ELA AP Vertical Team Agenda and Notes

ELA AP Vertical Team – Agenda and notes January 9, 2012 4:15 to 5:45 pm Brazos Crossing Board Room What background info is needed? Purpose:

 Peer Training – Follow-up of TP-CASTT

 Gather Summer Reading info to use for district 4. Agenda items for Feb 20, updated: input (will finish Feb. 20th)  Review PSAT data; identify weak areas  On hold from November: List of vertical team guidelines, duties and responsibilities as  Summer Reading input document outlined in AP Vertical Team Guide.  6-8 Reading list; revise, add purpose and skills

1. Opening Activity—Bulletin Boards  Vertical Team guidelines, defined

 Using lino it: on-line stickies

http://en.linoit.com/

 New Year – New learning?

2. Peer Training:

Using Nov. training – Lisa Leitch, LJH

3. Summer Reading:

Task: Create a document defining purpose, task and classroom use for input to district.

Discussion:

How have you used summer reading assignments? Purpose, assignment, classroom use?

Share on Google Docs Year End Goal:

Develop one data-based product to be included in district curriculum guidelines.

5. Meeting Dates: (After-school times are 4:15 to 5:45 pm)

1. We explored use of on-line sticky notes. Log-in on the I-Pad to pass around to students. Class application: Feb. 20 – District staff development, all day have students share goals, topic ideas, short question response to opened-ended questions. April 16 – Board Meeting Room, BCA May 9 – Board Meeting Room, BCA

2. Lisa shared how she took the list of themes shared by Lorey Sumers in November, to help her 7th grade students write a theme for A Christmas Carol, clarifying the difference between theme and story moral. If interested, ask her for a copy of that lesson. (Susan’s NOTE: Students will need to write a thesis statement th (controlling idea) for the 7 grade expository writing.) NOTES Continued:

3. continued from first page:

3. Summer Reading discussion: (High school campuses When school starts, because the 11th and 12th grade AP represented: George Ranch, Lamar Consolidated, Terry) classes are based on critical analysis, (reading and Julie McCain, LCHS, started the discussion by sharing writing) she wants to have the students write in the first th her campus’s process of identifying literature and use. week of school, again based on 10 grade skills. She Literature choices are based on the themes used during uses the summer reading to model the first writing the school year, new ideas from professional assignment. development courses, and feed-back from the students New material may be introduced during review over the on book choices. Changes are made as needed to keep reading, but it will not be tested at that time. Pre-AP the list fresh and up-to-date. 9thand 10th grades only assign writing after instruction Reading activities, which involve some kind of note- and discussion. taking, are based on the skills students should have Before students write, they are given an objective test learned in the school year preceding the summer strictly confined to the required annotation to assess for reading assignment. comprehension. The test may include questions about For example, the 11th grade summer reading would be character development or how the setting affects the based on 10th grade skills specifically tested on the TEKS characters actions. th that all 10 grade students are expected to have been This sets the tone for the AP class (critical reading and taught, not just what is covered in the Pre-AP/AP writing), and provides feedback for instruction. curriculum. They (LCHS) also include explicit instruction on the process students are expected to follow with a (cont. next column) guide for critical reading. 3. continued from left column:

The other high school teachers expressed agreement on the points Julie (LCHS) made on selection and use. GRanch and Terry both used 2-column notes instead of annotation. It was noted that all used some type of guided note-taking keeping in mind that the students would be working on their own. Colleen K (GRHS) noted with agreement from the others, by including a note-taking activity with the reading, comprehension scores were higher.

All campuses found that students who actually did the summer reading in the summer suffered for waiting over 3 weeks before testing. Students who did not complete the assignment over the summer had a difficult time keeping up with coursework as they were trying to play catch-up. They all reported parent feedback that questioned waiting 3 weeks before beginning instruction and giving assignments over the summer reading.

Teachers also discussed the 2-book limit. LCHS had 3 books for a total of 600 pages of reading; GR 11th grade had 2 books for a total of 2000 pages of reading. This would be something more to look into.

4. Since this discussion focused more on sharing and fact finding, it was decided that in the Feb. 20th training, the vertical team will use the current summer reading guidelines as a bases for feedback. Members of the team will bring information on purpose that they have already put together. Those who have researched other districts will bring that information. Susan Dynes will put together a chart to compare reading assignments and use from the district high school campuses.

6th, 7th and 8th grade teachers asked if they could work on the required reading list during the summer reading input. Reading material selections need to be reviewed and revised adding purpose and specific skills.