STE Program UpdateImprovement Planning and Initiatives

November 2012

Clarity Consistency Constancy Communication

The Four C’s of STE

ELEMENTARY, K-5 MIDDLE, 6-8 HIGH, 9-12

Curriculum Mapping Curriculum Mapping Curriculum Mapping

Textbook Correlations Textbook Correlations Program of Studies

Report Card Benchmarks

Curriculum Topic Study

CLARITY

MA DESE Strand Map Example

ELEMENTARY, K-5 MIDDLE, 6-8 HIGH, 9-12

Learning Priorities Learning Priorities Learning Priorities (core)

Science Celebrations Common Syllabi Common Syllabi

Common Assessments

Common Assessments

Common Mid-year Exams/Final Exams

Claims, Evidence, and Reasoning

Data Analysis Protocol Student Choice in Assessment

CONSISTENCY

Learning Priorities Example

MA LS 14MA LS 1

Grade 6 Life Science Strand

MA LS 6

MA LS 13

MA LS 15MA LS 5

Data Analysis Protocol Example

QuestionAre our students more successful when a visual is provided with the question?

Observation(s)Specifically with regard to students with special needs, the average percent correct on questions with visuals is 6% lower than those without visuals over a six-year period. Regular education students present a similar trend, but the percentage correct is considerably lower (2%).

Inference(s)We are not giving our students ample opportunity to analyze and interpret visuals.

Extension(s)We must provide additional practice with visuals (i.e., assessments, informational text).

ELEMENTARY, K-5 MIDDLE, 6-8 HIGH, 9-12

Interactive Notebooks Student Choice in Assessment

Student Choice in Assessment

Formative Assessment Probes

Formative Assessment Probes

Objectives and Assessment

Science Fair

CONSTANCY

Source: Science and Children. Washington, D.C: National Science Teachers Association, 2012. Online.

Formative Assessment Probe Examples

ELEMENTARY, K-5 MIDDLE, 6-8 HIGH, 9-12

For Your Information Newsletter (monthly)

For Your Information Newsletter (monthly)

For Your Information Newsletter (monthly)

Workshop-related (grade-level) Meetings

Aspen STE Page Aspen STE Page

Department Heads

COMMUNICATION

“I have found that our recent department meetings have had more of an impact on my teaching than any from the past. I am taking away simple, usable ideas that affect my teaching every day.”

-Dave Yaeger, PSHS Physics Teacher

Department Heads