EXPANDING

OPPORTUNITIES: A K-12

STRATEGIC APPROACH

Alison Coker, Advanced Learning Programs Consultant

Michelle Mikes, Supervisor, K-12 Mathematics

Stephanie Rainey, Assistant Principal & AP Coordinator

Allatoona High School

Cobb County Facts and Figures

• Total Number of Schools 114

• Enrollment 112,708• 2nd largest school system in Ga.

• 24th largest in United States

• Free or reduced lunch 44.8%

• Student DemographicsWhite 39.0%Black 31.5%Hispanic 20.3%Asian 5.2%Multi-Racial 3.6%American Indian <1%Pacific Islander <1%

Cobb County AP Statistics

• 2004: 2,501 students / 4,342 Exams

• 2009: 6,621 students /12,312 Exams

• 2015: 8,375 students /16,478 Exams

Cobb AP Scores remain above state and national levels

K-12 Multifaceted Approach to Success

Expectations

Tools

Knowledge

High

MiddleElementary

Vertical Strategies for Success PlanElementary School Middle School High School

Vertical

Experiences

Professional

learning

DBQs

Talent

Development

PL

Data Review

PSAT SOAR training

TD/ habits course

PL

Data Review

PSAT SOAR training

TD/ tools and quest

Courses AC ELA

AC Math

HS courses in ms

Academic Habits

AC in all academic areas

AP courses

Tools for success

Academic Success

Use above in advisement

Combo courses/ embedded credit

Communication &

Collaboration

Newsletters

Teacher leader

communication

Newsletters

Parent nights

6-12 department chair meetings

Newsletters

AP collab

365 folders

Twitter chats

Resources &

Key People

• Sarah K • Katherine W

• Teacher leaders (Rick, Tricia)

Alison Michelle Stephanie AP Coords

Road Blocks &

Roundabouts

• AC new idea/ create buy in

• Offer principal lunch and learns in summer

• Funding • HS certification needed for hs

courses- provide training, collab with KSU?

• Funding for APSI – State grants?• Stipends for summer collab? Find funding

Other Ideas

K-12 Examine Data Through a Vertical Lens

• IOWA: 3rd, 5th, 7th

• COGAT: 1st, 3rd, 7th

• PSAT 8/9 (all 8th grade students)

• Summary of Answers and Skills Training

• Utilizing Data for Instruction

• High School access to feeder school data

• PSAT (all 10th grade students)

• Summary of Answers and Skills Training

• Individual School and County Level Data

• AP Potential (now includes 8th grade students if PSAT 8/9 administered)

Vertical Experiences Begin in Elementary School

• Advanced Content

• ELA / Reading

• Math

• Teacher Resources

• Extension activities

• DBQs (4-12)

• RBQs or Research Based Questions

• Robotics

Talent Development

3D Printing

Research Projects

• Develop higher level thinking

skills

• Provide content area

enrichment

• Models-push in, pull out,

collaboration

Summer Enrichment Academy

Critical Thinking Skills

Hand on Equations: building algebraic

thinking

Cardboard

Challenge

Ga Tech’s INVENTURE Challenge

6-12 Expectations Middle School and High School Advanced Content Course Expectations

The Cobb County School District advocates high standards for advanced content courses in the areas of content, pedagogy, and student mastery. The following information is provided to inform teachers, administrators, and policy makers dedicated to providing rigorous advanced content instruction for all CCSD’s students.

Design Your Own Support Course: Middle School

Middle School

Academic Habits 6, 7, 8• Costa’s Habits of Mind

• Thematic

• Integration of Skills Approach

• Skills needed for success

• Note Taking

• Organizational Skills

• Literacy

• Application of Reading Strategies

• Flexible Scheduling Options

• Use your own talent

• Partner with a neighboring university

Design Your Own Support Course: High School

Quest for Success

• Habits of Mind

• Organizing for Learning

• Rigor: Moving UP

• AP Preparation

Tools for Academic

Success

• Support for AP Students

• Study Skills Review

• Interpersonal Skills - Life

Skills

• Leadership

• College and Career

• Tools for Academic

Success

Quest for SuccessUnit 1: Habits of Mind

• Habits of Mind

• Levels of Thinking

• Learning Styles

Unit 2: Organizing for Learning• Reading for Comprehension

• Successful Note Taking

• The Research Process

Unit 3: Moving On Up!• Courses and Rigor

• SAT vs. ACT

• Post-Secondary Options

• Project Your Courses

Unit 4: AP Preparation• AP Terminology

• Applying Quest For Success Strategies To Ensure Future Academic Success

Unit 1: Review of Study Skills

• Learning About Learning

• Note Taking and other Study Skills

• Forming Collaborative Study Groups

Unit 2: Building Community through effective communication

• The Essentials of Listening

• Presentation Skills & Public Speaking

• Life Skills

Unit 3: Leadership and Cooperative Problem Solving

• Cooperative Problem Solving and Decision Making

• Practicing Problem Solving

• Group Presentations / Project

• Academic Integrity

Unit 4: College and Career Readiness

• Resume and Interview Skills

• Faculty Interviews and Profile Presentations

• College Admissions Essay Writing

• Scholarships and Recommendations

Tools for Academic Success

Other Courses

• Waiver from state seat requirements

• Combination courses / embedded credit

• AP Art History

• AP World / Euro

• World Lit

• 3 Credits using 2 blocks of course time

• High School Courses in MS

• Physical Science

• Math

• Art

Twitter Chats

• Support for students

• Current AP class

• First semester block

• District ‘network’

• Teachers welcome

• Collaboration

• Provide new ideas

• Student perceptions

Creating a Culture of Challenging

Instruction

• Teacher Leader Academy

• PBL

• STEM

• Blackboard

• AP Stats and Calc teaching videos (available to all

math teachers)

• Collaboration time

• K-12 Math Institute for Teachers

Innovation Academies

Supporting Mathematics Students

• Math Teams

• Math Odyssey

• Math Counts

• Investigating adding a student AP Institute for math

• Working on videos for students (AP Stats)

Literacy

• DBQs required in Social Studies 6-

12

• May be used across content areas

• DBQ Project & Teacher developed

• Spreading to elementary

• English: LBQs

• Science: tie fiction / non fiction to

hands on science activities in ES

• Math Literacy for Enrichment at MS

LiteracyTA.com

• Reading, speaking, and

writing across all content

areas

• Fiction and non-fiction

• Lessons, tools, etc.

• Online and affordable

• ES: Advanced Content

teachers given license

• Middle and High School

licenses provided as

requested

Building an AP Community

• AP Teacher Team

• Student Leadership Team

• Student Support

• Summer Camp for AP Human Geography

• Celebrate Success

K-12 Communication: Advanced Learning Newsletters

Online Collaboration

• Skype

• 365 Folders

Easy to Implement

• MS and HS representatives meet

• Advanced Learning Newsletter

• Collaborate using Skype

• School Visits (teachers, students, graduates)

• Subject area department chairs meet 6-12

• HS invites MS parents to Advanced Learning Nights

• Advanced Learning nights for 7th -8th grade students

• Class Observations (rigor, vertical alignment, strategies)

• PSAT and ReadiStep SOAS Training

• Implement DBQs, LBQs

• Strategies used within feeder pattern (effective thinking strategies, literacy,etc.)

Professional Development• Setting the Cornerstones for Administrators

• AP Vertical Teams in ELA /Math/Sci/SS

• Using Data to Design Instruction (AP Teachers)

• Pre-AP Effective Thinking Strategies for All Students

• Pre-AP Strategies in Mathematics –Developing Algebraic Thinking

• Pre-AP Strategies in Science: Inquiry-Based Laboratories

• AP teacher sessions during Kick-off (pre-planning)

• AP Collaboration Days

• DBQ Training

• LBQ Training

• Literacy TA Training

Your Suggestions:

• What are you doing now?

• What can you do in the future?

What Are The Possibilities

For Your Students, School, and District?

Alison.Coker@cobbk12.org

Michelle.Mikes@cobbk12.org

Stephanie.Rainey@Cobbk12.org

Contact Information