About a year ago, I had an entry on Teacher Learning Center (TLC). As I said in that entry: TLC is the second form of teacher common planning time we have at SKHS. It is different than the common planning time that occurs on Wednesday mornings which is organized departmentally in that it is composed of teachers from different disciplines. The purpose of TLC is to provide teachers more opportunities to pursue personal professional growth with the common theme being that goals need to be connected to the classroom and supporting student learning. All teachers submit a detailed plan of action as well as a methodology for data collection and analysis. Each TLC meets a few times a week collectively to report out on progress and engage in a variety of structured activities designed to elicit feedback from colleagues to provide critical feedback and perspective on the goal. There are seven different TLC groups (one that meets for each period of the day) that are run by two teacher-facilitators for each group that are trained and supported throughout the year. We feel fortunate to have this professional development piece in place since in many districts, this time is utilized for teachers to run study halls, or serve as hall monitors or lunchroom supervisors.
I thought some of you might find it interesting to read a sampling of goals teachers are submitting to pursue for some or all of this year.
Here is one from one of our math teachers:
Goal Statement or Inquiry Question:
Currently students are expected to perform on State Standardized tests such as the NECAP (and soon the PARCC) as well as standardized tests such as PSAT’s and SAT’s. At South Kingstown High we ask our students to take mid-term exams and end-of-course exams. These are also formatted like standardized tests in that they may have both multiple choice and open-ended questions that represent a wide breadth of knowledge. However, students are not always prepared for the structure of these exams. Classroom assessments, while containing the appropriate content to prepare students, are not currently aligned structurally. Classroom assessments tend to contain mostly short open-ended questions.
How do I alter my classroom assessments to aide students in their preparation for mid-terms and end-of-course exams without altering the content?
Will altering the structure of the classroom assessments, but not the content, to better align with the mid-term and end-of-course exam help the students to feel more prepared for those tests and in doing so, earn high scores?
Description of Plan of Action (Specific steps or activities you will take toward meeting your goal or answering your question):
1. Review the structure of current Mid-Term Exam
2. Review current assessment structure
a. Select quizzes, not unit-end assessments
b. Quizzes are being selected as this is a new change and this will have a smaller grade impact. (I.e. Multiple choice questions on quizzes rather than multiple choice question on unit-end assessments where partial credit for responses would be a gage of understanding after a length of time has past between lessons.)
c. Unit-end assessments will remain unchanged at this time
3. Re-Write assessments/quizzes to align with structure of Mid-Term Exam
a. Add multiple choice questions and open/authentic questions (styled after NECAP open-ended questions).
Description of Data Collected and Analyzed (What you will use to measure progress toward goal/question and what you learn from an analysis of that data)
1. Mid-Term Exam grades from 09-10 will be compared to Mid-Term Exam grades 10-11 for Pre-Calculus classes.
2. Overall class averages on new assessments/quizzes will be assessed as compared to last year’s Pre-Calculus class quiz averages.
Here is one from two of our art teachers who will be collaborating on their goal
Goal Statement or Inquiry Question: 100% of our art students will participate in a variety of activities that promote and support reading and writing in the visual arts.
We will create specific lessons that will increase the student’s skills and vocabulary necessary to read, comprehend, and write about their own artwork, the artwork of others, and famous art from history. This will meet the needs of the reading and writing requirements for the Visual Arts Proficiency portfolio.
Description of Plan of Action (Specific steps or activities you will take toward meeting your goal or answering your question):
1. Develop brainstorm worksheets, handouts, and inspiring questions that will facilitate students in writing quality, thoughtful self-reflections and responses required for Visual Arts Proficiency portfolio.
2. Require journaling for advanced (AP, Art IV) students. Encourage students to keep a sketchbook which will include writing down thoughts and ideas about art.
3. Educate student on how to successfully summarize by analyzing art through critiquing critical elements in their own work and famous works (Art I, Crafts, and Sculpture).
4. Have students explore a favorite artist or art movement and complete outside reading and research assignments (Art I, Crafts, Art IV, AP).
5. Have students write about art and works of art as a method of vocabulary development and incorporate the Twelve Words used on standardized tests. (Art I, Crafts, Art IV, AP).
6. Promote and encourage sustained silent reading of art-related books and periodicals if there is extra time at the end of class.
7. Support web reading by allowing students to research about artists by visiting websites hosted by famous art museums.
8. Students will conduct research that makes connections among the visual arts and world events, historic time periods, and other disciplines.
Description of Data Collected and Analyzed (What you will use to measure progress toward goal/question and what you learn from an analysis of that data)
1. Student interest, effort and participation
2. High quality, thoughtful, writing of reports, responses, critiques, and reflections.
3. Increase in use of proper art vocabulary in student critiques, discussions, and writing pieces.
4. Student work in the form of meaningful group critiques, individual written reflections and critiques of students’ own artwork, as well as artist reports and personal artist statements.
5. Increase in art knowledge through differentiating and varying the approaches and methods of incorporating art writing and reading in the classroom.
Finally, here is one from a World Language teacher:
Goal Statement or Inquiry Question:
Students in my classes will utilize critical thinking skills in a variety of assignments, assessments and classroom activities.
Description of Plan of Action (Specific steps or activities you will take toward meeting your goal or answering your question):
Local archival data suggests that many students do not engage in enough higher-order thinking, and that they do not think critically in all subject areas. Likewise, there have been numerous academic studies published within the past four years that have demonstrated that students nationwide are unable to think critically. One reason for this problem, as suggested by various academic articles, is that there are relatively few assignments that require certain critical thinking and higher-order thinking skills. I plan to make the following changes in order to facilitate the development of such higher-order, critical thinking skills, all of which can be supported by research:
• I will redesign some tests and quizzes to target critical thinking skills.
• Within such designs, I will ask students to explain the reasons behind their answers and thoughts.
• I will explicitly teach students how to think critically and how to utilize higher-order thinking skills.
• Writing prompts will encourage more thinking “outside the box,” such as bringing to light non-standard versions of history (such as historical accounts of the Templars being in the U.S. 100 years before Columbus, and China discovering the U.S. in 1421. Such info. would help students to question the overwhelmingly popular suggestion that Columbus discovered the U.S., even though there were already people here and even though other outsiders discovered it first. Other similar topics involve Egyptian influences in Italian history and in Church practices, and the reasons behind the Cult of the Dead in Italy).
• Students will be required to reflect upon assignments and hand in such reflections.
• I will encourage more classroom discussions about topics that encourage critical thinking.
Description of Data Collected and Analyzed (What you will use to measure progress toward goal/question and what you learn from an analysis of that data)
The data will be collected and analyzed following qualitative methods, specifically taking a phenomenological perspective. Data will be taken from three sources and triangulated for credibility. First, the students’ written work will be read and coded for statements that are indicative of critical thinking or the lack of such thinking. Secondly, class discussions can function as informal interviews, allowing me to verify if students are in fact utilizing higher-order thinking skills. I can ask follow-up questions when needed in order to verify my assumptions about whether or not they are thinking critically and reflecting upon their thought-processes and decision-making skills. Finally, classroom observation while they are working in groups or discussing topics with their classmates can also help me to find out if they are thinking critically and using critical self-reflection skills.
Some of these goals will be fine-tuned, based on feedback from their colleagues or me. Additionally, teachers will be submitting to me periodic reflections on how the work is going and what additional questions have been raised in their research/reflection. As we did last year, we’ve posted many of the goals on our internal communication system to provide faculty an opportunity to see the variety of goals their colleagues are pursuing.
