Woodrow Wilson Middle School-SDT Agenda

Date of meeting: 04-13-2011

Location/Time: Principals Conference room; 8:30 - 3:00pm

Present: Science: Norton, Haley Math: Stokke, Cianci Social Studies: Gallo, Fentress Language Arts: Brandi, Sherman, Ramage Other: Marqua, DelGobbo, Conway

Time Agenda Item Description Expected Outcomes Allotted  Group Norms  Understand expectations of the 10  Review Norms minutes group  Celebrations related to  Sharing of positive experiences in the (8:30 – 8:40) student achievement  Recognize useful strategies classroom NOTES: 1.) 8th grade Social Studies – vocabulary notebook created (remain in classroom); 2.) 7th grade LA – Dr. James and Ms. O’Keefe utilizing WikiSpaces and other uses of technology in literature activities as well as provision of professional development to the Language Arts department; 3.) 8th grade LA – initiated a unit with theme of acceptance (impact with bullying); 4.) 7th grade math team focused on setting learning objectives for students and reached SMART goal (surveys and experiments unit); 5.) 8th grade math team providing continuous instruction and assessments and finding retention of content; 6.)

 Monitoring and feedback on progress of each IDT.  Sharing of SMART goals, students strength 90 and weaknesses, instructional strategies  IDT leaders shared reports with Minutes  Report from IDT leaders (including Marzano games), results indicators SDT. (8:40 – 10:10)  Reports are brought to the meeting to share. NOTES: 1.) See reporting forms; 2.) revision of 5-step process forms (modified the results indicators step)

30  Sharing of information from most recent District  Feedback on progress of each Report from DDT minutes Data Team Meeting IDT. representatives (10:10 – 10:40) NOTES: 1.) DDT minutes reviewed (see district website for minutes link)

60  Academic Vocabulary  Sharing of academic vocabulary words and  Plan to improve Minutes processes per content area Interdisciplinary connections (grade-level integrated word (10:40 – 11:40)  Sharing of results from walk-throughs lists)  Next steps NOTES: 1.) Wait until SY 2011 – 2012 to make connections with vocabulary (across content areas) – opportunities for integration during team meetings; 2.) utilization of “word of the day” (PRIDE period?); 3.) RAM meetings – create protocol:

 1 day (students involved in CMS)  1 day (instructional strategies – connections across content areas, academic vocabulary; literacy and numeracy across content areas)  1 day (SRBI, struggling students, advanced students, updates on progress monitoring)

Teams complete an advance organizer highlighting academic vocabulary words/concepts and members make deliberate connections? RAM teams make themes based on vocabulary – but do not cross the protocols of data teaming Team-wide word walls?

Students:  Having 1 vocabulary notebook per students (foundation – emotional literacy)?  Are notebooks the best tool to assist students learn new vocabulary AND create cross-curricular connections?  Include emotional literacy word lists in student planners? Emotional Literacy curriculum has 63 words – (to be split between the two grades)  Language Arts teachers will implement emotional literacy lessons/connections  All teachers need to activate prior knowledge of academic vocabulary terms on a regular basis  Teachers to post words per month?  Marzano program and math terms?  DI workshop from last year? Word boxes?

LUNCH/ PLANNING TIME

11:40 – 1:00

NOTES:

45  Clarification on directives regarding the  School-wide directives  Common Formative Minutes development and implementation of CFAs at (common for all content areas) Assessments WWMS on CFAs (1:00 – 1:45)

NOTES: Diane Conway presented on CFAs:

 Review of the CALI CFA Checklist and PowerPoint presentation from March 2011 faculty meeting on CFAs  CFAs should only focus on respective disciplines (do not integrate literacy skills and concepts outside of LA department CFAs)  Ms. Niles is the point person for all CFA/instructional concerns/questions  CFA questions should include prerequisite questions/items  Keep in mind students’ current weaknesses that would be an obstacle in learning new knowledge  Keep in mind students’ misperceptions of content/skills  Utilize prior data from preceding CFA/CSA results  CFAs will look different each year (fine-tune and update the following year based on the makeup of the students)  Science department should include grid-in responses on their CFAs (send to Margaret/Tiffany)  Utilize a variety of questions (include at least one open-ended item)  First step is to unwrap the standards – the verbs become the skills and the nouns become the content  Align with Bloom’s Taxonomy – the verbs will dictate what type of question and how to write the question  Each SDT meeting: team leaders must provide pre and post assessment data each month  The SDT reports should then focus on: Are the students learning?  Follow the National Standards/CT Common Core – new version of learning targets  At least four assessment items for each GLE to ensure reliability  Make sure the items are going to give you enough information about what students know/don’t know yet  The items should get at how the students are thinking  Begin the practice of setting the purpose for all pre and post assessments and list all GLEs/learning targets in kid-friendly language  Open-ended questions are to assess higher-level thinking  Multiple choice and selected response items can include: basic factual knowledge, conceptual understanding, application of knowledge, and assessment of inquiry  Math (and all content areas) must incorporate nonfiction writing responses  Target the breakdown of the effective teaching strategies

****Each data team leader to submit pre/post assessment to Ms. Niles prior to administration by April 25th.

30  Update on any school climate changes Minutes  School Climate Update  Results for faculty meeting?

(1:45 – 2:15)

NOTES:

 30 Minutes  School Improvement Plan  Update on indicators and progress  (2:15 – 2:45)

NOTES:

 Walkthroughs from WWMS administration elicited data (in terms of SIP: baseline and post data)  May 2011 – data results to be shared  District walkthroughs for May have been cancelled  SDT should be monitoring the SIP  How should we be monitoring the components of our SIP?  Our SDT agenda should mirror the SIP?  What are our results indicators?  Activity: 5 components of the SIP – pairs will rotate through and identify possible monitoring plan

15  Detailed description of changes to the master Minutes  Master Schedule for SY schedule  Summary of review 2011 - 2012  Opportunity for IDT Leaders to provide input (2:45 – 3:00)

NOTES:

 Similar 8-period construct  Reduction of passing time to increase instructional time  Grade-specific lunch waves  Students will be on team for a large block of instructional time – individual teams can create unique rotations, integrate units, lab activities  Schedule may be ready for view April 18th  Intervention services will be clearer as schedule develops  New Encore class: one quarter class on: career ed, study skills  PRIDE period will remain in schedule 

10  Next Meeting Completed agenda for May Minutes  Agenda items for the next meeting   Closure for the meeting 2011

NOTES:

 Next month: agenda to mirror SIP  Reiterate what the data team leaders should inform their teams