butter or nuts.

10. Life Threatening Allergies • All science lessons that utilize food or other materials that may promote a reaction will contain the following alert: • Allergy Alert: In order to provide a safe learning environment for all students, please ensure that students with allergies at risk of anaphylaxis / life threatening allergies (LTA) are not exposed to materials that would promote a reaction. Please speak with the campus nurse regarding health conditions and reference a child’s 504 plan as applicable. • This specific lesson utilizes the following materials:

11. Life Threatening Allergies • All parents need to complete the Life Threatening Allergy -Science Contract Parent Letter. • This letter should be copied on the back of the Science Safety Agreement. • Distribute this letter to all students. • Parents and teachers should notify the nurse of LATs.

12. Professional development • OI Trainings for K-5 throughout the year • Practical Strategies for Linking Assessment, Instruction and Learning through Science Content • Elementary and Secondary • Building Content Knowledge in Chemistry • Elementary and Secondary

13. Science Fair • 2013 Safety Rules and Display Rules have slight changes. • Campuses may customize the information in the MISD Campus Science Fair Student Handbook for distribution to students so long as the safety and display rules remain unchanged.

14. Science Mission Students in MISD will • be information literate in the context of science which involves • assessing credibility, • validity, • and the reliability including its source and the methods through which the information and the related data are derived, in order to critically interpret scientific argumentsand apply science concepts in the 21st century.

15. Science: A vertical Look High Middle Elementary

16. Brainstorm a list of vocabulary/concepts/content • that would be needed to demonstrate mastery • of this standard. Building the foundation for success in science Organisms and Environments The student knows that there are relationships, systems, and cycles within environments. The student is expected to: 5.9A Observe the way organisms live and survive in their ecosystem by interacting with the living and non-living elements. (Readiness Standard) Elementary

17. Building the foundation for success in science Elementary

18. Building the foundation for success in science • 3.9A Observe and describe the physical characteristics of environments and how they support populations and communities within an ecosystem. Elementary

19. Teaching and Learning What do the best teachers do? • The best teachers constantly monitor what is happening to students as they set about learning and investigate when things do not proceed as planned or expected. They also inquire their own practice so they might get better at ensuring that their students learn successfully. Demos 2004. About learning, Report of the Learning Working Group, Demos, London www.demos.co.uk

20. How are we doing?What are our challenges? MAP Data 2010 - 2011 MAP Data 2011 - 2012

21. How are we doing?What are our challenges? • Look at the Spring RIT Scores and green shading in each grade level. • What do you notice about Spring RIT scores for an entire grade level as compared to the National norm? • Look at the Spring RIT Scores and dark green shading in Grades 5 and 8. • In these grade levels for both years, students in MISD outperformed the National norm. Why? • Look at the Total Gains for each grade level colored in gray. • How does student performance in 2011-2012 compare to 2010-2011?

22. How are we doing?What are our challenges? • Compare RIT scores and growth from 2010-2011 to 2011-2012. • What changes in performance and growth do you observe for… • African American students? • Hispanic students? • Economically disadvantaged students? • What changes in performance do you observe in middle school? • What factors have influenced this change? • What changes in performance do you observe in 5th Grade? • What factors have influenced this change?

23. A vertical Look at the district In your groups, discuss the following questions: • Who owns this data? • What are our challenges? • What factors influence this data? • Consider factors that influence performance in specific grades and student groups. • After reviewing this data, what is one take-away for you personally? High Middle Elementary

24. A vertical Look at our Campus Analyze your campus MAP data for Science. • What are the campus strengths? What should we celebrate? • What are the identified areas for growth? • As a grade level team, make a commitment to each other for this next school year regarding science learning in your classrooms. High Middle Elementary

25. Breakthrough goal [breykthroo gohl] noun Definition:Targetfor dramatic improvementthat results in a clear and competitive advantage.