“Assignment 1”
8th/9th Grade Mathematics Teacher Leaders
Summit 1
We consider you the pivotal person in implementing the 8th and 9th grade mathematics curriculum. Your leadership involves learning and growing with us in the assessment goals as outlined in our sessions, and also in providing information and growth for your colleagues (teachers and principals).
Your first goal is to develop descriptive feedback using one of the 5 CABS developed for your grade level. The format of the feedback can vary, and the process you use to develop your feedback can vary. In addition, how you present your feedback to students is open to creative approaches. Your goal is to provide specific feedback that expects the student to “do something” with your comments (i.e., answer a question, or rework a portion of the problem, or start with a new approach). Remember, feedback of this format builds on the powerful research that links formative assessments with improved student achievement.
Before the next summit, administer one of the five CABS with your students. We encourage your work with the template(s) provided to begin this process of developing feedback statements.
It may take awhile before you are comfortable with the process and before you are able to facilitate and move the importance of the process with your colleagues. For our next meeting, we hope several of you will volunteer as “facilitators” and bring at least 10 student folders, or 10 pieces of student work with the descriptive feedback provided for each assessment. Develop a Class Summary for your samples. Your student work samples will be reviewed and discussed during the next meeting.
If you do not feel confident volunteering as a facilitator for Summit 2, we ask that you bring student samples to highlight concerns, questions, etc. Summit 2 will help you design or create feedback statements based on the samples you bring.
We will work with you in getting your folder orders processed as soon as possible. However, it is not likely that all schools will have the folders copied and delivered by the next meeting. Therefore, be prepared to share you feedback with the templates provided in this first training session.
Check-off List:
____(1)Distribute to your colleagues (and principal) the mathematics Learning Targets for your grade level. Emphasize the “non-negotible” expectation. These targets represent an incredible improvement from our earlier targets!
____(2)Distribute the 5 CABS that will be used at each grade level to your colleagues and principal. Emphasize with your principal and colleagues these CABS are part of the district curriculum for 8th or 9th grademathematics. It is expected all 8th and 9th grade mathematics teachers will include these CABS in evaluating students’ progress.
____(3)When colleagues ask, “What do I do with these CABS?”, indicate that before the end of the academic year (or appropriate blocks), these 5 CABS should be administered and evaluated as part of the curriculum. Share with them your training in using these CABS as primarily formative assessments!
____(4)If you are willing, volunteer as a facilitator for summit 2. Bring at least 10 student samples with your descriptive feedback statements. We encourage you to use the template enclosed in the student folder. The 10 student samples will also be shared, along with the Class Summary to explain how you developed your feedback with students. (And if you are REALLY brave, share with us your success in getting the students to actually “do something” with your descriptive feedback.)
or
If you are not comfortable with this process and are not ready to develop feedback statements, please bring 10 student samples to the next summit. During our next summit, you will work with other teachers in developing descriptive feedback statements/questions.
____(5)Bring at least 10 constructed response samples (probably from your own students) from Benchmark 1. Indicate to your colleagues and principal that we will develop and train you in the rubric that should be used by teachers to score this prompt at the next summit. This is also a very important part of the curriculum and expectations of all schools!
Remember, descriptive feedback statements (or questions) encourage or prompt a student to “do something!” When a student reacts in a positive way to your feedback, then the true spirit of formative assessment has been implemented!
This is a historic day for MPS!