Professional LearningOctober 5, 2011
Focused Walk
Schoolwide Walk-Through facilitated by BOE will be November
Our Focus:
Standards-Based Instruction Strand (CLASS Keys)
Demonstrates research-based strategies
Engages Higher-Order Thinking Skills
Communicates Learning Expectations
Provides Effective Feedback
Preparing for the Walk Through
Start preparing your lessons and now
Make sure that your activities address what we will be looking for:
Reasearch-Based Strategies (i.e. activators, summarizers, grouping, pairs, peer-tutoring, etc)
Higher Order Thinking
students should be highly engaged in challenging work that requires authentic ideas, analysis or evaluation
They should not be working on textbook generated worksheets, copying from the overhead, or memorizing definitions unless this is absolutely critical to the lesson
Cont’d Communicates learning expectations
This can be accomplished through EQ; however, it is more meaningful when it is not only posted, but revisited throughout class
Provides effective feedback
Can be written or verbal
Posted student work is an easy way to accomplish this if you are using the language of the standards and saying more than “good job
Verbal responses to students’ questions, answers, etc also fall into this category…as long as you give more than “good” or “yes” or “no, that is incorrect”
Showcase Student Work
GraduateFIRST
Dropouts prevented our making AYP
Lost 21 of the 52 on our list from last year
Our focus this year: Affective (School Culture and Climate)
Our goal: Create a sense of community in our school
Our plans:
Fellowship opportunities
Meetings with Chamber, Kiwanis, County Commissioners, City of Sylvester and Sylvester Local
You can Help!
We need ideas to help with GradFIRST so please share your concerns and ideas with us
Expect a survey soon
Your thoughts?