Focusing on Students in a Data-Driven World
Carol Corbett Burris, Ed.D.
Principal of South Side High School Rockville Centre, NY
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q 44% of the NY students who entered 9th grade in 2008 were economically disadvantaged
q 42% of all of the 2010 births in NYS were to single mothers
q 44% did not attend pre-‐school
q In NYS big cities 75% were economically disadvantaged
q 70% of all birth in the Bronx were to single mothers
There is an inverse relationship between the % of low SES students and graduation rates
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Low Needs Average Needs
High Needs rural
High Needs urb/sub
High Needs NYC
High Needs Lg
City
% poverty
% grad rate all § Effects of individual poverty
§ Effects of concentrated poverty
Low-SES students can do well if they are in well–resourced schools that are not
overwhelmed by poverty
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How do we provide our students with the enriched and engaging curriculum that they deserve in a time of data driven reform?
“The gravest threat posed by all these reforms is that they encourage teachers to forego real teaching for test prep”. Gary Rubenstein, Ed Leadership July 2013
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ü Place-‐based learning provides students with background knowledge which in turn promotes transfer, thereby deepening and accelerating learning.
Why place-‐based learning matters…..
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DIRECTIONS FOR CLOSE READING From http://www.parcconline.org/sites/parcc/[iles/High-‐School-‐Exemplar-‐Lincoln-‐Gettysburg-‐Address.pdf “Other than giving the brief de[initions offered to words students would likely not be able to de[ine from context (underlined in the text), avoid giving any background context or instructional guidance at the outset of the lesson while students are reading the text silently. This close reading approach forces students to rely exclusively on the text instead of privileging background knowledge and levels the playing [ield for all students as they seek to comprehend Jacques’ soliloquy.”
Read and summarize
Having crumbled to 214 all out, with Jonathan Trott's 84 not out the glue across an otherwise brittle English innings, the tourists were back in the contest when Paul Collingwood's brace had the hosts wobbling at 100 for five at the turn of the 21st over. From:http://russonreading.blogspot.com/2013/05/does-background-knowledge-matter-to.html
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ü Place-‐based learning provides an invaluable opportunity to expand student vocabulary.
Why place-‐based learning matters…..
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Theme vocabulary • Lighthouse • Historic • Shoals • Route • Conical • Breakwater • Portholes • Catwalk • Cistern • Buoy • Navigational hazards • Obsolete • Erected • Navigate • Shallow
1883 Lighthouse at Kingsland Point Park
Words of a Feather
route
shoals
shallow
buoy
Give students sentence starters
Link all four words together to build one sentence, or two related sentences.
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ü Place-‐based learning provides us with experiential “texts” that we can use to develop our students’ analytical and evaluative thinking.
Why place-‐based learning matters…..
Designing lessons using
Blooms as a guide
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Text B: Washington Crossing the Delaware
1. Describe the dress and condition of the soldiers. 2. Explain why you know the crossing was dif[icult. 3. How does the artist use light , shadowing, color and
other techniques to create setting? 4. What is the artist’s opinion of Washington? Justify your
opinion. 5. Write the story this painting tells.
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1. What, according to Whitman is the true monument to honor Washington?
2. The original title was, “Ah, Not This Granite Dead and Cold”. Which title is better? Explain why.
3. What is Whitman telling the reader with the insertion of a question mark in the poem? What is the function of the parenthesis?
4. To what extent does Whitman see George Washington as an archetype, rather than a [lesh and blood hero? Include evidence from the text to make your argument.
Text C: Washington's Monument, February, 1885 by Walt Whitman
Jigsaw Assignment
Provide evidence how each text portrays Washington as a great and heroic leader. Decide which of the three makes the best case and explain why.
Designing lessons using
Blooms as a guide
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Here is the choice that confronts us…..
“Other than giving the brief de[initions offered to words students would likely not be able to de[ine from context (underlined in the text), avoid giving any background context or instructional guidance at the outset of the lesson while students are reading the text silently. This close reading approach forces students to rely exclusively on the text instead of privileging background knowledge and levels the playing [ield for all students .” David Coleman
“When I am tempted to compromise on what I know is good instruction, I will think back to letters I've received from students over the years. Although I certainly can't claim to have inspired every student I've taught, I know from these notes that I have inspired some. When a student writes to me that she used to hate math and now she likes it, I've gotten all the merit pay I need.” Gary Rubenstein
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