Most standards are written in terms that can be easily interpreted in a number of ways, which results in significantly different instruction and assessments. To develop a more cohesive understanding of what the standards are asking students to know and be able to do, the Institute has developed this session to demonstrate the process for taking the standards from broad statements to well-defined and understood skills, with the types of thinking required by the standards.
Who should Attend: Teachers and Building Administrators
Most standards are written in terms that can be easily interpreted in a number of ways, which results in significantly different instruction and assessments. To develop a more cohesive understanding of what the standards are asking students to know and be able to do, the Institute has developed this session to demonstrate the process for taking the standards from broad statements to well-defined and understood skills, with the types of thinking required by the standards.
Who should Attend: Teachers and Building Administrators
This introductory session specifically focuses on understanding how to match various types of assessments to the levels of learning required by the standards. During the three hours, participates will use their state standards, local standards, or the new Common Core State Standards to identify the types of assessments that match the level of thinking identified in the standards. Ideally, this session should follow the “Deconstructing Standards to establish common understanding” session.
Who should Attend: Teachers and Building Administrators
Many schools are attempting to develop common or benchmark assessments. Typically, teachers develop questions based on the content of the textbook, questions found on the tests given to students, or items from a test bank. If assessments are to accurately reflect what has been taught, these assessments must be developed based on the taught (operational) curriculum. This session will walk participants through the process of analyzing the curriculum in order to identify the content taught and skills students used to precisely match the content and skills to the assessment questions.
Who should Attend: Teachers and Building Administrators
Know how to employ effective instructional strategies into everyday teaching can have a dramatic effect on student achievement. This session will focus on several of the strategies that have proven to have the greatest impact on student learning. Each strategy will be used during the session to provide participants with the opportunity to see the strategies used in “real life” situations. Additional strategies will be discussed as well as how and when they might be used to improve teaching and learning.
Who should Attend: Teachers
In many cases, student success is determined by a grade on a test. If teachers only look at their instruction every six weeks, there is no opportunity to change directions, supplement materials, make instructional adjustments, or apply different strategies. Monitoring specific aspects of instruction and then using that information as formative data provides an opportunity to use data to drive instruction and improve student learning. This session will demonstrate how teachers can use instructional data, make real-time decisions, and improve the learning process.
Who should Attend: Teachers and Building Administrators
The curriculum is massive and, typically, only viewed as a static document. If schools are attempting to develop an articulated and rigorous curriculum, it is important to examine the curriculum as it is being implemented. This session will study various aspects of a curriculum and identify specific items that should be adjusted to eliminate gaps and redundancies, reduce instructional dissonance, and help coordinate interdisciplinary connections.
Who should Attend: Teachers and Building Administrators>
Teacher feedback is of limited value for improving student learning and can actually have negative effects on students’ desire to learning. However, feedback can be a very useful and positive tool when used effectively. This session will discuss and demonstrate the use of targeted, descriptive feedback that can result in positive student learning.
Who should Attend: Teachers