Welcome Bienvenido

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Welcome! Bienvenido!

• Come in and get comfortable. We will be working
  in different groups, so be prepared to move
  around.

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Middle School

• Habersham County Schools
• July 11, 2005

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What well do today

• Big picture review of changes and implementation.
• Analyze whats the same, whats changed, and
  whats not there in GPS.
• Examine how concepts develop across strands.
• Explore some of the sixth grade tasks.

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First . . .

• What do you know?
• What do you want to know?
• How do you feel about GPS?

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Backward Design
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Mathematics Curriculum Timeline
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(No Transcript)
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Performance Standards. . .

• Are
• Georgia Performance Standards (GPS)
• What students are to learn, know, and understand
• An expression of clear expectations for
  performance
• A curriculum document
• Few in number
• Application of content

• Are Not
• New Quality Core Curriculum (QCC)
• How teachers are to teach
• Comprehensive school reform
• An instructional handbook
• A checklist of objectives
• Coverage of content

Do you see those qualities in the documents
before you?
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Spiral vs. Ladder Curriculum
With the Georgia Performance Standards, we are
creating a ladder style curriculum that expects
mastery of topics - as opposed to our current
spiral curriculum, which contains constant review
in each grade. This is extremely important
especially in math and science.

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Spiral vs. Ladder Curriculum
This long duration means that U.S. states
include many more topics at each grade than do
high performing countries. That, in turn,
means each topic is addressed in less depth. In
general, the state standards increase the
duration of a typical topic by introducing it at
an earlier grade. For instance, even more
demanding topics such as geometric
transformations, measurement error,
three-dimensional geometry, and functions are
introduced as early as first grade. In the
highest performing countries, these same topics
are first covered in middle school. -Professor
William H. Schmidt, Michigan State University

Source A Coherent Curriculum The Case of
Mathematics, Summer 2000 issue of American
Educator
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Reflect

• Examine the standards.
• Do you see evidence of the ladder curriculum?
• Give an example.
• Whats an example of how the QCCs were a spiral?

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Characteristics of GPS in Middle Grades

• In grade 6, the curriculum begins to address
  traditional topics from algebra and geometry.
• From grade 7 on, the curriculum has four content
  strands
• number and operations,
• geometry,
• algebra, and
• data analysis and probability.
• What strand ends here? Why?
• By the end of grade 8, the student will have
  completed the equivalent of traditional
  first-year algebra and much of the traditional
  geometry course.

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Characteristics (cont.)

• In the past, very little new content was
  introduced in middle grades, making it easy for
  students to skip a course.
• In the new curriculum, new content topics are
  introduced in every grade in middle school,
  making it impossible to justify skipping any
  course.
• Acceleration of students with exceptional
  mathematical talent should be achieved by
  differentiation, as opposed to skipping or
  compressing courses.
• The rigor of the middle school curriculum allows
  all students to take in high school the courses
  they need to enter college.

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UNOFFICIAL Possible GPS Course Sequencing (NOTE
Official sequencing guidelines are in progress
but not yet complete.) Acceleration begins in
high school.
6th MATH
7th MATH
8th MATH
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Assessment

• The GPS establishes the minimum standards, and
  does not prohibit systems, schools, or teachers
  from adding material to it.
• GPS will be tested by the Criterion-Referenced
  Competency Test (CRCT) and the Georgia High
  School Graduation Test (GHSGT).
• Both tests will immediately begin revisions. By
  the 2nd year of phase-in, both tests will be
  aligned to GPS. Tasks will be used to design
  tests.

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Timeline

• What other middle school subjects will implement
  this year?
• When will you start teaching those students who
  have been through the GPS in the year before?

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Sixth Grade Teachers are Heroes!
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Mathematics Curriculum Timeline
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Another Way of Looking at the Implementation Plan
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Lets examine the parts of the GPS.
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Detailed Look at Parts of the Mathematics GPS

• Introductory paragraphs
• First What? Overview of years content
• Second How?
• Use of manipulatives
• Appropriate technology
• Multiple representations
• Real-world context
• What does 6th grade say? 7th? 8th?

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Parts of the GPS (continued)

• Concepts/Skills to Maintain
• Revisit and utilize, NOT reteach
• Coding for Strand and Standards
• Strand and its Description
• Content Standard and its Elements
• What do you see at each grade level?

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Parts of the GPS (continued)

• Process Skills
• Problem-Solving Strategies
• Terms/Symbols
• Reading

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Analysis of GPS by Grade

• In grade level teams, first jot down the major
  topics in your curriculum.

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Identify Topics Well Need Additional Resources
For

• Lets make the list as we work today so that
  well all be aware of what we need to work on.

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Analysis of GPS by Grade

• What is the same as your current curriculum?
• What is new?
• What is approached differently in the GPS?
• Highlight things that deserve special attention.
• Prepare to share this analysis
• with the rest of the group.

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Jigsaw on Tasks

• Get in groups that include teachers from 6-8.
• Each group will select a problem.
• Work your problem. Ensure you have answers that
  you agree on and you all understand each others
  approaches to the problem.
• Work on problems selected by other groups as time
  permits.
• Well jigsaw and spend time on each of the
  problems.

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Jigsaw on Tasks

• Why?
• To get a feel for the tasks.
• To learn more about 6th grade curriculum.
• Sixth grade teachers need answers to them.
• To practice looking for multiple approaches to
  problems.
• Lets explore some of the tasks for 6th grade.

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What do you think about tasks?

• Remember theyre optional.
• They were given to the testing experts to help in
  the development of the new CRCT.
• What does that mean for you?
• How might you try to use them?

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Process Standards

• Get in a group of teachers you havent worked
  with yet.
• Examine the process standards.
• Make notes for yourself.
• What do you already do?
• What do you want to do more of?
• What resources do you have/need to help you?

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Data Analysis Probability Strand

• Aligned with the Framework for Statistics
  Education
• For drafts http//it.stlawu.edu/rlock/gaise/
• For presentation about those standards
  http//it.stlawu.edu/rlock/gaise/PreK-12GAISEJSM0
  4.ppt
• Stop and look just at those concepts compared to
  what you usually teach.
• What do you observe?

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Analysis by Strand

• Lets get into groups that each include at least
  one teacher from each of grades 6-8.
• Number and Operation
• Geometry (and Measurement)
• Algebra
• Data Analysis and Probability

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Analysis by Strand

• Examine how concepts develop across strands.
• Look for evidence of
• higher levels of Blooms Taxonomy (knowledge,
  comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis,
  evaluation)
• GPS are clearer about what is expected
• difference between laddered and spiral curriculum
• important new content (for example, in 6th grade
  nets, sketches of solid figures) is added
• stronger data analysis and probability strand
• Prepare to share this analysis
• with the rest of the group.

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Reading Standard

• What are your plans for implementing them?
• What support or resources do you have or will you
  need?

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Brainstorming by School

• Lets regroup so that you are with other teachers
  from your school.
• Brainstorm how we can work together to help each
  other implement the GPS.
• How can we share the work of aligning the text to
  the GPS?
• How can we collaborate to find or create new
  resources we may need?
• How can we help the 6th grade teachers this year?
• How can we share what we know or learn throughout
  the year?

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Benefits of the New Mathematics GPS

• Depth not breadth
• Ladder not a spiral
• Better organization by strands
• Same standards for all learners
• Success achievement based
• Less time spent on review
• Better vertical correlation
• What do we think?

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Assessment

• The GPS establishes the minimum standards, and
  does not prohibit systems, schools, or teachers
  from adding material to it.
• GPS will be tested by the Criterion-Referenced
  Competency Test (CRCT) and the Georgia High
  School Graduation Test (GHSGT).
• Both tests will immediately begin revisions. By
  the 2nd year of phase-in, both tests will be
  aligned to GPS. Tasks will be used to design
  tests.

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Timeline

• What other middle school subjects will implement
  this year?
• When will you start teaching those students who
  have been through the GPS in the year before?

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Now . . .

• What do you know?
• What do you want to know?
• How do you feel about GPS?

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Reflecting . . .

• Where is everyone now? 6th? 7th? 8th?
• What do you think would be a good way to spend
  your time tomorrow?
• Some possibilities
• Align GPS to current textbook and resources.
• Identify topics for which your textbook will need
  supplementing.
• Identify topics for which students might need
  additional work.
• Team up to find or create what you will need.

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An opportunity to make a difference . . .

• Great things are done by a series of small
  things brought together.
• Vincent van Gogh (1853 -1890)

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Thank you! Gracias!

• It has been such a pleasure to spend this summer
  Monday with you. What an exciting year we all
  have ahead of us!
• Lynn Stallings
• Kennesaw State University
• lstalling_at_kennesaw.edu