Science PLC 9/9/2013

9/9/2013 First PLC meeting

Mr. Parisi if you would please help me with the minutes on Wednesday. The Wednesday meeting will be in  Mr. P's room starting promptly at 4:20. We were a little slow to get rolling this morning, but I know we are all adjusting.

I will find and forward the template for PLC sign in to someone with a working printer. Ms. De La Paz is working to find print cartridges for our department printers.

A few things to note.

Please use the Blogspot to send me things that you need to know. Simply enter your concerns under comments. This will centralize the information, allow us all to work as team at resolving issues, and serve as documentation of the very hard work you are all doing. I see you. I feel you.

Ms. Mctear sent her apologies for being caught in an unsually long commute to school.

Suggested Agenda for Monday:

1.  Disaggregation of EOC test items - the one with the bold red markings.

Biology and Chemistry have EOC data to disaggregate. Physics and Environmental systems uses mid-term ACPs as reported on Data Portal. Mr. McGaugh has no access and must rely on Ms. Everett.

Ms. Poledor suggested that we pull from Curriculum maps if data is unavailable.

2.  Find areas of strength and weakness

Ms. Megahan suggested that we look at low scoring objectives, aka, those with the lowest percentage of mastery, and record the percentages on the curriculum map highlighting the lowest.

3.  What is the follow-up?  What action can be taken to improve?

 Here's a picture of how Ms. Megahan has done that. This allows me to also spiral objectives that may not get covered just before the exam in the fall, or to continually spiral the low-scoring objectives.  Ms. Megahan lists raising these objectives as evidence outcomes on her lesson plans.

This was a little challenging as the many of the objectives tested last year show up in the fourth six weeks of this curriculum map. I've heard that the tests are being rewritten.

4.   What common assessments will you be using and how often?

Common content designed tests administered every three weeks. New teachers are still working to log into Eduphoria as instructed by the Tech Help Desk at Dallas ISD. They think that once new teachers login with the common password, then the system will pick them up for file and data sharing.

Ms. Poledor asks that we include 2 to 3 open-ended items on the tests (much like last year).

 

5.   What can my content area do to address writing? (ELA will have to analyze both  reading and writing.)

Mr. Joseph spoke about not accepting work that was not written with complete sentences, and in paragraph form. He also spoke about not accepting lists. 

Ms. Megahan encouraged everyone to teach prewriting, and explained that lists are a strategy for pre-writing much like outlines and that our students struggle with bridging their thoughts in a logical manner.  She thinks we need to make prewriting (outlines, concept maps, brainstorming) part of the writing requirements, and build this into grading.

Ms. Megahan also spoke about using Free Response questions in AP classes, explaining that students need experience with time writing in order to be successful at the Free Response on the test.