Action Planning and Personal Growth

S.M.A.R.T. Goal (long range,3-5 years): By 2015, WoodCreek Junior High will earn an exemplary rating.
S.M.A.R.T. Objective (What we can accomplish in one school year): By the end of the 2012 school year, 90% of all demographic groups in the 8th grade, including the African American population, will meet or surpass the state standard on the TAKS Math.
Target Group(s): All demographic subpopulations, particularly focusing on the African American subpopulation in 8th grade math..
Activity/ Strategy (Include 3)	Person(s) Responsible	Timeline	Resources/Estimated Cost	Formative Evaluation
1. Block math: All students not passing the math TAKS test for the previous school year will be entered into a math lab. The math lab will consist of hands on activities to fill in the gaps based on the missed objectives from the previous year’s test.	Alisha Jonker/Jennifer Grimsley	The block class will be an additional class that each student not passing the previous year’s test will receive. It will take the place of one of the student’s electives and will run the course of the year.	Manipulatives = Mathematical Discoveries™ kit: $254.99 Mastering Math Skills Game Based Learning System: $85.45 Computers able to access the DOMA program and professional development for running the program= DOMA program for 100 students: $499.00 1 year subscription: $7.00 On-site product training: $2200.00 Curriculum workbooks for extra practice and formative assessments – 100 Math Workouts: $12.30	Instruction will take place daily for 45 minutes in a small group of 1:10-12 in stations. Stations will consist of DOMA, a game based learning, workbook sheet, and teacher led smaller group. Students will be divided into groups of 4. At each station, there will be a content frame to fill out that will elicit feedback to the teacher for mastery of the daily objective. At the teacher station, each student will be expected to perform the objective on a timed quiz after appropriate instruction.
2. CRISS training	District trainers: Sanee Bell (Curriculum and Instruction Principal) and Melissa Hurt (Math and Science Instructional Coach) Each member of the math department from 6th-8th grade will attend the training plus the 2 math block teachers.	Days one and two of training will occur the 2nd week of school with follow-up training occurring on the early release day at the end of the first six weeks. Teachers will attend 3 full days of training.	$50.00/employee when led by a district trainer x 14 employees = $700.00 (includes training manual for each participant and follow-up newsletters to support further training)	By day 3 of the CRISS training, each participant must complete a lesson plan and teach the lesson utilizing the CRISS strategies. The lesson plan must be submitted to the CRISS trainer by the last day of training. The presenter will have copies ready for each participant to take back to their classrooms to utilize. Each participant is asked not to discuss the lesson creation or implementation prior to returning to the training. At the training, each participant will be able to discuss the lesson in a modified teacher learning community.
3.  Math teacher learning communities	Facilitated by Sanee Bell; each member of the math department will be in the teacher learning community and will participate.	The teacher learning community will meet monthly on the early release days. In August, there will be a staff development day that will discuss the teacher learning community expectations to the math department. It will discuss the norms for operation as well as the expectations of the group. Each member will receive a copy of Building School-based Teacher Learning Communities: Professional Strategies to Improve Student Achievement by Milbrey McLaughlin	Building School-based Teacher Learning Communities: Professional Strategies to Improve Student Achievement by Milbrey McLaughlin $22.95 * 16 teachers/staff = $367.20	Formative evaluation will occur during the teacher learning communities when each teacher has the opportunity to discuss the changes happening in their classrooms with the math block and intervention curriculum. If changes are to occur, each staff member will come up with an action plan, try out the action plan, and return to the teacher learning community the next month with the results.
4. Benchmarks/Common assessments	Given by the math department and scored using the standardized equipment by the instructional coach.	Given at the end of each six weeks. It will yield the results of the material presented and the mastery of each objective by student.	None needed; district provides the scantrons for these tests.	Upon receiving the grades from these tests, teachers will desegregate the data and meet with the instructional coach to brainstorm ideas to better reach the underperforming students. Mastery criteria will be set at 80%.

Total Cost: $4125.94

The summative evaluation will occur at the end of the year when TAKS results are received. As on most campuses, staff want kids to pass the 1^st administration; however, should they not, 10 days of accelerated interventions will follow. The accelerated interventions will occur during a 30 minute daily advisory class as well as from 2:30-4:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The intervention will focus on desegregated data targeting objectives that students missed. All grade level math teachers will be responsible for working together to provide the interventions so as to make the ratio of teacher to student smaller. The 6^th and 7^th grade math teachers’ advisory classes will be covered by the special education department during intervention. The 2^nd administration will occur. Upon the results from that test, students will be entered into 10 days of summer school where teachers are trained to focus on specific objectives that students missed on the TAKS administrations. An accelerated instruction plan is developed by the general education teacher based on the desegregated data. The AIP follows the student to summer school where the teacher there implements the plan for student success. Both terms of intervention will use materials that were not previously used during regular instruction time. These students need the information in a different way that what they received before. Manipulatives as well as the DOMA program will be used. The interventions will follow a more “math block” routine where teachers focus students with hands-on activities.

Action Plan Goal: By 2015, WoodCreek Junior High will earn an exemplary rating.
Action Plan Objective : By the end of the 2012 school year, 90% of all demographic groups in the 8th grade, including the African American population, will meet or surpass the state standard on the TAKS Math.
Topic: 8th grade math strategies to use in classroom intervention that targets subpopulation, including the African American subpopulation.
Subtopics (if applicable):
Grade Level: 6-8 Math teachers	Facilitator: Sanee Bell: Curriculum and Instruction Principal Melissa Hurt: Math Instructional Coach Kara Landgrebe: Special Education Department Chair	Location: WoodCreek Junior High LGI Room	Start Time: 8:00 am
Strategy/ Activity	Purpose	Description	Steps
Agenda/Norms	Agendas are handed out to guide the staff development and to prevent participants and presenters from getting off topic. Creation of norms allows for a more in depth discussion and the ability to accomplish more from the task at hand.	The agenda for the staff development is listed under the strategy/activity column. Norms are what each participant will adhere to throughout the duration of the staff development. Examples are turning off all electronic devices, respecting opinions of participants, offering feedback, and participating within the group.	Participants will sign in at the table when they walk in and pick up an agenda, copy of the 2010 AYP data report, AEIS summary report, norms, CRISS training manual, and CRISS training binder.
Desegregation of data from previous TAKS year	In order for the math department to buy into the CRISS training, they must first recognize the reason they are here. The AYP and AEIS data reports must be taken apart to identify the area of weakness among subpopulations and the 8th grade as a whole.	Desegregation of data means to take the report apart and look at each individual subpopulation, the grade as a whole, and gender ratios. It allows the participant to compare data from the previous and current years. It is imperative because it allows teachers to see where the training is going.	Participants will break up into groups of 4. Each group will be responsible for looking at a very different piece of the data. The groups will be separated by data on gender, African American, Hispanic, White, Asian/Pacific Islander, Special education, and Economically disadvantaged. After 20 minutes, each group will present. It is important that the teachers be responsible for desegregating the data and not allow the administrators to do it beforehand. If the teachers are responsible for the desegregation, then they should come up with the same area of weakness as the facilitators.
Discussion on the background of CRISS and how it is applicable to the campus action plan	The presenters will provide the background of CRISS and why teachers developed the program.	CRISS was developed by teachers in the Midwest who were not finding success rates within certain populations of students. The subgroups were not performing or meeting state standards and were not taking ownership for their learning. This directly ties into the goal of the math department. They are wanting students to meet standards but also be responsible for the information being taken in.	Background discussion of CRISS will be provided to give teachers a glimpse into its formation and why it was developed. The facilitators will then discuss the implications for usage before diving into the strategies.
Introduction to strategies related to vocabulary acquisition in math	To develop students’ understanding of the math vocabulary that may or may not be familiar.	Facilitators will walk participants through strategies of math vocabulary acquisition,	Examples of strategies include: Author’s text Boldface words Word origin discussion Metacognition Morphemes
Introduction to concept mapping/graphic organizers to separate ideas presented in class	To aid students in developing strategies for taking notes and remembering content	Facilitators will lead instruction as the teacher, and the participants will be the students in class.	The facilitators will give examples of concept maps and graphic organizers as well as instruction for how a student should know which level of information a question is asking. For example, is the information stated in the text…
Lunch on your own
Introduction to hands on learning approaches via the mathematical discoveries kit	To begin looking at and understanding the new mathematical tools bought for intervention.	Teachers will be set up into groups to begin working with and exploring the new mathematical kit that will be used in the math block and intervention sessions.	Teachers will go back to their morning groups and begin looking at each piece of the kit. Each teacher group will choose a specific tool and together, write a lesson plan in which the tool can be utilized.
Introduction to the DOMA program	To gain access and understanding of the program, reports, and data that can be gathered.	The DOMA program is a program that can be utilized to fill in the gaps that are not able to be filled with on grade level instruction.	Each participant will log in. They will take a pretest to establish where the are in their math learning. The DOMA program will then meet each participant where they are in their math ability. After the participant masters the level, they will move on until they reach grade level mastery.
Assignment: Lesson plan development/Questions and Concerns	To create implementation into the classroom setting and to provide follow- up training. To clear up any concerns or answer any questions from the day’s material.	Each participant will choose a lesson based on the data in which students did poorly on a specific objective. They will not discuss the lesson design or implementation with their other colleagues	Receive the lesson design instruction. Ask any questions about the day’s activities. Close

Teachers will return to their classrooms to desegregate the data by specific objective area and then create a lesson plan that utilizes the CRISS strategies, DOMA program, and mathematical toolkit (it can be a more than one day lesson).Teachers will teach the lesson and record feedback about how well it went, what worked, and what did not. Teachers will come back to follow up training at the end of the first six weeks to discuss the results and offer and receive feedback.

Upon completion of the training at the end of the six weeks, the staff of the math department will meet once each month in a teacher learning community to discuss results, share lessons that worked utilizing the CRISS strategies, offer aid for the DOMA program, etc. The facilitators will also meet during the teacher learning community to make sure that the topic stays focused on the training received and does not wander to lesson planning.

Teachers will also discuss the current chapter of Building School-based Teacher Learning Communities: Professional Strategies to Improve Student Achievement by Milbrey McLaughlin. They will begin the discussion in the teacher learning community with the current chapter before diving into lesson plan design, CRISS strategies, changes they want to make in the classrooms regarding the training, and the like.